I am not going to go horribly into debt as a result of today's favorite thing show!!! Woohoo!!! The only two assignments I heard (and I'm going to be reviewing my tape to make certain) are that I must have the turkey burgers that Oprah experienced at Mar-a-Lago (Donald Trump's private resort). Her quote, "It's definitely something I'll be having this summer, and I definitely want you to have it too." The recipe is on the website. No problem! I will totally make the burgers. Sure, they're more labor intensive than the usual TBs I make, but I'd much rather cook those than have to buy the Weber grill ($849) she gave out to her audience. I was eyeing the grill in fear, so I felt relieved when she didn't say that was a must-have for the viewers at home. Besides, who needs a grill? I can always cook my burgers over my Lowe's firepit. (No, I haven't gotten it yet. I'm waiting until we move to our new apartment, so I don't have to worry about lugging it from one tiny city apartment to another.)
I also heard this from Oprah's lips: "So, treat yourself to a weekend getaway..." Hm. My first thought is I'll tack a couple extra days on the backend of a business-related trip I need to take in August. I just can't afford a completely separate flight/drive/hotel/etc. I think this is kosher, do you? I hope I can treat myself to paying my utility bills after I treat myself to my getaway. When are we supposed to get our stimulus checks in the mail, anyway?
I did have a 'poor-Oprah' moment today. She said, "Now, anybody who knows me also knows I am not putting on a bathing suit. If you ever see a picture of me in a bathing suit, it's a fake. Mmm-mmm. No-ho-hoooo. No where, no time." I thought this was sad. It made me really see that no matter how much money, power and fame a woman can gain, she can't buy a better self-esteem. As strong as Oprah is in many areas of her life, her body image seems to suffer. In witnessing moments such as these, I feel compassion for her, rather than a disconnection.
I thought it was strange that it seemed as if Oprah had never even seen half of what was on her "favorite things" list. The makeup and clothing appeared completely foreign to her. Clearly she loved the turkey burger and Mary J. Blige, but other than that, I think the items tauted might have been the Oprah show producers' favorite things....
And something that held a high "ick factor" for me: The women in the audience were FREAKING OUT today when they found out they were going to get free stuff. I'm talking screaming and wailing and crying. Crying?! Come on ladies, you're getting free flip flops. Chill. Out. I wonder if Oprah was thinking, "Hasn't anyone learned ANYTHING from A New Earth?" With all her talk about anti-materialism this season, today's show put her audience's resistance to decadence to the test. And I hope the test will be graded on a curve, because it looked like everyone failed. But then again, why keep dangling the carrot in front of the horse?
Friday, May 16, 2008
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
13 comments:
I wish I'd commented last night right after I saw it and I don't remember the exact details now, but I thought it was so weird to end a show focused on blatent materialism with a plug for "A New Earth" webinar. I just felt like screaming, "Oprah, don't you see the disconnect here???"
Hey LO! It's been a while since I've checked in on your progress. Not unlike a recent Oprah episode, I just quit my job that I really hated and now I'm much happier, albeit unemployed. But Orah was right --- it was totally worth it!!!
You are doing a fantastic job and I am so glad to see you've been sticking so well to your plan. Love the radio show interviews too! I've told my friend who works for Oprah's new satellite radio station about you. Keep up the great blog --- I enjoy it so much!
I definately thinking tacking a couple of days onto a business trip is a good idea, and would count.
I often tag along with my husband to academic conferences, his university pays for his travel and a double room, usually in a great hotel, so my travel is our main cost. That way I get to have a mini city-break, and can show him the edited highlights when he has a bit of time in between lectures.
Our last trip like this was to Baltimore, and we had a brilliant time!
