Anybody watching Oprah right now? Can you tell me why people insist on

[hellbound-liberal]

going on nationwide television and show everybody what lousy parents they are? These people have no control over their kids, they are selfish, rude and disrespectful and these idiots get on TV and say, "See what we have to put up with?"

[ExPatLeftist]

1. Bad parents need a kick in the ass.

I think people go and talk about this stuff based on pure ignorance. From what I have seen, crappy parents tend to think they are great parents.

I unfortunately have experience of being in a relationship with someone that had NO rules for her son (I mean, he went to bed at midnight if he wanted to), she used his age (5 years old) as an excuse for him to do nothing that he didn't want to, tried to treat him as a "friend" rather than a parent, and has successfully (to this point) raised a son that is extremely rude and spoiled and acts significantly younger than he is, mainly because he gets away with it. He is genuinely unpleasant to be around at the age of 5. :(

As I was experiencing this, his mother was constantly talking trash about other peoples' parenting skills (and even parenting books!) by saying that they didn't "treat their kids like humans" because they were "too strict". Everyone but her had a parenting issue. She really had NO CLUE of what she was doing or that is was not the best way to raise a kid. To each her own, but I could not live with that, so the relationship ended. I wish the best for the child, but I need to think of my life (and that of MY son) as well.

[bamademo]

3. What about the couple that went on Ophrah's television show...

to talk about taking away television viewing from their family! :eyes:

[ExPatLeftist]

5. HAHAHA

How ironic can they get?

I am sure that the irony was lost on all involved... Especially Oprah.

[LisaM]

2. Why does Oprah exploit them like that?

There's nothing Oprah loves better than a good victim. She thinks she has a dispensation to fix everyone, if you ask me - how else do you explain Dr. Phil???

[ExPatLeftist]

4. Oprah loves to watch people CRY.

...or, more accurately, she loves and lives for ratings and crying people = big ratings. It's disgusting.

To be honest, she makes me sick and I do not like her in the least (nor do I ever watch her show). She is very exploitative and phony, IMO. And I agree that she loves victims and would add that she really adds to the "victimization" of some people. She's really keen to place labels on people so that they can really groove on their own victimhood... IMO, that is the LAST thing that people need to turn their lives around - a big pity party. I think she hurts far more than she helps (with the exception of financially).

[LisaM]

7. Yeah, I was out shopping one day and somehow got in a discussion with the owner

of the store where I was buying clothes. I was getting ready to go to a book club meeting and she asked what we were reading, and somehow morphed into the books Oprah was choosing back then (this was before Oprah turned to the classics). "Victim feminism!" she kept saying, "it's just victim feminsim!" I think we actually WERE reading an Oprah book that month, IIRC ("Map of the World") and I must say that even though I didn't like the book to begin with, the shop owner got me really revved up and I stole her line for when we had the discussion that night. And we haven't picked an Oprah book since.

[ExPatLeftist]

8. That's a good concise way of putting that...

I'm stealing it. ;)

[LisaM]

9. Get it out there!

Please do steal it. It's an interesting line; it changes the way you look at a whole lot of current fiction and memoir.

[SoCalDem]

6. a free airplane ride to Chicago & room service at a REAL hotel

sad..but true

[Cleita]

10. Why is Oprah stooping to this?

Seems like these family matters should be done behind closed doors with professional counselors.

[ExPatLeftist]

11. Oprah's stooped lower. Often. nt

[hellbound-liberal]

12. I told my wife these people would probably be on Jerry Springer next week

I think Oprah has definitely made some poor programming decisions over the years. Someone brought up the fact that she will have a show about simplifying our lives and focusing on what's really important one day and the next day she'll have a show with people showing off their ostentatious jewelry or clothing! I don't understand which values she is trying to promote.:shrug:

[ExPatLeftist]

13. Personally, I think the only "value" she promotes is the value of her own bank account nt