The American Spectator : Our Hour with Dr. Winfrey Is Up

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The Nation's Pulse

Our Hour with Dr. Winfrey Is Up

By Gerald Nachman on 5.27.11 @ 6:08AM

Twenty-five years on the couch sure flew by.

Psychotherapists everywhere are worried that America — indeed, much of the English-speaking viewing audience — may not be able to cope in a post-Oprah world when she leaves her famous daily television show this week after a quarter century of nurturing.

Yes, TV’s spiritual healer promises to appear periodically on her own channel this fall, but it just won’t be the same every afternoon. The nation will have nowhere to turn each day when in need of a big hug. How will viewers be constantly inspired by people who have turned their life around despite severe drug addiction, bulimia, abusive parents, a cheating spouse, a murder conviction, and a tendency to snack between meals?

Also troubling is the recent news that Katie Couric, Regis Philbin, Mary Hart and Jim Lehrer are about to exit their daily perches on television, leaving the country bereft of four other friendly faces on TV at an unusually dark time. Many viewers have not yet recovered from Larry King leaving his nightly CNN show after 25 years. Even Barbara Walters is cutting back at 80. What next, wonder distraught viewers — the resignation of Anderson Cooper? That would be the final straw.

Oprah’s decision to abdicate her afternoon throne will severely test the country’s ability to get through personal and national crises on its own. Arnold Praxis, one of Oprah’s in-house advisers, says that America has endured many blows in the past — the Depression, World War II, 9/11, a recent end-of-the-world scare — and will somehow struggle with the trauma of Winfrey’s departure from afternoon TV after 4,561 shows, 48 million weekly viewers in 150 countries, and $2.7 billion in the bank.

“Oprah will still be there when we need her,” Praxis says consolingly. “In case of a major national crisis, President Obama has assured us that he will call upon her to administer to American viewers in dire times and to help bind up the nation’s emotional wounds.” Praxis pooh-poohs rumors that Winfrey has left her daily show to accept a soon-to-be-created Cabinet post in the Obama administration as Secretary of Empowerment & Life-Affirming Experiences.

He acknowledges that the additional blow of Couric leaving “The CBS Evening News,” Philbin’s departure from “Regis and Kelly” and Mary Hart’s retirement from “Entertainment Tonight” has only exacerbated Winfrey’s stunning decision to give up her daily feel-good sessions to form a new network. Some theologians see it as a grab for even more power and a threat to organized religion as we know it.

Exclaims a theology teacher: “There has never been anybody in the church with her influence since Billy Graham — or indeed God, who had to be impressed when Oprah was named the third most powerful woman on the planet. Not even the Almighty has His own magazine, network book club and a Chicago street named for Him.”

Shrinks, who have despaired over the years as former patients turned in large numbers to Oprah’s show, are quietly relieved that she will be leaving her daily stint as the nation’s full-time therapist (and part-time minister). “She’s done a darn fine job, even without a license to practice,” concedes psychiatrist Gordon Prattle, “but we professionals finally feel ready to take over from her. Oprah has taught us a lot and made us believe in ourselves again. Like Oprah says, everybody’s story matters, which is easy to forget when you’re dealing with some real fruitcakes.”

Of overriding concern is the question of who the nation’s women can turn to now when they need someone on TV to look out for them and help them find their own passion. Dr. Phil, Dr. Laura and Judge Judy are all superb at dishing out stern, no-nonsense, straight-from-the-shoulder tough-love advice to America’s troubled souls, yet none of them has the ability to shed a tear on cue, as Oprah has done so feelingly for so long.

Phil, Laura and Judy simply have not been willing to share their fears and secrets on national TV, which has made Oprah the nation’s Big Sister (quite big at times). Oprah’s daily exit comes at an unusually wrenching time for fanciers of human misery, what with the two remaining network soap operas also shutting down for good.

Only Our Lady of Perpetual Empathy has the ability to get women nodding in unison by the millions and vowing to live the life they want and be the best person they can be, to always look on the bright side (as the old Monty Python song counsels), lose those 150 extra pounds, ditch that unresponsive husband, bond with that sullen teenager; to further resolve, by golly, to charm those unfriendly neighbors, angry in-laws and jealous siblings; and yes, to make those dreams come true, find the right caring man for you and eat fewer saturated fats.

