I just watched most of the Oprah with James Frey this morning. We taped it last night, since yesterday it was interrupted by the president. You know, I read the book. I liked it. I'm not surprised that he changed details or exaggerated parts of the story. I pretty much expect that when I read a memoir. Maybe it would have been better if he had something in the front of the book that said "parts have been changed" or something like that. But it doesn't really effect the impact of the book for me knowing any of the things I know now. The most annoying thing about the Oprah show to me was how melodramatic she acted. If there's one thing I hate it's melodrama. And she bullied him into saying he had lied about things. I don't think he lied. When you lie it's with the intention of fooling someone, usually maliciously. I think he changed things to make it a better story, and to me that's just fine. If I had been reading a history book or a biography of a famous person I would be reading it to learn something about events or that person's life. When you read a memoir you're reading it for the story. Bleh. I feel bad for the guy, he seems like a really nice guy. And I think I'm just done with Oprah. I'm even annoying myself with this blog entry....hopefully I'm not boring away my millions of faithful readers.
Friday, January 27, 2006
Over it.
I just watched most of the Oprah with James Frey this morning. We taped it last night, since yesterday it was interrupted by the president. You know, I read the book. I liked it. I'm not surprised that he changed details or exaggerated parts of the story. I pretty much expect that when I read a memoir. Maybe it would have been better if he had something in the front of the book that said "parts have been changed" or something like that. But it doesn't really effect the impact of the book for me knowing any of the things I know now. The most annoying thing about the Oprah show to me was how melodramatic she acted. If there's one thing I hate it's melodrama. And she bullied him into saying he had lied about things. I don't think he lied. When you lie it's with the intention of fooling someone, usually maliciously. I think he changed things to make it a better story, and to me that's just fine. If I had been reading a history book or a biography of a famous person I would be reading it to learn something about events or that person's life. When you read a memoir you're reading it for the story. Bleh. I feel bad for the guy, he seems like a really nice guy. And I think I'm just done with Oprah. I'm even annoying myself with this blog entry....hopefully I'm not boring away my millions of faithful readers.
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6 comments:
I concur. What really gets me is how she's changed her tune from when she called in on Larry King. This woman has too much power and influence on the women of America anyway which is just frightening. She has just destroyed this guy's career. And he wrote a damn fine book. What was in it for her? Saving face? Pul-ese. Have a little integrity, big O. You have the power to crush little people with your pinky finger. How about you spend some time talking about the people being killed every day in Iraq and elsewhere instead of hurting ONE GUY.
Wow! That guy must have made a real impression on both of you. I haven't read the book, but I do feel like he tried to pull one over on people. From the outside looking in it seems like Oprah needed to change her tune if she wanted to maintain the integrity of the book club. I read an interview with Elie Wiesel who said he thought memoirs absolutely should be truthful. I would tend to agree. I thought when Oprah brought the book club back she was only going to recommend classics like Faulkner and Steinbeck to avoid this kind of mess. Did she start doing contemporary books again?
I read the book and I also feel it was a "damn fine book". And, I'm afraid Amber may be correct that "O" has destroyed his career. I too, feel she should be talking of the people being killed in Iraq and the health care crisis, etc. However, she continues to have more and more shows with her celebrity friends, discussing stuff I couldn't care less about....like their expenxive shoes, or who shapes their eyebrows, so, I've been "over" her for a while. In our TV market she is on at the same time as both Ellen DeGeneris (sp?) and Martha Stewart. If I have a chance to be watching at that time I always choose one of them over Oprah.
I didn't intend to be "anonymous" with my comments (above). Must have hit the wrong button. These blogs still baffle be a bit!
Ted- I think the book is still truthful. It may not all be factual, but like Frey kept saying- the essential truth of the story is still there. On the show he was asked "why not just write it as a novel?" and he said "I don't think it is a novel". I can understand that feeling....it is about his life, with some changed details and with some exaggerations for the sake of the story, but it's not fiction. And to me that's not "lying".
once again i'm smiling due to this blog. i swear, it's an incredibly uplifting part of my daily ritual! and i really get a kick out of ted reading it too. we're in some crazy cosmic community all of us.
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