Friday, May 15, 2009

A new kind of McCarthyism...with fewer Communists

I thoroughly enjoyed the tongue-in-check humor in the article entitled "Don't Listen to Jenny McCarthy" from Cracked.com. And I have to agree wholeheartedly. She seems to be yet another Oprah minion touting her "advice" to the masses.

I have a lot to say about the inflammatory topic of "vaccines cause Autism and are going to kill your children posthaste" because of a book that I just edited and laid out, but since it is work-related and the proceeds from such a book finance my job, I'll keep my thoughts to myself. The article can pretty much speak for me.

I had an English professor in college who positively loved Oprah. He sang her praises each semester for (according to him) single-handedly getting the American population to read again (through Oprah's Book Club). I won't disagree that she has done a lot for the popularity of reading. I used to be a faithful Oprah follower myself, settling in with a snack and tuning in every afternoon at 4:00 when I returned home from school. One of my favorite books, She's Come Undone, is even on her list (although Oprah's thumbs up was not the reason I read the book in the first place). She does good. But she also makes choices that are commercially profitable and will surely net her many more millions, but that may not be the best for the American public who follow the latest celebrities ever so faithfully (ah, the Messiahs dripping with Harry Winston diamonds and mincing through the pasture on Manolo Blahnik heels while tending to their flocks of sheep...and wagging a finger, telling them what to buy, see, or do).

At least we don't have to worry about the Reds anymore, right?

2 comments:

blind irish pirate said...

I am shocked you know She's Come Undone, only because I was a wee freshman when I read this back in HS and I thought something was wrong with me for reading something so violent and twisty.

BUT, it did introduce me to more of Wally Lamb, and I highly recommend "The Hour I First Believed" if you haven't read it yet.

KittyMarie said...

I will definitely have to check out that book! I don't know what it is about She's Come Undone (freshman year in HS is probably around when I read it, too), but I just love it! I've re-read it more times than I can count. It's so deliciously dark and awkward.