I realize that if you didn’t see Paul Blart: Mall Cop, that headline is lost on you, so I’ve prepared an alternative. How about, “Oprah’s Ratings Crash Faster Than Lizzie Grubman’s SUV Into A Crowd of Pedestrians” ? The moral of the story: The American people have smartened up and aren’t watching Oprah. And I thank you for that.
The week ending July 5th was the worst in ratings since 1983, the debut year of The Oprah Winfrey Show. It isn’t a totally fair comparison since it was a holiday week, Michael Jackson had just died, and Wimbledon was on. So, it was a bad week for ratings in general, but the show has been on a steady decline since October of 2008.
What could be causing this loss of viewership? Perhaps people are sick of her inability to find truthful authors. Or maybe her audience has reached their limit in watching her hypocritcal advice-doling sessions whilst her own weight spirals out of control due to her “wacky thyroid.” Want to know why I think people are tuning out? I’ll speak for myself: Because when I watch television, I don’t want to be lectured if I don’t follow Suze Orman’s financial plan, admonished if I don’t get enough Omega-3 like Dr. Oz tells me I should, or criticized if I think The Secret is nothing but common sense bound into a book. I don’t want to feel less than worthy if I don’t support every gasp of air that Barack Obama takes and — I know I’m crossing a line here — I’m not so impressed with Oprah’s Book Club picks. Oprah doesn’t feel good, and if I’m going to dedicate 42 minutes to television I want to walk away feeling positive about the experience.
Everyone Oprah endorses ends up being a fraud. I think it’s no coincidence. She ceased being relevent years ago.
Amen! If you aren’t perfect then don’t claim you are and humilate and expose the crass error in your elitist judgements over and over again. She’s become a ironic Master Cleanse teacher for the Gwyneth Paltrow’s of this generation who can’t pretend to be someone who only makes twenty five thousand a year ;
‘EACH Thursday morning, a substantial number of average young women open their inboxes to find a new e-mail from none other than Gwyneth Paltrow, in which the multimillionaire movie star offers tips on how to dress like her, cook like her, detox like her, etc. In other words: how to become far, far better at life.
“My life is good because I am not passive about it,” she wrote in her mission statement. “I want to nourish what is real, and I want to do it without wasting time.”
amen sistah! and don’t forget how she inserts ‘God’ into EVERYTHING.
I guess her show broadcasts everywhere in the planet.
My view, as an european, is that americans are getting tired of mentors, of guru-like personalities.
Americans are following their own views, getting a grip on their own lives and that’s why these Talking Head shows are doomed.
There will always be the housewife or the unemployed, or the retired to watch the show, but that’s not the modern american way.
Your wrong “Euro”. Americans are becoming more obsessed. Their just getting rid of the old and bringing in the new. Just look at the “guru-like”, “talking head”, foreigner in the Black…er… White House.
I see your point.
That particular figure has always been subject of idolatry in the States.
I think that the media creates that notion and helps building it, not the common citizen.
When I talk to americans I get much more than that.
Jerzy: You sound like a racist idiot. That “foreigner” you are speaking of is The President of the United States of America, as much I know you hate to hear that. I think your problem is that you can’t stand to see prosperous Black-Americans in powerful positions.
He is a “foreigner”. Look at the facts. I know that is difficult for a liberal to do but it would go a long way towards making you sound less retarded. I would be blasting this moron no matter what color he was. He’s fucking up this country. Period.
If that was the case, you would be “blasting” George Bush and Sarah Palin, who incidentally sets the bar pretty high for “moron”. And he is not a foreigner. His mother is a White-American, and he is a legal U.S Citizen. Those are facts.
you know jerzy, I believe he’s overrated, for a number of circumstances and reasons.
I don’t expect miracles from him.
That’s why I see your point.
And I disagree your comment has to do with racism, it’s a matter of utter disappointment and I can relate to that.
It has nothing to do with race – never did. It has to do with ideology. I find it amusing that the people who are always screaming race happen to be people of color.
WOW! racist much?
Hey Anonymous, I did blast “George Bush” whenever he screwed up and I praised him when he didn’t. As far as I’m concerned B.O. hasn’t done anything constructive yet. When he does I’ll praise him.
Whatever, that does not add up to you calling President Obama a “foreigner”, and your “Black…er…White House” comment portrays racist intent. The White House is still the White House, despite what race the inhabitants are, and the prestige of that historical building is even more enhanced now that racial barriers have been broken and there exists a Black First Family.
