State Of The Qusan: Man, Oprah Sure Told Him!

Now that Frey's new book deal has been fried, I guess I'll post this old entry that I never got around to finishing.

When this story first broke, I tracked it on my book blog. Initially, and still to some extent, I didn't see what the big deal was (I tend to view the current state of our country is far more important that). But, since it seemed to be the story that wouldn't die and ended up becoming more and more an attack on Oprah, I decided to watch it play out on the cable networks. I had a lot of mixed feelings on this so I listed them out:

James Frey's Intentions

I don't think this man woke up one morning thinking, "I'm going to write a book about my substance abuse, exaggerate it greatly, market it as a memoir when I know it is partially fabricated, get Oprah to pick it as her book club selection and lie to the entire world ..."

I think that he had a story to tell (truthfully or not), wrote a book and sold it whatever way would get it published. I actually think the publisher had more to do with his decision to pimp it as a memoir than he did. While he definitely isn't off the hook, in my eyes, I don't think his original intention was to lie and end up in a big publishing scandal. What's funny is that even fiction writers end up getting sued because people claim they are the characters in some books and don't like their "portrayal." So what's a writer to do? People write what they know. If you fictionalize real life, someone is still going to think it is about them and have a fit. If you turn partial fiction into a memoir, people feel cheated. After all of this, I think that memoirs are probably just like reality shows (may be a little coaxed by producers, definitely edited for the strongest, rating rendering impact but basically putting forth what people do in front of the camera).
Oprah's Intentions

I like Oprah but I'm not one of those people willing to sell my mother to be in the audience and doubt that I'd ever actual attempt to go to one of her shows. She's not my greatest inspiration and not one of my idols. But, I like her shows, her magazine and what she's chosen to do with her wealth and influence as far as charity.

But, one thing has been bugging me about her for years (and since the inception of her book club). I thoroughly understand how horrible her childhood was and that she was molested and raped as a kid/teen. I understand how many scars that can leave. But she survived and is doing better than almost every woman in the world. What started to bother me about her book club selections was that too many of them seemed to be about downtrodden people/women who triumphed over tragedy. While that is an inspiring theme, it got really old to me. I realize that there is still a part of her that still clings to that part of her inner self. I totally get why those types of books and themes touch her so. But, just as James Frey, in some way brought all of this drama upon himself, I think that Oprah drew this experience into her life as well. I think there is still a part of her that is a victim and even though she is one of the richest woman in the world, she was able to turn this "nobody" of a guy (a virtual squirrel just looking for a nut) into some villain who took advantage of her and somebone who victimized her yet again.

I glanced at the book in Costco many times and, once I realized what it was about, decided that I didn't need to read yet another pitiful story. We've all had our tribulations and my life hasn't always been perfect but I just cannot stand a constant stream of sob stories. If Oprah had really felt that now, with everything she's accomplished, she'd finally "overcome," she would stop being so attracted to these types of stories and hence, drawing in people who turn her into a victim (you can see I watch her show enough to come up with that theory).
Readers' Investment In The Book

Because Oprah was drawn in, her viewers were drawn in. But, for the life of me I cannot figure out why people are so hysterical behind a few (maybe more) fabricated episodes in the book. On one of my online discussion groups, some people were talking about taking the book back and wanting their money back.

Why? If you liked the story/loved the book as much as Oprah did, what investment does anyone have in whether this guy really fought with cops, spent three months in jail or was as braggadocious as he claimed. Who the heck cares? AND, the people who are out there trying to sue are as guilty of being opportunistic predators as they claim he is. Get over it and get a life. It's almost as though his character in the book somehow made them feel as though they were somehow not as bad and now that they find he wasn't as bad as he said, they are on equal footing with them. I don't know. I just don't get it.
Oprah's Showdown

Honestly, I was a little embarrassed by that show. This is a guy who obviously had some problems with addiction and is probably battling the same or more demons now. Oprah lured him to the show and in addition to her dressing him down, she had a full panel of people who all stood there shooting at him like a firing squad. Regardless of what he did, this guy is an ant compared to her. Why use a combat boot to squash an ant, as though it is a rattle snake, when a single Kleenex would have done the same thing.

Oprah redeemed herself as being someone who was fooled, initially defended her trickster and then did damage control when her reputation was in question. I thought the show was overkill and that, after her initial confrontation with him, she should have sent back to the green room. The mob of accusers as he sat there like a trapped rat, turned Oprah into the predator and I thought she might have been a little above that. I like a good fight but I like fair fights and that guy was ambushed.