The American Spectator

p> SOAP OPRAH br> Re: Ben Stein’s Better People Than I Am : /p>

I was enjoying the article “Better People than I am” until I came to the entirely inappropriate line, “Oprah Winfrey talks a lot about meaning. To her, it’s apparently having her picture on the cover of her own magazine every single month in a different pose.”

Why pick on Oprah? She’s one of the most generous celebrities in this country. She’s constantly advocating on behalf of the poor, downtrodden, war torn, mistreated, medically ill, overweight and abused. She gives away millions of dollars every year. If she wants her picture on the front of her magazine, what’s the big deal? How does that gesture counteract all her goodness? Who is more worthy of the cover of her magazine? Should it be another picture of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt? Tom Cruise and Katy Holmes? Ben Stein?

What about all the Hollywood windbags who make bijillions of dollars and do nothing charitable? What has Ben got to say about them?

p>While so much of what Ben said had merit, in the end the article sounded as if Ben was making an excuse for himself to continue being the same way he is. Now that he has acknowledged the selflessness of others he can go back to being himself. In fact, it totally supports the attitude of his show Win Ben Stein’s Money in which he generally gets to keep all the cash himself despite the efforts of the poor slobs who compete with him. br> — Phyllis Laubacher /p>