Posted on 04/03/2012 7:00:30 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Today on The Five, the gang took time to review their good friend Sarah Palin’s guest hosting on The Today Show. Did they think she did a good job? Well, lets just say that their opinions were so unsurprising we’re not doing a post on them. However, in the midst of Eric Bolling’s effusive praise, he managed to segue to a discussion on Oprah Winfrey and he hosts discussed Winfrey’s support of President Obama as well as the troubles with her network OWN. Andrea Tantaros managed to combine the topics, theorizing that Winfrey’s Obama support hurt OWN in the long run.
“Do you think [Winfrey] took a business hit because of the decision to come out and endorse President Obama? Because I remember, when she did, there was a lot of people out there who didn’t like Oprah so politicized. They like her talking about which Spanks to buy and which is the healthiest yoga position.”
Most of Tantaros’ co-hosts rejected the theory, guessing that Winfrey’s spectacular run was just already about over when she branched out into the network.
However, it’s an interesting thought. In Tina Fey‘s memoir, Bossypants, she talks about how her SNL impression of Palin may have made her more visible than anything else, but it also seriously hurt her show 30 Rock‘s chances of becoming a more mainstream hit because some people were so offended that she’d dare mock Palin. And, in my personal experience, I’ve had absolutely infuriating arguments with commenters on this site where I try to persuade them that FX’s Louie is one of the best shows on television but they refuse to watch it because Louis C.K. once tweeted some mean jokes about the former Alaskan Governor.
Both those stories have to do with Palin, but this is a much broader issue. When I was having those Louie debates, I was stunned that people could be so blinded by their political allegiances, that they wouldn’t watch a critically acclaimed show that had absolutely nothing to do with politics. In their mind, if you say anything “liberal,” then all of your life’s output is instantly worthless. And lord knows that there are people on the other side of the coin who feel the same way.
On first glance, Tantaros’ theory sounds ridiculous. Oprah supported Obama so now people who have watched her for years will run away? The sad thing is, I believe there are people out there that feel that way. Not enough for it to be the number one cause for OWN’s failings. Hell, not even enough for it to be the number eight cause. But it definitely could have contributed.
When there are nonstop cable news shows analyzing how President Obama is an evil socialist plotting with Hollywood celebrities and the Russians to ruin America, then of course there are going to be some souls out there who are convinced he is bad.
Watch the clip from Fox News below:
(VIDEO AT LINK)
Mean jokes? Let's see someone tweet the same things about your wife, girlfriend or mother and then we'll ask you if they were just mean jokes!
Yes Jon, it’s enough to sink Oprah.
We’re talking about the guy sitting in the White House. Everybody knows about him. You’re dealing with very large numbers of people.
Doperah, is an entertainer. No more, no less. There is no entertainer entitled to my money or attention.
So when one of them says something contrary to my personal values, I replace them with one of the millions of disposable entertainers smart enough to keep their politics personal. And if a person cannot live without contributing to the success of Oprah, or Louis CK, or whoever, they have far more problems than entertainment choices.
Of course it is failing because she supports Obama and for other reasons as well. But mainly on the Obama issue.
That and the kind of judgment (i.e. ill conceived judgment, sensed/observed by viewership) that Oprah and her Producers missed; by their imagining, an invitation to Rosie O'Donnell was a great idea or worse; imagined Rosie a 'lesson' that Middle America just had to learn.
And oh yeah! Obama is an evil GD communist.
Good to see you posting 2ndDivisionVet. Hope you are well and doing good.
As for poor Oprah, she is failing on her OWN as she doesn’t need help from anyone else. He show became like the judge shows 20 years ago ... same old sh!t day after day.
Hey Jon, just because CNN reported only ‘tens of dozens’ showed up in D.C. on 9-12, doesn’t mean it was true.
And just because we may not be as visible or talkative, doesn’t mean we aren’t out here, watching, listening and waiting to vote.
Remember in November.
Former Oprah watcher
Partly, yes.
The other part is she went to cable.
That’s just stoopit.
OWN is failing because its products are marginally attractive and it dang’d difficult to start a New channel.
Absolutely Oprah’s 0botisms hurt her. Other than his Democratic convention speech...NO ONE outside of Illinois knew about Duh Won. Oprah foisted his petard upon the stupid womyn of America who SHOULD concern themselves more about “what Spanx to buy” and “what’s the best yoga position.”. And I say that as a woman who has been Oprah free since the 90s.
Did Oprah ever question any of the fairy tale that is her beloved Buh-Rock’s “past ?” Did Oprah “notice” that both Barry and Me!Chelle BOTH no longer have law licenses? Surely she knew about Rev. Wright’s influence...as she herself had distanced herself from her OWN past membership in TUCC. No...Oprah overlooked a lot (and she probably investigated those Spanx more) and endorsed away.
Karma. Is. A. Bitc#.
And glad to see you posting. Hope you, and Mrs. 2nd, are both doing well:)
He can’t believe Oprah’s support of Obama affects viewership or that folks won’t watch a show because its star made nasty cracks about Gov Palin, What about the Media Matters-orchestrated boycott of Rush’s advertisers???
I cant tell you how many people turned off Oprah once she supported Obama.
Im talking about people who didnt even care about politics before this, they watched Oprah and lived by every word the woman spoke.
I am almost positive its what killed off her network.
I, for one, don’t associate with anyone that I know is an Obama lover.
How is Oprah different than Jerry Sandusky? Why the double standards? They both organized groups of poor, vulnerable children who were then exposed to perversion and molestation.
I'm not gonna watch a network, celebrity, or show that supports the destruction of my country, & I don't care how good it is. I don't want to contribute in any way to the success of perverts, serial adulterers, & Socialists.
Furthermore, when I see Liberal slugs on TV, their evil politics ruins the entertainment value, so I just change the channel. The beauty of 200+ channels is that I can always find something beyond Rosie O'D., Oprah, or Tom Hanks. If Charlie Manson writes a best seller, who could read it w/o considering the source?
Back when we had broadcast TV we only had 3 or 4 channels to chose from. Our choices were liberal, more liberal, & most liberal of all. Now Oprah & her liberal ilk are learning, just like the big 3 news networks, that we can just tune them out. We have other choices now - nature show or homo hog is a no brainer.
Despite what the media would have us believe, the audience ultimately determines the success or failure of entertainment endeavors. Ask Katie Couric. The audiences are what pay the bills. If we don't watch liberal trash & liberal entertainers, they will disappear from view. Good riddance!
If we don’t watch liberal trash & liberal entertainers, they will disappear from view. Good riddance!
**
I think this is exactly what we have to remember. If they’re offensive ...change the channel, don’t buy the magazine. It works.
I stopped buying magazines a LONG time ago — had to continuously cut back on things due to inflation and taxes, and magazines are ALWAYS the first to go. Not sure cable TV isn’t far behind at this point. It might be very freeing.
Forgive my repeating myself, but I'd rather watch a vomiting contest than Olbermann, Shultz, or Rosie O.
And don't these viewers know that Comcast & the like, along with advertisers, are keeping stats on what you watch, & when. By watching this crap, you are saying you like it & want more of the same.
Finally, there are only so many TV viewing hours in my day. I refuse to spend it watching my enemy bad mouth me.
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