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Confessions of a Homeschool Dad
Jan. 27, 2006
Oprah "Duped", "Betrayed" - World says, "Duh!"
If you'll remember, I mentioned Oprah and her defense of good 'ol James Frey, author of A Million Little Pieces.
For those of you who haven't heard, A Million Little Pieces apparently contains a few factual inaccuracies.
Oprah and the publisher (Doubleday) both defended the book against the inital attacks and started talking about it being "emotionally true".
POLLS SAY "DON'T GO THERE!"
Well, it turns out that truth still sells with the American people. And "emotional truth" (also known as lying) just ticks them off. Finally, the clue-mobile pulls up to Oprah's house and delivers a message: "America blames you for recommending a 'memoir' that turns out to be false. Your defense of the book makes you look like a politician."
So, in true response to the "voice of the people", Oprah got on her show with James Frey to talk about how "duped" and "betrayed" she feels.
DoubleDay, too, has issued a statement. They say that they stood behind their author and that their relationship is based on trust. They eventually found out that trust was broken.
So, are they going to stop selling the book? Are you kidding?!? As the statement says, "demand for the book remains high", so forget that. They are, however, going to include and author's note and a publisher's note in all future printings. Well, I feel better now.
JAMES FREY FEELS THE WRAITH OF AN OPRAH SCORNED
Apparently, James gets a good, on-air beating from Oprah and looks a little bit.... um... stupid. I can only imagine the phone call that Oprah placed to get James on the show:
OPRAH: James, hey! How are you? I understand you're a big fat liar.
JAMES: Well, not really. Okay, sorta, a little. Not no...okay yes.
O: So, we're going to have a show to tell about how you fooled me and I'm going to beat up on you. You'll be there.
J: Uh, Oprah.... you knew that it wasn't all true when I came on. You knew that I tried to shop this as a novel before I sold it as a memoir and it just didn't sell [NOTE: This is apparently true]. And the cut of my sales that you took - doesn't that mean anything?
O: Listen, you little weasel: I made you the number 2 best seller next to Harry Stinking Potter! You will come on my show and take the beating.
J: Geez, Oprah... I'm kinda busy.
O: Uh huh. I'm sending a car now. If you're not there, my goons are going to find you and do to you what you say was done to you in your book.
EVEN MORE DISTURBING THAN THE LIE
Okay, so Oprah is really sorry. The book is fake. It would probably be better to have the dreaded label, "Based on the True Story".
Have any of your read this book? Me, neither. But, I've read excerpts and reviews and this is a seriously disturbing book. He is a drug user that wallows in his own vomit and blood, has a girlfriend from a halfway house that kills herself, kills a priest who tries to molest him (of course), spends a lot of productive time in jail....
In other words, this is not a happy-go-lucky book.
So, should your kids read it? The School Library Journal does. In fact, the SLJ gave Million Little Pieces an Award for "Adult Books for Young Adults".
I guess I can add two more people to my "List of People Not To Take Advice From":
- Oprah Winfrey
- The School Library Journal
But, maybe I'm wrong. Take a look at the book summary and tell me: Would YOU let YOUR kids read this book?
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