LMS, you and me both, sister! i just don't get it. although, i feel like oprah's desired new direction for the show just can't change the giant, lumbering system that she's created previously.
julie! so good to hear from you. i'm glad that you're happy you quit your job. going to work everyday to a job you can't stand is total miser. thanks for the kudos on the project. it has been a really amazing experience so far. now that grad school is over, i expect i'll enjoy myself more.
jen - tas: thanks for the input. sometimes i need to get input from you guys just so i can be sure i'm not manipulating her words to my convenience. your experience traveling with your husband reminds me of the way i grew up. my dad is a college professor and WAY back when, he used to be able to take the whole family with him. i think many of my childhood vacations were taken in conjunction with his research and convention trips. i don't think i've ever been to baltimore though...did you have crab cakes? oprah's favorite!
xo
LO
LO- your comment's on Oprah and her no bathing suit rule made me really sad too! I have always been "overweight, on a diet, or worrying about how I look"...but I never thought of not wearing a bathing suit, the thought is humorous to me. The point of saying all this is that I spent my weekend at a charity event for people with intellectual disabilities. The Best Buddies Bike ride. Many family members, friends and students were there. One student stayed at the same hotel as I did. She is 15 and has Down Syndrome. I had told her earlier in the day I would be at the hot tub relaxing at night time. After a few minutes of me being there, she came running in. Ms. B, Ms. B I heard. Come swim with me, watch me do a handstand, your so beautiful is what she said. The next hour, I forgot I didn't like my thighs that much and enjoyed every second forgetting I was even in a bathing suit. You see people like my student just see people for who they are. Size and shape are much less important to them. Maybe I should introduce her to Oprah...
ylimes7, thanks for your story. it's interesting that the people we put up on a pedestal (like oprah) still display the same judgment and self-criticsm about body image, but it's the marginalized members of society (like your Down Syndrome student) who are completely free from that type of appraisal of themselves and others. a major lesson to be learned! thanks for sharing! xo LO
ps. although i've become happy with my body in recent years, my weight has been all over the board in my life time and i also always wore a bathing suit! i can't say it's my favorite thing to shop for, but i'd much rather enjoy a sunny day swimming and playing at the beach, then staying on the sidelines. of course, i don't have paparazzi ready to snap my photo and print blown up pictures of my cellulite on the cover of a magazine!!
Wait . . I thought I heard Oprah specifically say that she had some bathing suit and loved it that Heidi Klum showed and that she'd had it for years. It wasn't that she didn't wear it, it was that no one would ever see her in it in public. I took that to mean that with all her money, she must have enough security to keep the paps off her private beaches. I didn't think for a second she doesn't ever wear it. Although I guess wearing it in hiding isn't much different. Except for how ruthless the paps are these days.
Just wanted to say I was excited for you LO! I can't wait to try those turkey burgers either... ;)
Like you, I was kinda shocked at how those women were acting. Some were fanning themselves like the might pass out. It looked like the Beatles on Ed Sullivan. Disturbing!
I actually watched that episode, just because I wanted to see what she said, but usually I don't watch a lot of her shows. I was kinda surprised about her bathing suit issues... but I do really like the one she talked about. If I could find that one cheaper (by at LEAST 2/3s, I would buy it. I feel bad for her though that she has such a huge issue with it... It must take so much enjoyment out of things. I guess money caon't buy everything.
The funny thing to me was that everyone was freaking out, and she didn't even give away as much stuff as she usually does during "Favorite Things."
LMS, yeah, i think she MUST get into her favorite suit in private. it must be terrible to have to be so protective of one's privacy. i don't envy her that at all!
jax, are you going to try them, too? let me know if you like 'em. they sound delish. hm...maybe i'll make them this weekend...
judes, you hit the nail on the head - it was just like the beatles! so funny. i loved that suit, too. although, as much as i'm drawn to suits that hit lower on the hips, i think that might make me look wider. as much as i think i'm hiding my "secrets" i might be drawing my attention to them! still, if i could afford a norma kamali suit, i would.
laurajeanette. I KNOW! i wanted to shake them and say, do you see that you guys aren't really getting that much stuff?!?! CHILL OUT!!!!
xo
LO
It's really hard for me to watch these giveaway shows, because the audience reaction is so over the top. I love getting things for free as much as any other middle-class person who could probably buy at least some of this stuff if I REALLY wanted it, but I can't believe I'd ever jump up and down and cry if I were at these tapings. Let's have some dignity, people!
Have you seen the SNL parody, LO? It is not that much of an exaggeration, but quite entertaining nonetheless.
http://video.google.com/
videoplay?docid=434138969866190787&hl=en
emily. OMG. that parody is brill. i had never seen it before. thank you SO much for sending it. it is SO gross, isn't it? i hope that we would act with much more class! :) although, i think people get really swept up in the group spirit and actually go temporarily insane. xoLO
Post a Comment