Do you read or avoid books recommended by Oprah Winfrey?

[desertgrandma]

Originally Posted by lilac_jive

No one ever said her recommendations were trash. They are definetly not that.

I'm ok with being a lemming going in the opposite direction

Stop that!! Choosing to make your own decisions on what you read rather than follow what someone else recommends does NOT make you a lemming.

Refusing to 'follow the leader' does NOT make you a lemming.

Turning your back on someone you perceive as not having anything worthwhile to say does NOT make you a lemming!

[lilac_jive]

Originally Posted by desertgrandma

Stop that!! Choosing to make your own decisions on what you read rather than follow what someone else recommends does NOT make you a lemming.

Refusing to 'follow the leader' does NOT make you a lemming.

Turning your back on someone you perceive as not having anything worthwhile to say does NOT make you a lemming!

B-b-b-but lemmings are so cute!

[desertgrandma]

yes they are.........but I believe they are also known for following each other off cliffs.........I"m just sayin'......

[brecklundin]

she is an uneducated dolt w/o the brains the gawds gave a rat turd. That said is is far better than good OLD "More"tha...remember her fans are the some thoughtless automatons that think Ricki Lake is/was the best thing around and oh so pretty.

Rachel Ray was interesting sort of when she had just a couple shows on Food Network...now, I actively avoid anything she offers or endorses...because thanks to Oprah she is everywhere.

I do give Oprah credit in that she does give back to people, it might not be as much as some thing she should give but she does at least try to give something back. I am pretty certain it is all PR but even still some folks do luck into help. Now if she wants to really step up she needs to give away, what is it(?), 52% or 58% of her wealth like Bill Gates is doing.

Also do give her a pat on the back for "outing" that nut bar Tom Cruise.

But as for books "her" list is just something the advertisers pay her to put there.

I guess that explains which way I voted...

[Madam Broshkina]

Stolen from The Onion:

Oprah Viewers Patiently Awaiting Instructions

September 9, 1998 | Issue 34•06




CHICAGO, IL–With nearly three weeks having passed since talk-show host Oprah Winfrey last issued an official command, approximately 60 million Oprah Winfrey Show viewers are on standby, stationed in front of their television sets and patiently awaiting further instructions from their leader.

Hagerstown, MD, Oprah Winfrey Show viewer and mother of four Liz Kuharski, 34, awaits word from her leader about what to buy, cook and read.

"We must be patient with Oprah," said Winfrey fan Melanie Leupke, 44, of Stillwater, OK. "Ours is not to question why she is taking so long. When the time is right and we are needed again, Oprah will tell us what to do."

Across the U.S., Oprah viewers' anticipation for new Winfrey directives is reaching a fever pitch. In Winfrey's home base of Chicago, throngs of fans gather outside her Harpo Studios headquarters around the clock, maintaining their silent, faithful vigil. Though the city's streets are quiet, a palpable sense of expectation fills the air.

"What book should I read? What low-fat lemon-bread recipes should I use? What made-for-TV movies should I watch to give me a sense of empowerment?" asked Pamela Kolb, a Mundelein, IL, homemaker and one of the approximately 13,000 Oprah viewers huddled outside her studio. "In these complex times, it can be frightening to have to go three weeks without any guidance from a television personality. But we must remain true to Oprah's vision. Our duty is to stay focused and on full alert until new orders are issued."

"Oprah will not let us down. I know this much is true," said fan Jamiqua Hudson, clutching a copy of the Wally Lamb best-seller I Know This Much Is True, the latest Oprah's Book Club selection and the last item Oprah fans were commanded to buy before the three-week directive drought began. "She will not leave us to make decisions for ourselves. I have faith in her."

Winfrey, 44, ranks among the most successful individuals in entertainment history, with best-selling cookbooks, high-profile movie roles, close friendships with many of Hollywood's biggest power players, and a top-rated daytime talk show. Time magazine recently named her one of the Most Influential People Of The Century. Her greatest influence, however, is that which she holds over her army of nearly 60 million couch-bound women, who unfailingly obey her nationally televised directives on everything from home-decorating to weight-loss.

"I follow Oprah's advice to the letter," said viewer Cassandra Fryer of Visalia, CA. "When she told us to help out at our kids' schools by repainting any worn-out jungle-gym equipment, I was there right away with my paint can at the ready. In fact, so many women showed up to paint the jungle gym that the resultant multi-layered sludge, made up of thousands of coats of paint, took over seven months to dry."

"I used to wear a lot of teal, but after seeing a recent episode called 'Oprah's Wardrobe Makeovers,' the only colors I wear are muted autumn hues, such as forest green and burgundy," said Liz Kuharski, a Hagerstown, MD, homemaker and mother of four. "I just wish she would issue some more commands for us to obey. If I have to wait much longer, I might find myself inadvertently following the orders of some other talk-show host."

During the past few years, Winfrey's power seems to have grown exponentially. All 18 Oprah's Book Club selections have been New York Times best-sellers. When, through the auspices of her charity organization, Oprah's Angel Network, she ordered her followers to contribute pocket change to the World's Largest Piggy Bank for scholarships for needy children, they did so in record numbers. Her May 1998 command to her followers to stop eating ham sandwiches singlehandedly bankrupted the U.S. pork industry.

Spokespersons for Harpo Productions said Winfrey well understands the responsibility that comes with such extraordinary power.

"Oprah takes her role as a world leader very seriously," Harpo Productions director of public relations Amy Hirsch said in a press release issued from deep within the company's massive network of underground bunkers. "Her commitment to the betterment of her subjects is supreme, and she will allow nothing and no one to stand in the way of such efforts."

