But Oprah Told Me TO!!!

By Sarah Matheny on June 21st, 2009

Get ready for the world’ biggest oxymoron: POOR OPRAH.

A Newsweek cover story last week blasted Oprah for endorsing questionable medical practices on her show by featuring guests such as Suzanne Somers touting her” fountain of youth” hormone magic, and Jenny McCarthy, who not only had her tongue surgically put back in her mouth after her stint on MTV’s “Singled Out,” but claims that vaccinations caused her son’s autism.

While Oprah may not directly have told menopausal female viewers to insert horse urine in their vajayjays or parents like you and I to give our pediatrician the finger come vaccination time, but there’s no denying the “Oprah effect.”

Were it not for being featured on her show, who would even know of the mystical Dr. of Oz, or the even more boisterous Dr. Phil? I also know that if by any stroke of luck I manage to write a book, I would gladly donate any organ in exchange for a spot on that highly coveted book club reading list.

Still, I can’t help but think that Oprah is getting blamed for either laziness or unwillingness on the part of her viewers to filter the information that is being disseminated through her perfectly coiffed, professionally groomed and somewhat manufactured persona.

I need not speak for Oprah, though. She put it best herself in her response to the Newsweek article, saying,

“The guests we feature often share their first-person stories in an effort to inform the audience and put a human face on topics relevant to them. I’ve been saying for years that people are responsible for their actions and their own well-being. I believe my viewers understand the medical information presented on the show is just that—information—not an endorsement or prescription. Rather, my intention is for our viewers to take the information and engage in a dialogue with their medical practitioners about what may be right for them.”

Or, as my mom always said, “If Oprah told you to go jump off a cliff, would you do it?”

At least Oprah can take consolation in the fact that if her viewers do jump off that cliff, she can always buy new ones.