Quickie Review: "Oprah's Big Give"
Readers really should check out my colleague Diane Werts' terrific write-up on "Oprah's Big Give" in Sunday's paper, and online right now. Read it carefully before you decide to devote an hour of your time Sunday night to this show. Heed the words, and then you may decide as I did: Zzzzzzz. 
Oh, it's not bad, this "Big Give" from the Big O. Just derivative: Oprah-meets-"The Apprentice"-meets-"Extreme Makeover (The Oprah Edition!)."
Oh, it's not ugly. The contestants are beauties for the most part, chosen for their telegenics as much as their entrepreneurial moxy.
Oh, it's not manipulative - not TOO much, anyway. Who can be cynical around a woman whose husband was murdered or some sad soul who's homeless? Just when you want to bash the set, these tragic tales are trotted out.
And (oh), it's not boring - just amazingly busy. So busy that you'll lose track of who's who, and why we were supposed to care in the first place.
In other words, skip it. But here's a question though: Doesn't O have enough to do, between electing a future president, and launching a Youtube channel, and producing a network radio show, and movies, and reading/promoting books with a thousand pages, and starring in that little daily TV show of hers...?
To not love Oprah is - in some strange, indefinable way - almost WRONG. She insists that we love her, and the culture insists that we love her, and yes, I guess we do love her. But seriously, O: Enough. Take a break. This hyperactivity feels very needy, and - don't worry - we'll still love you in the morning if you just dial down.
E-mail
Facebook
Digg
Delicious
Comments (2)
Oprah's 4 interviews with Jill Bolte Taylor were the first that Oprah did after Eckhart Tolle and they take everything Tolle talks about to another level. Oprah's copy of Jill's book, MY STROKE OF INSIGHT, was dog-eared and all marked up and kept reading from it the way she read from A New Earth and recommended it highly.
Oprah's recommendation was enough for me. I read My Stroke of Insight and I loved it too. This story is as inspiring as The Last Lecture or Tuesdays with Morrie - and even better, it has a Happy Ending!
I bought the book on Amazon because they have it for 40% off retail and they also had an amazing interview with Dr Taylor that I haven't seen anywhere else - Here is the Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/My-Stroke-Insight-Scientists-Personal/dp/0670020745/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1211471755&sr=1-2
I read "My Stroke of Insight" in one sitting - I couldn't put it down. I laughed. I cried. It was a fantastic book (I heard it's a NYTimes Bestseller and I can see why!), but I also think it will be the start of a new, transformative Movement! No one wants to have a stroke as Jill Bolte Taylor did, but her experience can teach us all how to live better lives. Her TED.com speech was one of the most incredibly moving, stimulating, wonderful videos I've ever seen. Her Oprah Soul Series interviews were fascinating. They should make a movie of her life so everyone sees it. This is the Real Deal and gives me hope for humanity.