Book 'Em, Oprah
This was not going to be the original topic for this rant, but I got inspired by this article on The Smoking Gun. TSG occasionally has interesting bits like this interspersed between all the crap, and this merited note. James Frey is a guy who allegedly led a life that books are made of, and in fact has written two books on the subject of his alleged life. Despite the fact he is only 35 or so, he has led a life full of drugs, drink and detention centers. To the point of calling himself not just a criminal, but a Criminal. With a capital C. Yes, apparently some drinking and drugging are major offenses to this guy. Mr. Frey was the toast of the literary world for his gritty descriptions of his life problems with various substances. Among the most prominent of his admirers is the unestimable Oprah.
Oprah is of course famous for her book club, where she tells millions of people who should find something better to do with their time what they should be reading. She started the club to highlight good books that were targeted at her audience demographic that were decent. Then she started pimping stuff that featured her (especially in the movie versions of said books) and things that were classics of black and/or female literature. Then the club fell apart, then she brought it back with a book by Steinbeck, who is definitely neither of the above. The club has been back with a relative vengeance promoting books that have touched Oprah's dear little soul or some such. She had this guy on, called him such a hero for going through the ordeal that he went through and he was applauded from here to Canarsie.
This is not the first, nor probably the last, time Oprah has not questioned the credentials of someone she's had on her show or whose book she's hawked. Gavin de Becker, author of The Gift of Fear which has been wildly acclaimed by Hollywood and Oprah as being the textbook of how to deal with fear and insecurity in your life. Well, you if you're female. The book advises all kinds of methods, mostly for women, about to survive in the modern world. Some of them range from the painfully obvious (pay attention to your surroundings) to the painfully misandrist (any man who wants to help with your groceries is probably looking to rape or rob you). His book reads like a copy of Variety with all the names he drops of celebrity clients and friends. He talks about how successful his security consulting firm is and all the people he's talked to and consulted for. He talks often of how he helped design the MOSAIC system for the Supreme Court that shows whether or not someone will turn violent. This system is used by Secret Service, FBI and all kinds of government agencies. Pretty impressive, huh?
Yeah, only problem, tell me where he got his experience from. In all his self listed accolades, he never mentions where he learned all the tricks of his particular trade. He never lists his years of experience with a police department, FBI, military or whomever. He just randomly started a security company at some point and got all kinds of business for it. He advocated on behalf of celebrities, which no doubt helped him, for better security and for better protection laws. Don't get me wrong, those are all good things, but he never talks about how he got his expertise. But Oprah calls him one of the leading experts on security in America. Sure, he says things that are popular with his audience (mostly to the point of men are evil and out to rape you so trust none of them), but he never mentions his specfic experience before founding this all important counsulting firm. No stories of his time on the street where he learns that if you notice something that feels out of place, then it probably is not supposed to be there. If you're a man reading that book, it's really hard not to get pissed off at that book. Especially if you have any sense of chivalry. Men are not supposed to help a lady with a door (they're probably trying to gain improper access to your building and falsely gain your trust), help with her groceries (they're trying to create false sense of trust and security) and definitely doesn't try to help her in her apartment at any time (he's trying to gain access to her apartment and effective break and enter). The book will leave a woman feeling paranoid and a man feeling a potential suspect.
Back to the other book of bull, in the lengthy article, it appears Mr. Frey made a lot of his experiences up, or at least elaborated so heavily as to make them seem like bullshit. But it apparently made a good read. Not good enough for him to sell it as fiction, which is apparently what he first tried. He tolda convincing enough to story Oprah took notice and put him into the special club. He sold millions of copies of his book (guaranteeing he won't be broke for a while) and had enough material left over he wrote a sequel that is also selling very well. There is nothing wrong with telling a good story and selling it. Hell, that's what writing is. It's when you are not just selling the story and you are selling yourself along with it, as Misters Frey and de Becker are doing, that things get trickier. When you are selling your reputation and story as part of the package, it deserves to be peeked into. Mr. Frey is not doing well on that score. With a little legwork, The Smoking Gun managed to track down people who were there for the real stories he claims to have lived and have shown them to be mostly bullshit. This casts into doubt all the other claims he has made about recovery, which means when he talks to people about recovery and getting over addiction, he is talking out of his ass. Which is downright destructive to recovering addicts who need a real role model to strive to be like. Addiction recovery is a tricky process and people in recovery are fragile. One of the keys to recovery is NOT LYING to them.
