Recommend Cathe to be on Oprah!

I don't really think anyone here is saying that the masses are uneducated or underprivileged. I have a college-educated friend whom I love dearly. She's definitely upper middle-class and she is a very successful working professional. Oprah and People magazine are her main links to the "news" and to health information. At work one day, I saw her putting one of those non-dairy flavored creamers in instant oatmeal...she told me that she'd heard about Bob Green on Oprah, bought his book, and he had recommended it and the Slim Fast she was having for lunch.

I think that a lot of people will just go along with whomever they feel is popular, right or wrong, without doing any research on their own. Maybe my friend would try Cathe if she was on Oprah, but I doubt it (she thinks I'm insane to do the workouts that I do). She tells me that her three 30-minute walks and two 20-minute pilates workouts a week are all she ever wants to do---and she still can't figure out why she's not losing weight!
 
I also know some very highly educated women who never miss Oprah's show if they can help it. I know several people who record it and watch it at night. Yes, let's not make sweeping generalizations about her fan base.

While I applaud Oprah for her good works and charity, I cringe at her sort of guru status. It's almost like she's a religion unto herself or something. I don't know what I'm trying to say -- I need someone with eloquence who knows how to turn a phrase....BEAVS!!!

Now, back to recommendations for her show. How about Anna Benson and the Ben Wa Ball workout :p
 
TeTe, I do understand what you're saying and the "typical" kind of woman you're talking about. But if no one's saying that the masses are uneducated or underprivileged, what are you saying about them? It seems to me that what you are saying is unfair and comes from a stance of superiority. Sort of like "they won't 'get' Cathe; they aren't smart enough or motivated enough to work hard; Cathe is too good for Oprah and her viewers". That's what I'm hearing and what I'm finding to be rather disturbing and mean spirited.

But I'd love to be wrong! And if I am, I apologize for my misunderstanding.

Amy
 
Amy,

That's it...I'M NEVER POSTING HERE AGAIN!!!!!!!!


(Yeah, right, like I could shut-up!)

You know I'm kidding...I actually enjoy the debate going on here! (and I do believe that this is the first time that I've disagreed with you and your sister, am I right??? :p :7 )

Okay, I admit it--I'm an info snob. I do so much research on so much of this stuff and I do have a hard time with people who just accept what Oprah or Phil or Bob have to say, just because they're the ones who said it. And I guess it does bother me that they are seen as such experts when they really are not. I do think that with the status they've achieved, maybe they owe their viewers more.

And, just like I prefer bands and musicians that don't fill arenas, I like my exercise guru to have a little more of a cult following. ;-)
 
>
>Now, back to recommendations for her show. How about Anna
>Benson and the Ben Wa Ball workout :p

Listening to those internal Jingle Bells while Oprah does Imax 3? Yeah, I'd pay to watch that show.

Jonahnah
Chocolate IS the answer, regardless of the question.
 
Hi Amy,

The problem I have with Oprah is her "guru" status in combination with the fact that I think things on her show tend to get dumbed down.

I don't Cathe getting dumbed/watered down. We were all drawn to her because she's hard!! :)
 
>>
>>Now, back to recommendations for her show. How about Anna
>>Benson and the Ben Wa Ball workout :p
>
>Listening to those internal Jingle Bells while Oprah does Imax
>3? Yeah, I'd pay to watch that show.
>
>Jonahnah
>Chocolate IS the answer, regardless of the question.

:7 Ouch. I just laughed so hard I think I pulled something! :p


[font face="comic sans ms" font color=purple]***Lainie***
My fitness blog: http://fitnessfig.blogspot.com/ http://bestsmileys.com/exercising/7.gif

If you want to give God a good laugh, tell Her your plans.[/font]
 
TeTe,

You know, I think it is the first time we've disagreed (our first fight-awww!). I also enjoy the Oprah debate. As I said earlier, I have been having it for years with my DH, and since we're still together I guess that means that I respect the anti-Oprah contingent to some extent (or that I'm slowly and carefully plotting the perfect revenge-perhaps something like the conditioning done to Alex in "A Clockwork Orange"-but you know it's not that easy to find those eye speculum thingies...ummm...I digress...)

I too am an info snob and I see your point there. I guess I see Oprah and Dr. Oz (NOT Phil or Bob however) simply as other sources of information, sort of in the realm of edutainment rather than education. Since one of my passions is teaching, I am always happy to see good information reach many people, even if it is watered down. It's one of the few things that makes me hopeful about the future these days. Sure, it can be annoying to be lectured about nutrition for example by someone who is newly aware that such a thing exists, but I try to be patient. I've done my fair share of lecturing and I probably deserve it!

It won't surprise you that I'm anti-snobbery in terms of music, workout videos or anything. I was very much involved in the underground-music scene in the Baltimore/DC area in the late '90s and the male-dominated, competitive, snobbish environment nearly killed my love of music. I still looooove music and most of what I like is probably relatively obscure (who can keep up with it anymore), but that has nothing to do with it!

Amy
 
Lainie: Keep that to yourself!

Michele: I might have to defer to Frank Zappa on this one!

TeTe: I'm with you (even on the first disagreement with that absolute peach of pixie chick!)

And you don't even want to know what I'd tell Dr. Phil to do with those Ben Was (but I'm sure Ms. Benson would have a few crackpot suggestions!)
 
Well, Amy, we must agree to disagree. Beavs and I disagree about the number of risers to use, and Nancy and I disgree about the movie "You've Got Mail." (Sigh) It was just a matter of time before something or, in this case, someONE (Damn you Oprah, yet another reason to curse you!!!!!) would come along that we can't see eye-to-eye on.

Cyber truce hug (( )):)
 
Cyber truce hug (( )) back atcha. I think we'll get through this, although we may have to go on the Oprah show to resolve our issues. }( }( }(

Amy
 
I admire what Oprah has accomplished, but I think where the problem lays (and some of the misperceptions/assumptions about her audience) is in how the studio audience and others fawn over her and start jumping up and down and screaming and carrying on like they've never been let out of the house, or seen a real live person before. It drives me nuts. And with give-aways - ugh. Please. "oh my god, a sweater! I've never had a sweater before! aaaaa!!!"

As an aside on the book club for gift giving (and personal use) - if you check the books, many of those damn Oprah logos are actually stickers that if you are careful, you can peel off without damaging the book cover. I've done that with a few, because I refuse to walk around with a book with that thing on it - I read the books I do because of me and wouldn't want anyone else to think otherwise. (although most of her books I've read before she's ever mentioned them [nose in air]).
 
<start jumping up and down and screaming and carrying on like they've never been let out of the house>

I get scared when they start jumping on couches!
 
>I admire what Oprah has accomplished, but I think where the
>problem lays (and some of the misperceptions/assumptions about
>her audience) is in how the studio audience and others fawn
>over her and start jumping up and down and screaming and
>carrying on like they've never been let out of the house, or
>seen a real live person before. It drives me nuts. And with
>give-aways - ugh. Please. "oh my god, a sweater! I've never
>had a sweater before! aaaaa!!!"
>
I totally get this point. Her audience can be a bit too much.

Carolyn
 
><start jumping up and down and screaming and carrying on like
>they've never been let out of the house>
>
>I get scared when they start jumping on couches!

LOL!!!
:7 :7

Carolyn
 
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