After 25 years, today is the last time the Oprah Winfrey show will be aired. For some that might be sad while others are breathing a sigh of relief. Whatever camp you fall into, everyone would agree that Oprah has significantly influenced our culture (just see the 2008 election). No doubt she is talented, driven and truly cares about people. Although I have had my fair share of angst with some of Oprah's stances and promotions, she has raised awareness about important issues such as child abuse, health and wellness concerns and much more.
Now you may be wondering, "does this guy tivo the Oprah Show everyday or something?" No, I'm not a closet Oprah fan, but my wife has recorded the show for a few years now and watches the episodes that interest her. In the process, I've been roped into watching some of her interviews.
Last week, in fact, I found myself sitting down to watch her second interview with James Frey. Frey is the author of the memoir, "A Million Little Pieces." After receiving the seal of approval from Oprah (and the millions of readers that accompany it), it was revealed that Frey had embellished critical parts of his memoir to make it more interesting to readers. This led to a 2006 interview where Oprah reamed Frey and the publisher for allowing this to happen and for subsequently embarrassing her.
On May 16, Oprah sat down with Frey to apologize for her treatment of him on the show five years ago and give him yet another opportunity to explain himself. I was definitely interested in this interview because although Oprah was rather rough on Frey in the first interview (and caught some heat for doing so), I still feel that Frey needed a heavy dose of truth since he essentially deceived people with his story in order to achieve success and make a name for himself as an author.
Frey's explanations for his actions were underwhelming and predictable in the interview. "I think most authors do this," is a good summation of Frey's response. The part of the interview that was most intriguing was one of Oprah's last statements to Frey. I had to stop and write it down. Here it is in its entirety:
"I know everybody is acting and behaving in their life according to where they are in their own evolutionary process. Wherever you are. All of us are in different spaces and nobody has the right to judge anybody else and where they are in their path."
With all her success and positive influence, these statements have frustrated me the most about Oprah. Many times I've heard this type of commentary from Oprah and told my wife to turn her off. Because of her power and influence, she has been given a pass on whatever she says about morality, religion and life. Thus, the promotion of her philosophies like the one in this quote is a giant asterisk next to all that she has accomplished - because she has endorsed to millions a mixed bag of spirituality and postmodern morality.
Now this particular statement does have a context, which I have already given. But since Oprah uses the words "everybody" and "anybody," I know that she is not limiting it to James Frey. Her words were all inclusive so that James Frey and anyone watching could buy in to her own philosophy on life.
After grabbing a scrap of paper and rewinding a few times to copy this quote down, I immediately began to wonder what would happen if this quote were applied historically, morally and spiritually? First, the historical implications would be disastrous. Could you imagine if people responded to Hitler's Third Reich with that statement? How about the issue of segregation in the 50's and 60's? Or even more recently, the destructive Bernie Madoff who swindled billions from innocent people? Obviously, Oprah wouldn't apply her philosophy to those situations. Most would agree that these situations are clearly evil and those individuals and groups were on the wrong path and deserve to be judged and punished. Hindsight is pretty simple though. It's when we approach the present day that things get sticky.
Let's shift our attention to the moral implications then. What if the Golden Rule - often accepted as a good standard for morality - were substituted with the Oprah rule? That is, "everybody is acting and behaving in their life according to where they are in their own evolutionary process, so no one can be judged. Right and wrong are decided by your individual space." Believe it or not, we are already there. It's the ever popular, "truth is in the eye of the the beholder." Or for Frey, it was his belief that "most authors do this." There is no absolute right and no absolute wrong. But here is where the contradictions start piling up. As a victim of child abuse, she would never apply this philosophy to predators and abusive parents. Yet still Oprah has bought into the postmodern idea that your standards and beliefs can shift from one situation or individual to the next. I would suspect Oprah would defend her statement by claiming that everyone and anybody would understand that those situations (abuse, murder, etc.) wouldn't apply. This is the unproven assumption that every reasonable person would not apply your individualized morality to behaviors that are obviously wrong. But how could they be wrong? They are in their own "evolutionary process."
How about, "Treat others how you want to be treated" and taking responsibility for your actions? I would regain respect for author James Frey if he would have pulled all his books from the shelves and refunded everyone who purchased the book. Instead, he has profited from his deception, excused it and was able to promote his new book, "The Last Testament of the Holy Bible" on Oprah's show last week. Frey wasn't judged by Oprah. He was awarded for his behavior!
As silly as Oprah's comment is, it really should not be surprising. Two thousand years ago Paul warned of this type of influence in his second letter to Timothy: "For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths" (4:3-4). "Wherever you are," pretty much sums up Oprah's spirituality. Scientology, New Age, Christianity or a combination of all three. According to Oprah, there is no absolute morality or truth. To claim that would have alienated her from the Hollywood elite. Unfortunately, that's what many people's itching ears want to hear. And honestly, it saddens me that an extremely gifted and loving person like Oprah has delivered such a message, and equally disappointing that millions have listened to it.
My sincere hope is that Oprah will return to her roots in Christ and that her listeners could hear the real truth. And wouldn't that be great? Such an incredible voice proclaiming the one and only truth. Now that's something I'd tivo.