About the Author

Gerald Nachman is a writer in San Francisco and most recently the author of Right Here on Our Stage Tonight!: Ed Sullivan’s America (University of California Press).

Letter to the Editor View all comments (78) | Leave a comment Leave a comment

Bill Hussein O'Stalin| 5.27.11 @ 6:36AM

If you watched Oprah's show even one time you're not a man.

Occam's Tool| 5.27.11 @ 1:02PM

26 years ago I started medical school. I am proud to say that the only TV shows that I have watched regularly since that experience began have been: "Father Ted," "The IT Crowd," "Red Dwarf," "Red Green," and "Mystery Science Fiction Theatre 3000,""Ren and Stimpy," "South Park," and "Reno 911."

I have all of those on DVD. You will note all are comedies. I don't drink. These shows help relax me to go to sleep.

I'd rather be reading the great Tom Kratman.

Occam's Tool| 5.27.11 @ 1:05PM

Apparently, this Oprah person is some crap spewing Liberal idiot who supports Islamic Terrorism and incompetent Presidents. Oh, and she has a sort of boyfriend named Stedman, who is apparently always screwing her over (heh). And her dad thinks she's a POS.

That's about all I know, and much more than I want to know.

Mutch Moore | 5.30.11 @ 12:52AM

My sentiments precisely Doctor. And you articulate them succinctly. I never did get the mass appeal of this Oprah phenomenon. I can attest for sure that I never could stay tuned, even once, for more than a few minutes just to peruse the format. At first I had supposed the target demographic were big metropolitan area urban dwellers, the vast majority women, but then it looked like the show was a resounding market success everywhere - if the media bean counters can be believed. In any case, I don't get it. A Tom Kratman read is far and away preferable to some Oprah talk show.

Frisbee| 5.31.11 @ 9:19PM

Never saw her show even once. But I remember the first time I heard of her: that worst movie ever made, "The Color Purple".

Alan Brooks| 5.27.11 @ 8:29PM

Oprah was extremely boring. And her chronic weight loss/gain was exhibitionistic: "I lost 15 pounds, so can you!;
but then she gained it back fairly soon!...sheesh, how pointless. Her brand of "self esteem" was false modesty-- worse than outright egotism.

She is (that is to say, was- her image will fade so fast you wont know she was ever on the tube)
illiberal, not liberal. And when she dieted too much she was merely ill!

Alan Brooks| 5.29.11 @ 5:41PM

Once Al Bundy cut the cord to Peg's TV set. Peg yelled: "you killed Oprah!"

John Daniel| 5.27.11 @ 6:38AM

Not to worry...we still have the world's largest supply of grief counselors.

Appleby| 5.27.11 @ 6:51AM

I am proud to say that I have never watched a single program on which Oprah appeared.

Not one.

jma| 5.27.11 @ 7:43AM

Ditto and also never watched katie, the hags on the view, reality shows or any other show that clearly demonstrates the demise of America.

Child of God| 5.28.11 @ 1:46PM

ditto - have never watched her. ever. glad she is gone and hope she stays that way.

PCP Smoker| 5.27.11 @ 7:17AM

Lovely and funny piece. Wish you had also described the overweight and weight obsessed upper middle class white women assuaging guilt by following Oprah.

Maddox| 5.27.11 @ 7:37AM

Amen!

Dee See| 5.27.11 @ 8:10AM

---'It sure flew by'

That it did ---along with our economy, our culture
and our self-respect.

Colin | 5.27.11 @ 8:15AM

Oprah Winfrey: ZZZZzzzzzz ...

Trebuchet| 5.27.11 @ 8:15AM

I read that she stated, "The only way I could've done this is with the help of Jesus." Well I guess she never read Faust.

LaneyB| 5.27.11 @ 8:17AM

Twenty-five years of drivel. Oprah's rise, America's decline.

Denver Todd| 5.27.11 @ 8:54AM

I was just musing that it would be a fitting end to Oprah if God sent a lightning bolt in her direction on the last day, thus telling America that God is still in control and Oprah's belief system will now be put to test at the judgment seat of Christ. I don't recall Oprah, on her last show, ever mentionng or having an answer for sin.