"Sometimes, I don't know what to do," said Jane Clement, a Cedar Rapids, IA, manicurist. "But, then, Oprah comes on the TV and explains to me what I should be doing, and I feel better."

Clement's sentiments are typical of millions of Oprah viewers, who have total faith in their leader. But despite such faith, some experts fear that if the wait for a new edict goes on much longer, serious trouble may arise.

"The U.S. daytime-TV audience is a powderkeg waiting to go off," said Prof. Katherine Anne Beatts, director of Harvard University's prestigious Institute For Media Studies. "If this mob continues to be left without direction, it is in danger of fragmenting into thousands of uncontrollable splinter groups, acting without cohesion and creating a state of virtual anarchy. Oprah must avert this crisis scenario by acting now, before it is too late."

Added Beatts: "The paucity of leadership in this country should be deeply appalling to any civilized person."

[lilac_jive]

Originally Posted by desertgrandma

yes they are.........but I believe they are also known for following each other off cliffs.........I"m just sayin'......

Actually, I learned recently that the whole jumping off cliffs thing is an urban legend.

I agree though, I don't think that is "lemming" behavior. I made the decision not to read her books from a couple of different experiences. No one told me not to read her books.

[lilac_jive]

Originally Posted by Madam Broshkina

Stolen from The Onion:

Oprah Viewers Patiently Awaiting Instructions

September 9, 1998 | Issue 34•06

AHAHAHAHAH!!!

Thanks, I need a new keyboard now. I love the Onion.

[Alisa]

Originally Posted by desertgrandma

Stop that!! Choosing to make your own decisions on what you read rather than follow what someone else recommends does NOT make you a lemming.

Refusing to 'follow the leader' does NOT make you a lemming.

Turning your back on someone you perceive as not having anything worthwhile to say does NOT make you a lemming!

Deciding not to read something just because Oprah recommends it is still giving her power over your decisions. I admit I find her legions of screaming fans rather off-putting and practically cult-like. On the other hand, she does a lot of good charity work and I'm happy to see anyone encouraging reading. I've looked at the list of her recommendations. There were books on there I really liked. I had no idea she recommended them. I don't care. I read what I like. To miss out on good books because some stranger also likes them seems quite a pity to me.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by brecklundin

she is an uneducated dolt w/o the brains the gawds gave a rat turd. That said is is far better than good OLD "More"tha...remember her fans are the some thoughtless automatons that think Ricki Lake is/was the best thing around and oh so pretty.

Please do not make personal attacks on people. It is fine to disagree with someone's opinions. To personally insult them is offensive and inappropriate behaviour.

Thank you

[Moderator]

[brecklundin]

Remember she panders to the demographic. Weak minded and/or medicated drones...all lacking in any sort of independent thought, the ability to read a food ingredient label and know it's better to make it from scratch and only takes 5-minutes longer.

Most would also seem to lack the ability to think in the abstract or to apply the general to the specific. So, that is one reason there is little to no SF ever recommended on her list. Anything from Stranger in a Strange Land to Jennifer Government to Pattern Recognition would be consider as well as anything by Edward Abbey (not SF at all) would certainly be considered way to seditious for her list. Also their subtle messages would be far too cerebral for the drones to understand.

Yet if these people would read outside the comfort zone that requires more understanding it's possible they might develop the ability to think for themselves. And things like Oprah and that convict-liar "More"tha would no longer hold sway over their thoughts. But this simply cannot be allowed.

[brecklundin]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Please do not make personal attacks on people. It is fine to disagree with someone's opinions. To personally insult them is offensive and inappropriate behaviour.

Thank you

[Moderator]

so much for OPEN conversations...ask for opinions and amazingly enough you will get them...I made no "attack" on anyone I offered a blunt observation and opionion...do with it what you will.

[desertgrandma]

Brecklundin......just curious.

Why do you hate your Kindle? What has the poor little thing ever done to you??

[brecklundin]

Originally Posted by desertgrandma

Brecklundin......just curious.

Why do you hate your Kindle? What has the poor little thing ever done to you??

do some searching of these boards and you can find the answer...that is too OT nor do I wish to elaborate at this time...but there posts are here on MR just search my ID.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by brecklundin

so much for OPEN conversations...ask for opinions and amazingly enough you will get them...I made no "attack" on anyone I offered a blunt observation and opionion...do with it what you will.

Calling someone "an uneducated dolt with the brains of a rat turd" is unquestionably a personal attack, and is inappropriate language for MR. I would ask you please to couch your "opinions" in more moderate language. We expect people on MR to show respect for others.

Thank you.

[Moderator]

[lilac_jive]

Originally Posted by brecklundin

Remember she panders to the demographic. Weak minded and/or medicated drones...all lacking in any sort of independent thought, the ability to read a food ingredient label and know it's better to make it from scratch and only takes 5-minutes longer.

Most would also seem to lack the ability to think in the abstract or to apply the general to the specific. So, that is one reason there is little to no SF ever recommended on her list. Anything from Stranger in a Strange Land to Jennifer Government to Pattern Recognition would be consider as well as anything by Edward Abbey (not SF at all) would certainly be considered way to seditious for her list. Also their subtle messages would be far too cerebral for the drones to understand.

Yet if these people would read outside the comfort zone that requires more understanding it's possible they might develop the ability to think for themselves. And things like Oprah and that convict-liar "More"tha would no longer hold sway over their thoughts. But this simply cannot be allowed.

She only recommends regular fiction. You seem focused on the fact that she doesn't recommend SciFi, but neither does she recommend non-fic, romance, mystery, fantasy, etc. And I do think she is smart, the woman is a billionaire.

Also, lay off my Martha.