On my final morning here at the retreat, I feel completely ready to get back home and face the so-called real world. Although, in truth, I think this place, without televisions, with its cell phone prohibition and its sense of community, is far more grounded in reality than my usual urban lifestyle. In that world, when not teaching, I am almost always plugged into something - cell phone, iPod, TV, laptop, my appointment book, you get the idea. As many of us are in a constant flurry of action during our waking hours, I wonder what pushes us to stop, or at least slow down, for a valuable hour to watch Oprah on a regular basis. For 60 whole minutes, we get to take a load off and be part of a virtual community - all from the comfort of our sofas. We are able to feel a connection to millions of hope-or-entertainment-or-advice seeking individuals, mainly women, all within the safe, warm glow of the television.
This is a recent question of mine that I've been bouncing around in my brain lately: Does sense of "belonging" to a club of women, with a magnetic leader confidently steering the ship, keep us tuning in?
And if this rings true at all for you...consider the other side of the coin: if Oprah provides us a place to converge, does she consider us her community? See, I don't think so. I sense that we are more like her sheep...and believe it or not, I actually do not intend that to be negative. She seems to feel the responsibility to keep us safe (from tapered jeans and other fashion faux pas) and fed (spiritually) and she guides us about the pasture to feed in areas she believes we will be most fulfilled. And many of us hunger for leadership and succumb without testing the fields for ourselves.
And there ends my flora and fauna metaphor. I avoided making many bad puns in there, by the way, and it took a huge amount of self-control.
Let's move on to the final offering in week's special addition to Living Oprah: HOW OPRAH AND I ARE ALIKE: We both depend on other people's respect and acceptance in order to be successful in our work.
Where would I be if I taught unsatisfying classes and stopped trying to better myself as a teacher? The studio would empty out and I'd be alone on my sticky mat. What i've discovered over my years of teaching is that if I am anything less than my genuine goofy, slightly clumsy, bad-joke cracking self, I can't establish rapport with my students. The more "real" I am, the more students respond. And in the beginning of Oprah's national show, I think it was her true self that drew many of us in. As many, many of you have pointed out, though, that charming version of Oprah disappeared piece by piece over the years. So what keeps the fans tuning in? Habit? Deference? Her higher-visibility guests? Her personality? That Tarzan-like voice she uses to introduce famous guests? Or do we all think that one day she's going to spill some magic secret to success?
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12 comments:
Your blog is so super! I plan on reading most of your past months when I have the time. :]
In case you didn't know, your blog was featured on ew.com:
http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20214864_8,00.html
As one of the hot things to check out on the week of July 27.
Congrats, and props to you for staying with a project like this!
I'm sorry, but I found your blog kind of creepy today - probably through your totally innocent comparison to "Oprah as Shepherd."
It naturally put me in mind of the 23rd Psalm - "The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
He leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul:
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name' sake..."
Perhaps a question you should be asking is "Is Oprah God-like (at least to her viewers)?"
"...and I will dwell in the House of (Oprah)forever."? Heaven forbid!
Some of the topics she addresses are interesting to me and that's why I tune in. If there's a show I am not interested in or can't handle (per our earlier puppy mill discussion), I don't watch. If I'm busy, I don't tape her show, but if something really awesome is going to be on, I tell my mom and friends to be sure and watch.
I wonder how much her viewers really cross her mind. I can see O contemplating if a show/article/item will do will with a concept of a general audience, but I don't see her thinking about actual people literally. Sorry if this is unclear.
It sounds like your retreat has been wonderful! Have you read Eat, Pray, Love (recommended by O)? I wonder what you'd think of it. I finished it a couple weeks ago and although I was skeptical, I ended up liking most of it.
I'm going to gone at a work convention and then on vacation, but I look forward to catching up on posts when I return! :)
Ok, ROFL at your Tarzan comment. My cousin and I have an on-going joke about that. But it's one more thing I enjoy about watching O. I admit I watch for entertainment AND informational purposes. Just how far I take the information is another story...
On another note, just read that Dr. Randy Pausch, who gave the last lecture, died today. I haven't read his book but definitely plan to. More on his story here:
http://news.aol.com/article/man-behind-last-lecture-sensation-dies/100948?icid=100214839x1206458474x1200328216
I think O's audience have stuck with her *because* she's their shepherd. As anonymous may have been referring to, everyone is looking to someone or something for leadership, guidance, protection, and nourishment, so whether we find that in God or Oprah or Obama or Drudge, it's a need that must be met. We must be wise as to whom we follow. Baa!
