My Soap Box

For the first time in the short history of my blog, I am going to climb up onto my soap box and voice my opinion.


Is anyone out there watching Oprah right now? I'll be the first to say that I love Oprah. I think she does some incredible things: sends kids to college, makes dreams come true, etc. I get that. But, Oprah also uses her show as a forum in which to voice her opinion. So, I am using my blog as my forum to voice mine.


Currently, she has Michael Moore on there. Michael Moore is the controversial documentary film maker. They are discussing health care in America and Michael Moore is one of her guests. They are talking about his documentary, Sicko, in which he chronicles the problems in our health care system.

I know that it isn't perfect here, and I know there are many differing opinions on what should be done. I am not interested in that right now. I am floored by Oprah's obvious bias in favor of Michael Moore.

In an attempt to appear to her audience as unbiased, or bipartisan, if you will, she also has a lobbyist for all the insurance companies on her show. And Oprah will not let her speak!!!

Michael Moore just asked the lobbyist why insurance companies have to produce such a big profit. Legit. I get it. Health care is expensive. She launches into a great (and maybe predetermined and probably frequently used) answer to her question. Repeatedly, Micheal Moore interupted with comments and come backs and "oh yeah, well what about"s. And Oprah sat there listening. Then Michael began speaking again and the lobbyist said "Well, I wasn't finished" and

OPRAH SAID "NOW WAIT. LET HIM FINISH. THEN YOU CAN TALK. THAT'S WHAT I AM HERE FOR."

NO! Oprah, you are not! You are here to bring information to millions of people who might not know much about the drug companies and the insurance companies! It is a very important topic that all Americans should be extremely well informed in. But, you are not here to put your slant on things! I get that it's your show and you can do what you want, but it is not fair to abuse your position and influence by treating guests unfairly.

This has nothing to do with my feelings about Oprah, Michael Moore, or the current state of health care in our country. It has to do with the fact that Oprah is not always fair. I do not think she is doing a fair and accurate job of relaying facts to her tremendous viewing audience. It is not fair to bring on a guest, and then attack them on TV. Right now she is addressing the lobbyist. I'd like to point out that the lobbyist is doing a great job playing devils advocate and seeing both sides of the situation. But Oprah is attacking her! She is criticizing her for the fact that people have their claims rejected, insinuating that insurance companies do it intentionally to turn a profit.


Oprah, please! Be fair! We all have questions about health care! But that poor lobbyist YOU INVITED to be a guest does not appreciatea you YELLING AT HER LIKE YOU ARE DOING RIGHT NOW!!!!!

(For those of you watching, I am referring to the time Oprah yelled at her "I need a bone marrow transplant! I don't want to wait on your insurance company!" Yes, yelled that at her. YELLED THAT AT HER!)

I am disappointed. Very disappointed. Oprah should stick to doing the beautiful things she does, like bringing awareness to AIDS in Africa, or helping people out. Not yelling at invited guests (ie James Frey, but I am certainly not going there on this post.)

And a HUGE thank you to the person from Scotland who just shed some light on the health care system in her country!

Moral of the story: maybe we should all move to Canada.

PS - I think Blogger is owned by Oprah. I just tried to post this, and I got an error message saying I couldn't publish this post! Thank goodness for AutoSave! Attempt to publish #2....