| Ever since it debuted in September, the Dr. Phil show has been taking heat. David Letterman and ESPN radio personality Tony Kornheiser (heard locally on the fan 960) are just two of the many entertainment personalities who regularly pile abuse on the good doctor.
Admittedly the show can be annoying. In his trademark Texas drawl, Dr. Phil continually spins such hillbilly wisdom as, "If the road is too hot, get off to the grass where it’s cool." And his advice regularly smacks of common sense stuff people should already know – he recently advised a couple with a grown up son, who sponges money from them, to cut him off and make him stand on his own feet. Gee... d'you think?
But as hackneyed as Dr. Phil’s program is, I see nothing insidious in it. I can’t say the same about the show hosted by his TV mentor, Oprah Winfrey. Now, I know I’m risking the wrath of many by suggesting a flaw in Saint Oprah and her ministry-disguised-as-a-talk show, but I invite anyone who hasn’t watched her show lately to tune in and pay special attention to the reaction shots of audience members.
Take note of that intense child-like gleam in the eyes of middle age women upon Oprah’s arrival. Watch for the tears streaming down these same ladies' faces as Oprah details a guest’s tale of triumph over tragedy. And, finally, look for members of the congregation to throw their arms in the air and proudly declare their affirmative response when Oprah asks them if they have picked up the current issue of her O Magazine.
You may take all this emotion from the audience as normal fan behavior, but I find it creepy. It’s a physical representation of the vast influence The Oprah Winfrey Show has over its regular viewers.
We used to see that same power of O in her now defunct book club. Any time the daytime diva slapped her seal of approval on a tome, that literary work quickly sprang to the top of the sales charts. It’s also easy to hypothesize that Dr. Phil’s show wouldn’t have been an instant success if Oprah hadn’t been hyping the doctor’s genius with his regular slot on her show for the last two years.
I know I am not in the target audience of The Oprah Winfrey Show and much of her female-based appeal is lost on me. But I am wondering, does she have to be so overt in her role as flock leader? On the tube, Winfrey constantly makes reference to her workout regimen and is more than ready to take credit for inspiring the dramatic weight loss of a tearful guest.
Recently, I watched the episode in which Oprah announced the dissolution of her book club. She explained that the pressure of constantly having to come up with new club selections was tainting her love of reading. To me that explanation was enough, but Oprah had more to say.
She rambled on for an entire show segment on how her book club had inspired many imitators and had helped the careers of many authors. She stopped just short of taking credit for literacy as a whole. But she did continually apologize for cancelling the club. I figure she was responding to the legions of O-cultists at home who were shouting in panic, "No, Oprah, please! Don’t stop telling me what to read. I am going to be all alone and frightened by the choices!"
Fortunately it seems many readers have managed to soldier on, since there haven’t been widespread bookstore closures in the wake of her announcement.
Winfrey disciples will face their greatest challenge in the spring of 2006 when her talk show goes off the air. After what promises to be one of the longest and most self-indulgent farewell tours of all time, The Oprah Winfrey Show will vanish from the airwaves in just three-and-a-half years. But fear not, O lovers, I am confident your goddess of wisdom will not desert you. Whether it’s through her magazine, films or another TV vehicle, I am sure Winfrey will still find ways to tell you how to live a life that is as rewarding as hers.
But yours will be without the hundreds of millions dollars, of course. |