KyMouse| 5.27.11 @ 10:26AM

Oprah has been far too busy promoting New Age beliefs to talk about sin.

Someone should remind that "theology teacher" that "the Almighty" has the best-selling book of all time. (He also has everything else.)

Occam's Tool| 5.27.11 @ 1:12PM

I wish you had lived in O'boro when I did, KyMouse. My wife would have had someone highly intelligent to talk to.

USSAlabama| 5.27.11 @ 11:01AM

Well Todd, she has promoted the 'many ways' to heaven idea and backed it up with a line-up of morons who apparently would know - like Deepak Chopra et al.

Guess she never read Jesus' words that he is the gate, and the only way in.

Oprah has singlehandedly invented "Cafeteria Christian".

cuban pete| 5.27.11 @ 8:56AM

"Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain"
Frank Morgan

Anthony| 5.27.11 @ 9:17AM

What a pathetic statement the Oprahism of America says about most Americans and our culture.
We have come to worship the trivial, the insignificant and the banal, culminating in the election of the empty suit extraordinaire, Barack Hussein Obama, humm, humm, humm.
The rise and fall and the rise again of America soon begins!!!

Dee See| 5.27.11 @ 9:21AM

Even putting aside her final acts as a member
of the 'EUGENICS friendly' 'Lucky Genes Club'
and ardent promoter of the abortion 'lifestyle'

Can anyone tell us ANY aspect of American
culture, government or economy that's 'better'
thanks to Oprah-dope?

ANYTHING AT ALL

We'll wait-------------------------------------------------

Junius| 5.27.11 @ 9:35AM

Thank God this bloated tick on the hide of American culture has finally vanished from the cesspool of mainstream media. She can now heave her vast bulk on to her true calling in life, which is devouring pecan pies and other assorted pastries in assembly line fashion. The damage she has done to the moral fiber of this country is incalculable. .

USSAlabama| 5.27.11 @ 11:05AM

The problem here Junius, is that she is not going away. :-(

Teaghan| 5.27.11 @ 12:01PM

Geeze Junius, a little harsh there, eah? THAT is part of the coarsening of our culture.

Junius| 5.27.11 @ 4:44PM

Sometimes a dose of harsh truth acts has a cleansing effect on a morally constipated culture. or if you wish I will fall back on the old adage "the truth sometimes hurts".

Occam's Tool| 5.27.11 @ 1:06PM

Nice prose there, Junius. And all true.

Mutch Moore | 5.30.11 @ 12:58AM

Amen! You're quite an eloquent genius, Junius.

Bob Grant| 5.27.11 @ 10:04AM

I just wonder what Obama's plans are for her in his re-election bid next year. You KNOW it it will be big. She's got billions in the bank and her presence and influence are worth even more.

Fat jokes aside, look for something big next year with her name on it.

Steve A| 5.27.11 @ 10:44AM

Bob, Biden is going to step aside & The Oprah is the new VP.

Dee See| 5.27.11 @ 10:05AM

AGAIN, anyone interested in sucker-proofing
themselves against the enmeshment and folksiness
opsto our culture routinely pitches
MUST do a quality study of the
background of Freemasonry/Arminianism
and the grand daddy of 'em all ---Charles Finney
back in early-mid 1800's NY state.

The whole 'revivalist' undermining of religion,
all the set ups and tent show operators ---right
down to Billy Graham, Jim n' Tammy, Oprah,
Jole Osteen and Beck learned it all from Finney.

Not incidentally, the Fremasonic EUGENICS
driven Oneida communities, the Mormon set up
----and the Rockefellers hail from the 'burnt
over district'.

KEY background NEVER taught in schools.

And we've also noticed that since alerting people
to this Freemason Finney connection ---the
Wikipedia page has been severely censored,
UH, we meant 'edited'.

WRJonas | 5.27.11 @ 10:37AM

I am wondering if her former network will put NHL hockey in that time slot. We can't seem to get any regular season overage except for Sundays.
Ice hockey would be a nice alternative for all the do gooders who need a bit of savage Canadian frozen pond therapy.