Whatever, that still does not add up to you calling President Obama a “foreigner”, and your “Black…er…White House” comment portrays racist intent. The White House is still the White House no matter what race the inhabitants are, and the prestige of that historical building is enhanced even more now that racial barriers have been broken and there exists a Black First Family.
O.K. Anonymous. I going back to my table now, I’m not going to keep dancing this dance. I think he is just another lying, bullshit, used car salesman type politician. Like the majority are (black or white). You personally can go on believing that if you were standing behind B.O. and he were to bend over you would tan because sunlight would emanate from his ass. Don’t forget to use sunscreen!
“Black…er…White House”? Dude, the White House is still the White House, no matter what race the inhabitants are.
Just to set the record straight, Jerzy I know that Barack Obama is only human, imperfect, and the sun does not shine out of his behind. I’m not defending how good a politician he is, but I will express my opinion against your racist comments.
I think a person’s response to Oprah says a lot more about them than it does about Oprah. I can take her or leave her – some advice is good, others don’t apply to me.
She is certainly polarizing. There are the millions (soon to be thousands?) of lemmings – with no mind of their own so they blindly follow. And then there are the haters who can see no value in what she brings to light – so much so that I think she must have touched some nerve of truth to elicit such venom.
I agree. I also can take or leave Ms. Winfrey,and feel people use her to think for them.
LOL to the “wacky thyroid” line. Wendie, I usually dislike you…A LOT, but this was a really good post.
oprah is FAT FAT FAT!
Speaking of Oprah, you really didn’t much out of her regarding the death of Michael Jackson. I don’t believe she attended the funeral. Is there something that she has more in-depth knowledge on about him that hasn’t been shared with the media and therefore she wants to keep herself disassociated with him? As someone who claims she was once a victim of child sexual abuse, it definitely makes one wonder.
that was muy interesante, Señor Loco
I’m guessing here because I don’t regularly watch her show but the week of July 5th is probable also reruns so most people have also already seen those shows, right? So why not watch the MJ coverage or Wimbledon?
Also I agree w/ skarriemonster.
As well as the fact that she gives out wonky medical advice, sometimes without doctors present to actually present the facts and safety issues and she endorses the likes of Jenny McCarthy (CURE your child of autism) and Susan Summers (take 101 different synthetic hormones a day)!! Maybe women have started to become smarter and not lift Oprah up and anything she says as the absolute truth.
c’mon why you gotta hate on the O?
like, of course at the end of a certain number of seasons, the show’s just… gotta end. eventually. oprah’s time is coming to a close… but it doesn’t make her and less of a LEGEND, like, the woman’s a saint, lets not spill hatorade on a lady who built a school in Africa and shiizzz
Either you are being sarcastic or you are one monumental idiot. You sound like the same folks who are praising Michael Jackson for everything but having invented sliced bread. Lets stick her fat ass on a postage stamp as well. One low budget school in Africa and she is a “Saint”.
Im going to put this out there bc I really dont care what the fuck other ppl think about this, it is my true observation. Not from blogs but from ppl in everyday life.
ALL THE OPRAH BASHING I HEAR COMES FROM WHITE PEOPLE.
Too bad her target audience is the stay at home suburban mom.
Yes. I said it. No, Kanye West didnt tell me to. He did tell me to use caps though.
Why arent you bashing doctor phil??? Do you have any idea how much retarded second hand psychological advice he gives.
I LOVE Dr. Oz. I bet he will live to be 110.
WHY is it hard to understand the concept that her show introduces and examines different health findings and raises questions. The only advice you should take from her show is to ALWAYS GET A SECOND OPINION AND NEVER BE COMPLACENT. Points which she consistently reiterates. The fact that people who have been guests on her show have been wrong only makes it more clear that is true. If you are going to take medical advice from her or any other tv personality and you die bc it went horribly wrong… you deserve to die. Darwinism.
@ Senior Loco to say that she is claiming to have been sexually abused is just disgusting to me. If someone tells me that they were sexually assaulted Im going to give them the benefit of the doubt and assume it is true. Why would she make that up? For sympathy? To say a relative did it and got her pregnant and her baby died during birth, that is a pretty disturbing thing to invent for sympathy. I dont think she is giving away reward money to catch child predators to curry favour.
Why do ppl find it so hard to listen to advice and decide from that what you will follow? I love hearing advice, even bad advice. Maybe its bc Im Jamaican and older ppl always give you advice bc they want to try and positively impact your life. Ive been told lots of things which I dont agree with but I appreciate the fact that they are trying to help me. I dont view it as them standing on a soap box and looking down at me. Learn to have a discerning mind.
