Letters to the Editor
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Nothing but admiration
Why is it such a mind-blower that Oprah Winfrey could at the same time exhibit both philanthropic grace and deep, unhealed yearning? Are we as humans not all complex conundrums?
It seems that the author's thesis is that with enough success, wealth, power and influence, anyone should be able to rise above whatever echoes from their pasts haunt them. That's just silly. True human courage can be found in people who are perhaps in some respects always hampered by their demons and yet act with compassion and generosity anyway. I have nothing but admiration and respect for Oprah.
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idiotic spitefull article
you should be ashamed of yourself
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It's a free market
She can spend her money any way she wants. I wish she spent it on a school for all children, not just girls, but that's her right.
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Oprah invests 40 million on education; Traister waste 40 minutes typing a hate screed
I do believe someone really does have issues, and she writes for Salon.com. I do believe someone can't stand the fact that she's a middle-aged schlub, a loser by almost anyone's standards, and she's stuck writing for some backwater website about rich, interesting people. I do believe someone calls herself a feminist but can't ever help herself from starting catfights, from being the definistion of a bitch, from trying hard to be Joan Rivers' other daughter.
I do believe Traister owes Winfrey an apology for this article. I don't believe--I know that I am delighted I don't have a Salon Premium subscription, because that would be money wasted.
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er, what?
I don't remember seeing any bad press about the opening of the school, especially regarding Oprah Winfrey's attention to aesthetic details. And whatever I did read at the time made me like Oprah.
Um, she lost control of her image and became vulnerable? Maybe in the eyes of those disconcerted by the image of her success.
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A Dark Glimpse Of What Rebecca?
If Oprah wants to try to clone herself, she should be able to. Regardless of whatever psychological angst Oprah had to endure as a child, it's all been well documented. I'm not a fan of Oprah, but Rebecca's article seems like piling on long after the pack has zeroed in on their newest victim. If a few leaders do emerge from that school, that could hardly be a bad thing as long as they don't emulate some of Oprah's freakier qualities.
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What Rebecca can't remember
Class.
Style.
Respect.
Decency.
Charity.
Humilty.
...and the maturity to know when to keep a private opinion private.
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Personal attacks
I may not agree with Rebecca Traister's tack in this article, although she has a right to her opinion, but I agree even less with the hurtful personal attacks on the Salon writer by many of the letter writers here. When did such virulent ad hominem cruelty displace fair minded and -- yes -- kindhearted debate? Take a step back, people. And ditch the sadism, please.
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Not an Oprah fan, but ...
As an over-fifty guy who's never seen an episode of Oprah, I certainly wouldn't call myself a fan, but after reading Rebecca's article, I have a much higher opinion of Oprah. When someone uses her own money to do so much good, she should receive unconditional praise--not a bunch of arm chair psychoanalyzing about what her motives really are. Let's just be thankful that there are people in the world like her, and save our criticism for people who really deserve it, like those goddamn neo-cons who got us into Iraq.
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You are an idiot.
I agree, you should shut the hell up. Who cares how Oprah spends her money? Bush has started a war in Iraq to deal with his parental issues. No one has stopped him yet. So what, if Oprah isn't perfect? I've never read more pretentious crap. What have you done with your life?
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Cynics...
Someone did something nice for someone else - who the hell cares what her motives were, or what 'issues from childhood' some journalists think Oprah must have? (Try as you might, you do NOT define Oprah, or anyone else. Let us all define ourselves for a change!) She is helping other people, people she wants to help. WHY in God's name isn't that enough for you people? UGH! Does every environmentalist out there have to answer for why they give money to certain organizations? This woman is a fabulous success & she is doing good, her way, with her good fortune. If I could do such a great act, I'd be decorating buildings my way, too, sharing my sense of beauty, & I don't think those impulses come from a dysfunctional childhood. Let people be themselves! She's not hurting anyone, she's not making all little girls diet, get breast implants, dye their hair blond or become pompous opinion-givers in web forums & online news... I doubt she'll have a fit if they hang up a poster she doesn't like - I'd almost guess she'd be proud & happy if they DO show individual taste. Ya, ya, she knows what it's like to have a hard childhood, to have her self-esteem knocked around & damaged. GOOD! She is a more sensitive person than those who sit about & judge her manner of helping! She uses the hurt in her past to help others - WHAT a crime!
I am getting really sick of Salon's constant cynicism - it's attracting more & more of the same, & heaven help you if you try to see good, or do good, or even, perish the thought, believe in good. (and I do mean 'good' not god, btw) Oprah is not a cynic - authors like this are, & I am tired of it. Get some optimism! It might do you good, better than all the Prozac, etc, you can scarf down.
I feel this strongly, & I've seen Oprah's show maybe once in my 40+ years. Dr. Phil makes me cringe - but nothing they can do is as offensive as this ridiculous & constant Salon-Cynic Parade.
Didn't Stephen Colbert say something about this in a graduation speech? Cynicism is EASY - try something more challenging, & more rewarding for a change!
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I Used to Like Oprah...
...but after I worked through my personal raft of issues and demons, I came to recognize my own self absorption and narcissism in Oprah's public behavior. The final break for me happened when I first saw her touting that sycophantic scold, Dr. Phil, on her show.
Imagine having to have your face on the cover of your own magazine every month and what might drive that kind of obsession.
Imagine being so driven to become proud of yourself that you overlook issues of cultural hegemony; issues regarding the tyranny of American values superimposed on the lives of a people who, quite arguably, have proven themselves to be far more decent and humane than we have ever been in the United States.
But this really isn't a shot across Oprah's bow or a jab to encourage her to grow up and get a real life that involves an actual exchange between two whole people. The author of _I'm OK,_You're OK_ committed suicide.
I guess he wasn't okay.
What I really think this story illustrates is the lop-sided manner that American capitalism -- arguably fascism from most historical perspectives -- favors those among us who are quite palpably insane.
Driven to disprove what would be plainly, painfully obvious to a child's eyes, we work 100 hour weeks for months at a time and still feel empty inside. We haul our economic largesse around in wheelbarrows full of cash, but it is all fuel for the fires of a personal hell we would gladly pay all of our life's work back to escape.
Talking about one's "stuff" once or twice is only the barest of beginnings. Most people stop there, become frustrated, and then seek for success in the "outside" world of pseudo joy.
What the wounded child inside requires is not overindulgence, in my experience, but a highly structured process that frees us to become whole, integrating all of our experiences -- good and unspeakably bad -- into a single human life.
But if we do succeed in checking in most of our baggage, Madison Avenue would have nothing left to sell us, and the justifications for war would follow behind very soon.
No one wants that much peace for themselves. Not yet, anyway.