Oprah's World
57Un-Reality World
I don't mean to be insulting - or, mean. However I watched the Oprah show today. It was interesting. They showed a lot of her peeps, the ones that do most of the big behind the scenes productions, put the shows together and so forth.
As I watched the show I couldn't help but think. O-M-G! How out of touch with reality she must be. Twenty Five years of that? Of people scurrying around to make sure your world is perfect, or as perfect as can be? Some of them made it sound as if they literally worked until their hands bled. Long hours of stress and anxiety and live or die trying to please her. Everything must be perfect so she can show up and do her one hour talk show?
For years and years trying to top the year before. I'm not saying it wasn't a burden to bear for her too. But she seemed totally unaware of some of the horror stories they told. They ALL live in Oprah's World. Seemingly just living to please her and make everything perfect - always. I'm actually worried about some of them. What are they going to do, how are they going to readjust in the real world after the show is over? They are all going to suffer from POWT: Post Oprah World Trauma. I hope for their own sake that none of them cross over to work for OWN. I think that she has 'owned' them long enough. (That is just a pun from the name of her new network)
Now please don't take this wrong. I love Oprah. I always have. I just don't think it should feel like life or death to get a one hour talk show - absolutely perfect. How could she work around there, walk around there and be so oblivious to the suffering of those around her? I was really surprised at how much she really didn't seem to know.
And poor Oprah herself. I mean I know it would be awesomely great to have her kind of money and power, but I honestly don't think I would want to live in such a "Yes" world. She has to be out of touch with reality. For the sake of her sanity, I truly believe she should take two or three years off and try her best to live a more normal life. I wonder if there is anyone out there willing to explain to her what reality is actually like in this year of 2011? She probably thinks she already knows. but I could tell today that she doesn't have a clue.
I had a hint of that once already this year. She had someone fantastic on her show. I think it may have been John Travolta. He said something about how lucky they were. Or made a comment about being lucky. She stopped him and asked him if he actually thought luck had anything to do with their fame and fortune. About where they were in their lives. He replied that yes he did. She said that she didn't think luck had anything to do with it. That it was all because they had made the right choices in their lives and that they had worked so hard for it. I was stunned. She honestly believed that.
Anyway - I don't want to get on my soap box - ABC would just jerk it out from under me. (- Pun intended this time.) But seriously, in my humble opinion, Oprah and her whole crew are going to need some serious counseling. I wouldn't wait - start it now.
Come to think of it, look at a lot of celebrity breakdowns. Britney Spears, Mel Gibson, Charlie Sheen and even more recently Nick Cage allegedly taunting police to arrest him in New Orleans. They said they didn't want to, but he insisted. Oh, and then there is the news that Catherine Zeta Jones - Douglas is suddenly Bi-polar. How did that go undiagnosed for so long?
The funny thing is that I think tomorrows Oprah show is about the world gone crazy. I hope she takes the time to actually watch it.
Just sayin'
KT
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Thanks for you comments. I was hoping that maybe her staff has been paid high enough that they wouldn't need to work anymore. But I hope no one writes any mean tell all books. That would be sad.
OH KT you are so right on!! I too love Oprah, as a matter of fact I'm watching her right now. I have also thought the same thing but then she is no different from many of the celebrities that are out of touch with REAL people. Kudos on a great hub!!!
HI Cindi,
Is today the one about the world going mad? It's not on here (Dallas) for about 30 more minutes. 4:00 my time.
Thanks so much for commenting - and so nicely. :)
Hi and what a great Hub.
I agree with Carolyn 2008, think Oprah and others like her should do a 'proper' days work to bring them back from the twilight zone. I also agree to with John Travolta about luck. Yes you can work hard and get the fruits of your labours, but for many famous people it was a one of meeting or a lucky break that gave them the opportunity to become famous. You can work as hard as you like, but hard work doesn't always produce lucky breaks.
I think what is really fascinating about people like Oprah is that often her shows will be about 'ordinary' people and their struggles, so doesn't she class her hard-working staff as 'ordinary' people? If so, how can she be so out of touch with them?
Loved this hub, really interesting.
Hi Seeker7,
Thanks so much for leaving your comments. One thing I like about the people who leave comments, is that it usually leads to finding interesting people to follow.
I think Oprah herself would really be shocked at this hub and the comments. She thinks she is so enlightened. And as I've said before - I am an Oprah fan. But it is hard to know what you just can't see.
Carolyn2008 Level 2 Commenter 13 months ago
Kudos for writing something unique about Oprah Winfrey.
I think you are perfectly correct when you say Oprah should take a year or so away from television. She should have arranged for that before setting up her own network. She probably nixed that idea because a lot of people depend on her financially. If her staff leaves when her talk show ends, where will they go? Do they have jobs at the new network?
It is clear to me that anyone at her level could not possibly understand how a staff as large as hers works so hard to survive and keep her happy. Maybe she should do an episode of "Undercover Boss" so she can spend a few days in their shoes.