Actually, as pathetic as this sounds, when I am watching Oprah, I am not usually on a comfy sofa, I am usually watching her on my little t.v. in the kitchen at 4:00 and I am usually making a meatloaf, or some other "tasty" treat for my family for dinner. Oprah's show allows me a mental escape from the real world of meatloaf, if only for an hour!
Betty
I don't get to watch Oprah much now that I work weekdays, but I think it's loyalty and maybe a bit of gratitude that keeps me interested. Oprah brought a lot of attention to the abuse of girls and women worldwide. Suddenly in our homes, during broad daylight, we were discussing the reality and prevalence of abuse and putting a face to it. And Oprah was providing an example of recovery to amazing heights.
I think the "club" feeling must have something to do with it. I often get on the phone with someone after Oprah - what did you think of today's episode type thing? or did you see the Oprah when so-and-so did this? and I do think Oprah's intentions are sheperd-like, she does want to "help"
I've seen Oprah's live audience composition change over the years. Although I've never been to the studio to actually verify this, it seems to me that her earlier shows after she went national had audiences composed mainly of African Americans. Those shows had a lot of audience participation, too, and focused on things like protecting our children from pedophiles, adapting to neighbors of a different race moving in, etc. Now, her audiences are composed mainly of white women, and the shows, as you have noted, are much more consumer oriented, including consumer friendly spirituality. I wish I could remember who said this, but I read a few years ago that white people enjoy seeing black people in the roles of spiritual savior, for complex reasons having to do with white guilt, the wish to project qualities onto the "other", etc. This writer said that was the reason people are comfortable seeing Morgan Freeman as God, and not comfortable watching "The Passion of the Christ". It's forgiveness and leadership lite. I think the white women in the audience were somewhat taken aback by Oprah's endorsement of Obama, since I believe they had come to believe that because she is wealthy and successful, she has left all that racial stuff behind.
Wow LO, Great post!
I have been thinking a lot about your earlier questions regarding priorities. I could blather on and on about what I think they should be, but I think you've head the nail squarely on the head. Be yourself. Do your best. Participate in communities and think for yourself at the same time.
My guess is that Oprah's intentions are benign and that it is hard to have as much power as she does without letting it go to your head.
You go girl,
Cynthia (added the STL to distinguish myself from other Cynthias who have commented)
Big dittos to both Betty and Paula. I actually started watching Oprah in high school because my father, the only Irish member of the NAACP in our area, was turned on to it by his fellow NAACP members and loved it. (Though he did call her "Ophra" until he died in 1992.) I cannot imagine what he would have thought of her "Favorite Things for Summer" show, though he would have been all over the Obama endorsement (even as a Republican, because of the inter-African-American issues they both bring up).
I watch because it's a good thing to fold laundry to, or chop veggies and not miss much. I mostly watch Nate, Bob Greene, and "happy" shows (making dreams come true, celebrating kids' achievements, etc.). I'm grateful for her work with the puppy mills, etc., but can't handle the sad ones and I run 50/50 with the celebs.
But I mostly watch because of nostalgia, at this point, I think, for both the memories of being with my parents after school in the kitchen where I grew up, and then for the "Remember your spirit" days, which at the time seemed more thought provoking than thought controlling.
Off my soapbox. Still adore your blog. Namaste!
personally, i keep tuning in because every once in a while there is an incredible episode where oprah really helps create a new or deeper understanding of our society and the world. or maybe i just keep hoping ill see that kind of episode again. i have the 20th anniversary dvd collection, and it is truly astonishing the things she used to do. i mean, she went to cities where there were hate crimes and discussions with the audience. she taped a show in realtime as the oj simpson verdict was read in a mixed race audience! she did so much.
oprah used to be about seeking to understand the human condition through an exploration of other people's lives. when she interviewed someone, she wanted to really UNDERSTAND them and their mindset. now, most of the time she just wants to be a voyeur, and then remind everyone that she is not a voyeur because people airing their dirty laundry on national tv will help others not make the same mistakes. this has some validity to it, but i think she mostly says it to assuage her guilty conscience about how she is using these peoples tragedies for her own purposes.
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