Richard Baker| 5.27.11 @ 10:44AM

Good riddance! Watched her show once when home sick and her program struck me as a hyper- version of "Queen for a Day." Never saw such whining and caterwauling.

Occam's Tool| 5.27.11 @ 1:10PM

I was laid up for 3 days once following a kidney stone surgery. I was wincing so badly from the pain that I couldn't sit and do therapy. I was taking opioids for the acute pain, and couldn't sleep, but wasn't awake enough to read. This was in the late 90s in rural Alabama, before Netflix.

I was watching daytime television as background noise. I couldn't tell what was worse---my physical pain or my mental pain when I could follow what was going on. All of daytime TV is dreadful. Reminds me of what Philo said about his invention, when asked if it could be painful when used. He said, "sometimes, very."

ncatty| 5.27.11 @ 11:12AM

Okra Winfrey.

Teaghan| 5.27.11 @ 12:03PM

ncatty, now was that a racist-tinged statement? It did make me chuckle.

Bob Grant| 5.28.11 @ 10:44AM

I'm tragically white and love okra. Me also love's fried catfish, greens, watermelon, fried chicken, and beans and rice...chitlins >>> eh, not so much.

Dave Williams| 5.27.11 @ 12:11PM

That empty-headed touchy-feely shallow fool has done more damage to the US than Islamic terrorists. It's been said here before, but I'll say it again -- good riddance!

kissufim| 5.27.11 @ 12:13PM

The only thing more disturbing than self aggrandizing Svengalis are the 'bread and circus' lovers that love having their ears and brains tickled with psuedo truths and giveaways. THEY are the ones that should be scolded with derision and shame. I am that white, upper middle class 50ish woman who has been sickened for the last three decades by the cultish viewer who the author is focusing on in this piece. Who will they follow next? This is why we have Obama, Clinton et al.

SCM| 5.27.11 @ 12:14PM

The sheeple will miss Oprah.

Bob Grant| 5.28.11 @ 10:46AM

you mean Oprahhhhhhhhh.

cuban pete| 5.27.11 @ 1:57PM

Didn't P.T.Barnum say something such as "No one ever went broke over estimating the lack of taste of the general public?"

Oldefarte| 5.27.11 @ 2:12PM

I'm not real sure which/who is the bigger FRAUD, her or her political soulmate [which she used her hynotic powers of asinineness to help trojun-horse into 1600 Pennsylvania Ave], El Chosen One. The only question is when will she come out of her closet and admit her affection for Gayle [who conveniently substitutes for Stedman for TV ratings purposes]!!!!

Bob Grant| 5.27.11 @ 2:35PM

The only question is when will she come out of her closet and admit her affection for Gayle [who conveniently substitutes for Stedman for TV ratings purposes]!!!!

Ancient Flatulence,

The fact that you know the names of her inner circle scares me.

Oldefarte| 5.28.11 @ 1:22PM

How can anyone NOT be aware of same, since it's constantly plastered all over the GD television and it news stories reported upon by the MSM [unless of course one lives in a bubble]??????????????

Bob Grant| 5.28.11 @ 10:13PM

No need to keep it a secret. Just admit you were an Oprah fan. You're amongst friends.

matthew s harrison| 5.27.11 @ 4:05PM

Not fast enough! 1 show was way, way too much-25 years was a painful eternity-especially here in Chicago!

Joe D.| 5.27.11 @ 4:30PM

Let us cry the the arrogance, con-women, phonely Psychotherapists is gone. Good rittance.

simon templar| 5.27.11 @ 5:47PM

Good riddance. Now, on to fixing all the damage she did to this culture.

Bob Grant| 5.28.11 @ 10:41AM

New business Idea: Oprah deprogramming camps.

Oldefarte| 5.28.11 @ 1:23PM

You seem to be aware of quite a bit concerning O also, huh?????????

beebop| 5.27.11 @ 6:14PM

Oprah succeeded in raising the truly trivial to high art. Not sorry to see her exit.

Dee See| 5.28.11 @ 1:17AM

"The woman alone, on her own,
is a natural destroyer. She can's even
help it."
-D H Lawrence
letters

--Have to say, it's sure looking that way...

Shane| 5.28.11 @ 5:56AM

Okrah shows just how racist America is. She of the 2.7 billion dollar own Cable Network open door access to the White House club.