This is the problem when demagoguery over takes quality. When a person starts trying too hrd for attention they forget why they get even a little famous in the first place. Oprah started out as wanting to change the talk show world, and she did. In the process, she made herself a billionaire with pull over millions of housewives who don't want to think for themselves. All that is fine. It's when she takes herself serious as a way to shape minds and literary trends that she crosses that line into blatant self-promotion. She wants and needs to be seen as someone who really CARES about the world, especially the worldview shared by her audience. And honestly, there is nothing wrong with that.
After all, that's what we call politics in the United States.
So it is written, so do I see it.
Oprah is of course famous for her book club, where she tells millions of people who should find something better to do with their time what they should be reading. She started the club to highlight good books that were targeted at her audience demographic that were decent. Then she started pimping stuff that featured her (especially in the movie versions of said books) and things that were classics of black and/or female literature. Then the club fell apart, then she brought it back with a book by Steinbeck, who is definitely neither of the above. The club has been back with a relative vengeance promoting books that have touched Oprah's dear little soul or some such. She had this guy on, called him such a hero for going through the ordeal that he went through and he was applauded from here to Canarsie.
This is not the first, nor probably the last, time Oprah has not questioned the credentials of someone she's had on her show or whose book she's hawked. Gavin de Becker, author of The Gift of Fear which has been wildly acclaimed by Hollywood and Oprah as being the textbook of how to deal with fear and insecurity in your life. Well, you if you're female. The book advises all kinds of methods, mostly for women, about to survive in the modern world. Some of them range from the painfully obvious (pay attention to your surroundings) to the painfully misandrist (any man who wants to help with your groceries is probably looking to rape or rob you). His book reads like a copy of Variety with all the names he drops of celebrity clients and friends. He talks about how successful his security consulting firm is and all the people he's talked to and consulted for. He talks often of how he helped design the MOSAIC system for the Supreme Court that shows whether or not someone will turn violent. This system is used by Secret Service, FBI and all kinds of government agencies. Pretty impressive, huh?
Yeah, only problem, tell me where he got his experience from. In all his self listed accolades, he never mentions where he learned all the tricks of his particular trade. He never lists his years of experience with a police department, FBI, military or whomever. He just randomly started a security company at some point and got all kinds of business for it. He advocated on behalf of celebrities, which no doubt helped him, for better security and for better protection laws. Don't get me wrong, those are all good things, but he never talks about how he got his expertise. But Oprah calls him one of the leading experts on security in America. Sure, he says things that are popular with his audience (mostly to the point of men are evil and out to rape you so trust none of them), but he never mentions his specfic experience before founding this all important counsulting firm. No stories of his time on the street where he learns that if you notice something that feels out of place, then it probably is not supposed to be there. If you're a man reading that book, it's really hard not to get pissed off at that book. Especially if you have any sense of chivalry. Men are not supposed to help a lady with a door (they're probably trying to gain improper access to your building and falsely gain your trust), help with her groceries (they're trying to create false sense of trust and security) and definitely doesn't try to help her in her apartment at any time (he's trying to gain access to her apartment and effective break and enter). The book will leave a woman feeling paranoid and a man feeling a potential suspect.
Back to the other book of bull, in the lengthy article, it appears Mr. Frey made a lot of his experiences up, or at least elaborated so heavily as to make them seem like bullshit. But it apparently made a good read. Not good enough for him to sell it as fiction, which is apparently what he first tried. He tolda convincing enough to story Oprah took notice and put him into the special club. He sold millions of copies of his book (guaranteeing he won't be broke for a while) and had enough material left over he wrote a sequel that is also selling very well. There is nothing wrong with telling a good story and selling it. Hell, that's what writing is. It's when you are not just selling the story and you are selling yourself along with it, as Misters Frey and de Becker are doing, that things get trickier. When you are selling your reputation and story as part of the package, it deserves to be peeked into. Mr. Frey is not doing well on that score. With a little legwork, The Smoking Gun managed to track down people who were there for the real stories he claims to have lived and have shown them to be mostly bullshit. This casts into doubt all the other claims he has made about recovery, which means when he talks to people about recovery and getting over addiction, he is talking out of his ass. Which is downright destructive to recovering addicts who need a real role model to strive to be like. Addiction recovery is a tricky process and people in recovery are fragile. One of the keys to recovery is NOT LYING to them.
This is the problem when demagoguery over takes quality. When a person starts trying too hrd for attention they forget why they get even a little famous in the first place. Oprah started out as wanting to change the talk show world, and she did. In the process, she made herself a billionaire with pull over millions of housewives who don't want to think for themselves. All that is fine. It's when she takes herself serious as a way to shape minds and literary trends that she crosses that line into blatant self-promotion. She wants and needs to be seen as someone who really CARES about the world, especially the worldview shared by her audience. And honestly, there is nothing wrong with that.
After all, that's what we call politics in the United States.
So it is written, so do I see it.