Oprah’s Record of Promoting Charlatans Is Problematic At Best

[FireDragon76]

On that we absolutely agree,...one of the key reasons I started this thread was to express a concern for the idea of backing Oprah, given that would bring out the wacky people on the left in the same way that Trump brought out the wacky people on the right.

The wacky people on the "left" that Oprah would bring out are far less scary.

 

[ThatRobGuy]

The wacky people on the "left" that Oprah would bring out are far less scary.

In some ways yes...

...but in other ways, I wouldn't want a bunch of idealistic far-left college kids having huge levels of influence on national policy in the same way I'm not a fan of alt-right types influencing national policy.

 

[FireDragon76]

Oprah is a nondogmatic type of person who is open-minded. She's had an eclectic mix of people on her talkshows. Being willing to to listen to different voices is not such a bad thing, even if it works against the male-dominated ethos of much of our public life. I don't see what's so bad about people like Dr. Oz, either. He's nondogmatic and open-minded, is that a problem for some people?

The whole New Age magical thinking criticism of Oprah needs to be kept in perspective. You might as well try to convince all Americans to be Amish, than to give up their belief in material prosperity and positive thinking. This is the least of her sins. New Agers are just far less scary than guys wielding tiki torches and shouting anti-semitism, or guys in baseball caps blathering about their resentments. Optimism at least does not forsake hope, and creates space for more rational voices to prevail, whereas despair and anger is rarely a productive response to life.

I'm not saying I'ld be thrilled with an Oprah nomination but we could do much worse.

 

[Gigimo]

It's important because in the era of clickbait, there's a large segment of the population who will take that an run with it.

...and aside from the fact that it's, you know, lying. Which, from what I understand, is supposedly one of the big 10 no-no's in your holy book if I'm not mistaken.


The title was just as disingenuous as if a person expressed the opinion that they were in favor of the death penalty for a serial killer who happened to be Irish, and someone spun that with a misleading headline that says "So & So said that putting the Irish to death is the right thing to do!!!"

So have you contacted the person who posted that on utube and expressed your concerns?

 

[ThatRobGuy]

So have you contacted the person who posted that on utube and expressed your concerns?

I'm really not concerned with youtubers...I'm more concerned with why you would post a video with a blatantly misleading title in this thread... was there a particular point you were trying to make by posting it?

 

[Gigimo]

I'm more concerned with why you would post a video with a blatantly misleading title in this thread... was there a particular point you were trying to make by posting it?

I wouldn't be concerned if I were you, besides her words speak for themselves. People can come to their own conclusions not the scripted ones some would have you believe.

 

[Gigimo]

http://www.dineshdsouza.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/MichelleObamaThesis.pdf

 

[GoldenBoy89]

What difference does the title make when it's what she said that is important?

She didn't say white people need to die.

 

[Gigimo]

She didn't say white people need to die.

Oh, well then who does?

 

[ThatRobGuy]

I wouldn't be concerned if I were you, besides her words speak for themselves. People can come to their own conclusions not the scripted ones some would have you believe.

This has nothing to do with a scripted conclusion...

You're right, her words speak for themselves, and those words don't line up with the title of the video that's clearly implying that she said something that she actually didn't say. Like I said before, that's called lying.

If her exact words were something you wanted to discuss, you should've found a more reputable source for the video other than a Youtube member, linking someone else's video, with a clearly dishonest title. If you look at that youtube channel, it's just nothing but re-linked Mark Levin videos and conspiracy nonsense about how "the muslim bortherhood has infiltrated our government", and how "Obama actually started the Ebola crisis".

When debating, it's important to pick credible sources with accurate titles and headlines.

 

[Fantine]

I am pretty sure that women--aside from women in the religious right--are fed up with the misogynistic administration.
Oprah isn't my first choice by any means, but Trump is an absolute no, and the heartlss zealot who serves beside him is in some ways worse.

 

[Gigimo]

You're right, her words speak for themselves, and those words don't line up with the title of the video that's clearly implying that she said something that she actually didn't say. Like I said before, that's called lying.

Then why don't you have it out with the original poster of that video then?

