She caught a lot of flack some years back when she ended her book club by saying, "I just can't find any new books to recommend.". People quickly pointed out that there was thousands of years worth of books out there to choose from and she didn't always have to recommend a new book for people to read. She later backed down, but it took a lot of bitching from people before this happened. And I've seen her show a couple of times. If she has a guest on, there's not much of a discussion of the issue the guest is talking about. There's a few seconds on it, then alot of Oprah talking about her feelings.
I don't hate her, but it's weird how some people do everything she tells them to, and that everyone she promotes gets famous (like Dr. Phil). I enjoy that she gives a lot to charity. I don't watch her, but I would hope that she's trying to send the message that "giving to charity is a cool thing" not "sit on your ass and hope someone buys you a new car." On the point of Dr. Phil, a lot of what he says is just common sense (he's on occasionally when I go to my parents' house). What's annoying is that he dresses up the common sense to the point where you're supposed to believe that he's the only one who can give it to you--so if you're in debt, rather than figuring out you need to budget and go without some things, you feel like you need Dr. Phil to tell you (so it feels right, ya know?). That and he makes a big deal of being a psychologist.
I don't hate Oprah at all..and don't know of anyone who does. But some of the things she says on her show makes me wanna pop her at times. Everyone's gonna have SOMETHING against the woman cause she has more money than carvers got liverpills! I thought she and Dr. Phil were getting along?? Guess I missed something in the tabloids.
I didn't read through the whole thread so i dont know if this was mentioned or not, but this could be a reason why so many people hate her: (just click any of the videos) http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=C2BEC453B53EB59F&search_query=oprah religion
Oboy, this is fantastic! Sums it up much better than I could. Yes, people do seem to want icons, someone rich and famous that they can look up to and follow with an almost messianic devotion. Some celebrities cultivate that, some try to shun it, but it seems to come with the territory. As far as her being so overt about her charities, I think you've hit it spot-on. "If Oprah does it, I'm going to do it, too." If she gave anonymously, these people wouldn't get on board. And, yes, Dr. Phil does seem to be Master of the Obvious, and that's probably the thing about him that annoys me most. It's not what he says - because his insights are for the most part valid - it's the tone. "Hey, this should be obvious to you because it's obvious to me, and here I am embarrassing you and making you feel stupid in front of millions of people." The book club thing...yeah, I have some thoughts about that, and a few other things, but maybe in a later installment...
Two things here. One - because, again, I don't watch the show - what has she said about guns that makes her anti-gun? Two, do you know offhand what kind of weapons her bodyguards carry? Because unless they're the "so-called assault weapons" that cause all the controversy, you don't have much of an argument here.
It doesn't matter what's in the videos - or anything else she posts. You still follow her around the board acting like a 10 year old boy who doesn't know how to show a girl he likes her. So, he punches her instead.
The anti gun crowd is more against handguns than so-called assault weapons. If she has armed body guards, odds are they're packin' handguns. Though it could so-called assault weapons. Ted Kennedy's body guards were once arrested in DC for carrying full-auto MAC-10s (machine pistols) within the district. And Ted's one of the biggest anti-gun voices out there.
So then the narrow view is that famous people should either be 100% pro-gun, or leave themselves open to being murdered by some thug or psycho carrying an unregistered handgun, or just STFU?
No, they shouldn't be elitist hypocrites. "I don't want anyone in the world to have a gun! Except the people who are personally protecting my royal self." What makes them think they should be allowed to be protected, and the rest of us, who can't afford licensed armed bodyguards, shouldn't be allowed to protect ourselves?
I think Jane Fonda said it best, when she and Tom Hayden captured a burglar in their home at gunpoint. When asked "I thought you folks were anti-gun?" Jane reportedly replied "Oh, that's for other people."
Ah, Jane Fonda...some actors really can't ad lib... Again, not knowing Oprah's particular stance on guns, the gun control people I know are a little more specific as to type and use of weapon. Yes, most of us dream of the day that Americans can release their Linus-like grip on a security blanket that seems to be the only thing in the universe that makes them stronger because they need this thing, not because they can do without it, but on the pragmatic side, that day is not now. For today, most of us have no objection to private citizens owning handguns, which they keep in their homes (unless they're on the way to the range for practice) for their own protection. Anything other than a handgun gets us into gray areas I don't necessarily want to address here. At least, that was my stance until I realized how many gun owners argue for their right to leave their guns lying around any old place in the house unsecured. That realization, per my signature, has been slowly radicalizing me.
Anyone who takes Jane Fonda's word for anything needs to come see me about a bridge I've got for sale. And, like everything else in this world, there are varying shades of "gun-grabbing". for example, I just want them out of the hands of ciminals. Law abiding citizens can have as many as they want.
I'm not sure what you're talking about here. An "unregistered handgun" is completely illegal in Illinois. Oprah has nothing to fear from them. After all, gun laws make us safe.