BackToBasics| 5.28.11 @ 1:10PM

I only saw about half of one show. Never watched it otherwise and never cared to. She's a liberal. So, it's good that she's retired but she will only be replaced by another liberal so what's the difference.

Kris Lepine| 5.28.11 @ 9:58PM

It's true, she did a lot of damage of the pc sort. I saw a clip of a really old episode and she and her audience were degrading someone who found homosexuality offensive. Now she has a program on her network called Master Class. I stumbled on it a few nights ago and was intrigued by her early life. It was much worse than I'd ever heard. She is using that to push her "brand of religion" aka secular humanism. God is some sort of "force field" and we all have it if we will just "feel" it. I would not be surprised if her father is disgusted with her as I believe he taught her Biblical Christianity. I wish her well, she sure doesn't need any more money.

Bob Grant| 5.28.11 @ 10:24PM

Yep. People need to realize she believes Jesus was a concept, not a reality.

In the same vain, Obama is not a Christian. Pull up a video on You Tube titled: President Obama Ridicules God. In it, he states: "...or should be stick with the sermon on the mount. A passage that is so radical that it's doubtful that our own defense department would survives it's application". Now, his defenders would say this statement is nuanced and he's actually praising the bible but you and I know this is not the case.

solidground| 5.29.11 @ 10:29AM

If one can excuse the pun, she was indeed larger than life on the small screen.

Mutch Moore | 5.30.11 @ 1:04AM

That was awesome funny!

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drudge ette obama| 5.30.11 @ 10:11AM

Like Obama, Oprah is another disciple of the Reverend Jeremiah Wright of Chicago. She's a Social Justice, pro-Reparations fruitcake. She's the queen of the self-help society that can't exist without the reassurance of pop psychologists. She has exploited the weaknesses of others to make a lot of money off of them, not me.

I agree that she is boring and unpleasant looking but the weak others feel almost touched by her pseudo-religious persona. And they hope to get a car, too.

Every generation has its charlatans. She is one of our generation's best.

cuban pete| 5.30.11 @ 7:59PM

Based on numbers alone she has to be the best.
Great concise summary of Ms Winfrey.

DaveS| 5.30.11 @ 12:15PM

It's like watching aging rock groups go on their third farewell tour. Thanks, but did you matter?

Petronius| 5.30.11 @ 3:30PM

What will take her place? Vote for the one Oprah fans should be allowed to watch, that their few remaining brain cells will atrophy.
1 A plank warping
2 A sundial in a dense fog
3 A dessicated marshmallow
4 The presser where Jonathan Franzen refused to go on her show because he is a serious author of whom The Spectator of London proclaims as having written "literature", and that he did not want the air heads who watch her, reading his books.
5 Erstwhile U. S. Senator Tom Daschle drooling

larry| 5.30.11 @ 3:45PM

I know that I am in the minority, but in 25 years I can honestly say that I never dialed up Oprah. On a rare occasion I would when surfing hit it only to move on.

dee see| 5.30.11 @ 11:31PM

BTW ---for those wondering, or even still
capable of wondering---

CLEARLY Oprah, like Billy Graham et al,
was 'chosen', 'brought in' and 'brought up'.

Putting aside the, no doubt, VAST internet
blackmailing op that's surely underway
---WHY no stand up against Oprahism
(ie standardization, extermination of the
unborn, 'alternative' spirituality etc.)
from ANY of our churches?

Well, because ON RECORD over 90%
of our Lutheran, Methodist and even Baptist
leadership ----------are FREEMASON.

For those porch Masons reading this,
take heed! -----Masonry and GENUINE
Chrisitianity are utterly and diametrically opposed.

The 'benny violent' doctrine of works
cloaks absolutely Social Darwinist (ie genocidal)
aims ---and denies utterly the grace of God.

"To partake of one table is to DENY
the other" -----No way around it.

And remember too---------hell, like eternity
is FOREVER.

ティファニー通販 | 6.1.11 @ 3:25AM

off line

AnyoneButNewt| 6.1.11 @ 10:54AM

Good riddance, drama whore.

sex toys | 7.4.11 @ 12:57AM

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