I admire Oprah and everything she has accomplished is inspirational. Nothing in her background would have made it likely for her to establish a media empire yet she did it. She is generous and educated. Good enough for me.
I admire Oprah because she worked fucking hard to get where she was. She deserves to have a tv show and to be the idol she is today. But there comes a point when the continuous talk about what she thinks you have to do to live a better life and how you have to buy all this expensive shit to live a better life, its all just bullshit. Sure if I had billions of dollars I might buy what she talks about, but realistically who could afford all that? The moment she has an episode about how we can walk into a Wal-Mart and buy something for under 20 bucks that can help me live a better life, then hey thats great. And yeah I shop at Wal-Mart I’m fucking proud of it too. Why shell out a ton of cash for shit I can get for half the price. I know Beet likes to turn up her nose because people can’t afford to live her lovely life style.
I used to watch both Oprah and Dr. Phil, and I watch neither anymore…I ~did~ happen to catch Dr. Oz on Oprah last week though talking about the secrets to anti aging and it was a good episode. I can’t comment on any of the other shows since I haven’t watched in so long…just lost interest and have no time for either of them.
People are sick of her turning into a Scientologist and the endless parade of the Scientologist celebs on her show.
Is she? I didn’t know she was a Scientologist but I guess she fits the profile victim (rich, closeted gay and highly blackmailable).
I hate Oprah with the intensity of a white-hot star, and Dr. Phil and Gwyneth Paltrow and for good measure let’s throw in Jennifer Lopez, Mariah Carey, Tom Cruise and the entire Jackson family (except Michael’s kids and Janet). And TV shopping channels.
Phew.
Yes, boys and girls, I am an equal opportunity hater.
I hated watching her “Oprah’s Favorite Things” episode when everybody would get all that awesome stuff and the people at home are like, well fuck man that’s not fair. All she basically does anymore is flaunt her money, and tell people its not her fault she’s fat. And how many times do we have to see Dr. Oz with the different plates of human fat and how disgusting we all are because we carry that shit around in our bodies.
And okay, how many people can actually read the shit she picks for her book club?
“I know I’m crossing a line here — I’m not so impressed with Oprah’s Book Club picks.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LMAO!!!
Nor am I. But I came to realize she has a very distinct theme of books she promotes. It is nice that she will promote reading… but I just find the books SHE JUST LOVES are normally awful to me.
I lost interest in her show mostly cause Oprah can not let her guest speak without Oprah interrupting them.
It drives me crazy to have her over talk her guest… including Dr. Oz.
Oprah has lost the ability to sit and listen to her guest. She rushes them… and god forbid if they give an answer she does not like. hahaha!
Oh my gosh, I know! I hated how she would have someone on there for reasons like they were a victim of abuse or rape and they would be talking about it and she’s like talking over them and then they get confused or even more flustered. That’s just rude, not to mention annoying. I also hate the stupid interviews she does with the skype because several times she has said there hasn’t been enough time for so-and-so, and they look pissed about it, but what can they say on live television in front of Oprah?
I have never been a fan of Oprah or Dr Phil or anyone else in that mold. Of course, I have never been in the market for a guru…
Oprah lost me as a viewer when she failed to back a woman for president. She had always been all about women and the power of women. When she chose to go with her African-American heritage (Obama) and help him buy the presidency, over women, that cinched it. I’m not racist but I am sexist. Where was the support for the almighty woman? “I’m every woman….” her theme song proclaimed. Nah, she’s every BLACK woman. Disgusting. She’s a rotten role model. I run to shut her show off because it comes on here after Ellen.
She’s a lightweight. People are getting bored with her show, it’s been on for years and its always the same old crap, the cast of Friends reunite or Opes shares her molestation with us. Yad yada. It’s not like she’s out there interviewing Noam Chomsky. At least Ellen dances.
I honestly can’t stand her. Ever since she publicly began her support of the worthless idiot that now currently resides in the white house I shope she falls off the edge of the world. As she’s falling, I hope she reaches out and grabs Baba, Affleck and the rest of Hollyboo too
Ellen for the win!
I think she beats Oprah hands down, a far better show and more watchable.
If I want someone to preach to me, I go to church, if I want someone to entertain me, I don’t turn on Oprah, I watch Ellen.
And I am a straight black male.
I love Ellen! She’s hilarious! Never been an Oprah or Dr. Phil fan… they both kinda piss me off each for different reasons. So I couldn’t really care less about what happens to her show.
I just started reading you today and I already like you, simply for this post. THANK YOU!!!!
I feel like this opinion is invalid because you are REFERENCING MALL COP AS YOUR MAIN ARGUMENT.