If you've been in solitary seclusion fasting and praying for world peace, you may have missed this one. But for those that haven't been in a monastery somewhere, I'll leave the redundancy out, as it has been covered ad nauseum in the media.
Here are a few quick thoughts for your consideration:
1. I am not a fan of Oprah.
2. I think her heart was in the right place here, she was sincere in wanting to help these kids.
3. I think she is doing the best she can to rectify the situation, despite the fact that the damage cannot be undone.
4. Repairing the damage is an unusually hard task to undertake, especially when she has no real role models that take responsibility and accept accountability when screwing up. Very few people accept they've made a mistake and usually project blame on anyone else they can. Everyone except themselves.
5. If the media keeps bashing her for this, it may be a long time before anyone tries to do something like this, to help those that need help.
And people wonder why more wealthy people don't get involved in third world charities.
6 comments:
If the media keeps bashing her for this, it may be a long time before anyone tries to do something like this, to help those that need help.
A good point, and one I think of everytime some sexual scandal erupts over some politician's private life (there seem to be more and more of them). No wonder good people don't go into public service.
At the same time, Oprah really did run an aggressive, self-centered media campaign to advertise her generosity. I found it distasteful. Since she put her face on this school, in such a public way, she has to take the negative publicly as well. If she had opened the school without so much fanfare, this wouldn't be a news story in America, and she might be able to handle it quietly.
I also don't find her particularly generous. Despite all the money she give, she was still able to throw herself a $50 million birthday bash a few years ago. She could give a lot more, obviously.
//At the same time, Oprah really did run an aggressive, self-centered media campaign to advertise her generosity. I found it distasteful. Since she put her face on this school, in such a public way, she has to take the negative publicly as well. If she had opened the school without so much fanfare, this wouldn't be a news story in America, and she might be able to handle it quietly.//
Excellent point. The old scripture "pride cometh before a fall" is applicable here, I think>
I agree with both you you. The winners are the young students who have placed before them an exceptional opportunity.
For her part, Oprah's wealth is an insulating factor and I'm sure she isn't losing any sleep over the media frenzy.
For its part, the media is in the business of "creating news" every time some nimrod behaves badly. I don't care that "Dog Breath" used the N-word, or that some 25 year old teacher eloped with a 13 year old boy -- and yet that is all you see on the news any more because that's what creates advertising revenues.
As my wife recently said when we had to endure 24/7 coverage of smut, "It must be a slow news day." This kind of thing has been going on since the Garden of Eden. It isn't "news." Rather, this is the liberal media's way of "raising the social consciousness," never mind that we the people are powerless, nor are we inclined, to inject ourselves into other people's lives.
//this is the liberal media's way of "raising the social consciousness," never mind that we the people are powerless, nor are we inclined, to inject ourselves into other people's lives.//
You've summed up the American Fourth Estate well, in one sentence.
I, too, am not an Oprah fan. But I don't view what happened with a school as HER scandal.
AOW,
I think,to some degree she bears some responsibility, but she's accepted and acknowledged this; and she is openly working to rectify the matter, as best as it can be.
She cannot undo it. The media just likes to pile on. Nothing is good enough for the fourth estate.
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