If her exact words were something you wanted to discuss, you should've found a more reputable source for the video other than a Youtube member, linking someone else's video, with a clearly dishonest title. If you look at that youtube channel, it's just nothing but re-linked Mark Levin videos and conspiracy nonsense about how "the muslim brotherhood has infiltrated our government", and how "Obama actually started the Ebola crisis".

Ah yes reputable now there is something that's subjective. It's only someone else's point of view about her, why are you so upset? I suppose I could have just reminisced about how her fan base ditched her over her viewpoints about 10 years ago, would that have been better?

 

[Gadarene]

Oprah is a nondogmatic type of person who is open-minded. She's had an eclectic mix of people on her talkshows. Being willing to to listen to different voices is not such a bad thing, even if it works against the male-dominated ethos of much of our public life. I don't see what's so bad about people like Dr. Oz, either. He's nondogmatic and open-minded, is that a problem for some people?

The whole New Age magical thinking criticism of Oprah needs to be kept in perspective. You might as well try to convince all Americans to be Amish, than to give up their belief in material prosperity and positive thinking. This is the least of her sins. New Agers are just far less scary than guys wielding tiki torches and shouting anti-semitism, or guys in baseball caps blathering about their resentments. Optimism at least does not forsake hope, and creates space for more rational voices to prevail, whereas despair and anger is rarely a productive response to life.

I'm not saying I'ld be thrilled with an Oprah nomination but we could do much worse.

She peddles the same we-don’t-need-no-experts mindset that the Trump base is riven with also, just on different topics.

Maybe we should set our candidate standards a little higher than those of the post-2015 Republican Party?

 

[Roseonathorn]

What I like about Oprah is that She listens to people from all walks of life and asks questions so I think She has a pretty good understanding of how they generally feel about themselves and life and others. I think a president need to be able to understand other people, but I also think a president need to take good advise, be diplomatic and honest and that is not easy because those two last seem to be in controversy, ok bloodpudding is not my favourite is better to say than I hate it if someone wants my honest opinion but I still want to maintain a relationship.

 

[Gigimo]

You're right, her words speak for themselves, and those words don't line up with the title of the video that's clearly implying that she said something that she actually didn't say. Like I said before, that's called lying.

So are you thinking she's talking about black people?

 

[DaisyDay]

I don't see what's so bad about people like Dr. Oz, either. He's nondogmatic and open-minded, is that a problem for some people?

Are you kidding? He uses his credentials as a doctor to promote woo for profit. There's a difference between "nondogmatic and open-minded" and exploitative of people's trust. He knows better; he knows a lot of the crap won't work and why it won't work, but promotes it anyway.

 

[FireDragon76]

Are you kidding? He uses his credentials as a doctor to promote woo for profit. There's a difference between "nondogmatic and open-minded" and exploitative of people's trust. He knows better; he knows a lot of the crap won't work and why it won't work, but promotes it anyway.

I'm somebody that's benefited a great deal from alternative medicine. Living with fibromyalgia and IBS tends to make you more open-minded and less dogmatic, because the conventional treatments for both aren't very good.

 

[ThatRobGuy]

So are you thinking she's talking about black people?

She was referring to a specific subset of people, but the title of the video is implying that she was referring to all white people.

 

[Gigimo]

She was referring to a specific subset of people, but the title of the video is implying that she was referring to all white people.

Well them I'm curious as to who occupies that specific subset of people in her mind? Especially with all of the silly rhetoric being spread right now. And the spreaders thought process seems to be "it's those on the other side of the political fence than I am that is racist".

 

[ThatRobGuy]

Well them I'm curious as to who occupies that specific subset of people in her mind?

Many in the 60+ white demographic still do occupy that subset of people in terms of those ways of thinking (not all, but many). She's not wrong about that. Many among that group who would consider themselves "non-racist" (some may even have black folks that they would consider friends) still view things like interracial marriage as a taboo and would still be downright "disappointed" if their daughter brought home a black guy. Many still are suspicious of anyone with dark skin for things that they wouldn't have the same suspicion of whites. Sit some 70 year old white ladies (notice I used the word "some") between two black guys on a bus, and watch them clutch their purse.

What Oprah was trying to say was that until the remaining folks (who have that mentality) die out, and thus are no longer voting and influencing policy by picking people who pander to those ideas, real change can't happen.