Oprah Update: More Pluto On The MC
Oprah Update: More Pluto On The MC
mumin_bey@yahoo.com
7:33 AM 01/20/2007 Sat
My mailbox is full with all manner of reactions to my recent piece on Oprah and her efforts to open an all girls school in South Africa - mostly hatemail LOL. It seems that I've once again hit a vein, crossed a line, that isn't looked upon too kindly among the Oprah faithful.
This update, then, will come as no surprise to the opposition. Earlier this week Oprah had an exclusive interview with one of the boys held hostage for years in the home of a man who apparently abducted them, along with his parents. Although O agreed not to ask specific questions as to exactly what happened to the boy during his time in the suspect's house, she nevertheless went up to the water's edge, so to speak. I had the chance to see a portion of the broadcast, and felt very uneasy about it.
As Bill O'Reilly points out, on one level you really can't blame Oprah - she's only doing what a truckload of other talking heads on TV would have done, score the exclusive interview - it's a no brainer, it gets mad ratings, and in a country where children are so important (note the USA astrology with the Sun, Mercury, Venus and Jupiter ALL in Cancer), again, you really cant blame her on the "journalistic" side. But there IS something to be said from a decency standpoint, at least it is for me. The boy has barely been home for a few days, and already here we have Oprah trotting the boy out in front of the nation, potentially the world. In light of the fact that she herself was abused as a child, you would think that she could give the guy a break.
I'm cool with her interviewing the parents (even though I thought they could given the Press a break, too) but bringing the kid out...wow.
At any rate, we can go back and forth forever debating whether O should've done the deed, but what can't be denied - at least for me - is the fact that while O didn't hesitate to bring on these folks, the guys who were dragged through the mud down at Duke U - and their parents - were nowhere to be found. Why am I bringing this up? Simple - it's because, it shows yet again, just how biased Oprah really is. By now, everyone's aware of what happend at Duke U last year. A Black stripper contended that she was viciously gang-raped by a bunch of White, well to do Duke students who happened to be on the Lacrosse team. Immediately, a firestorm of controversey was started, with decided racial and political overtones, since Duke U sits amidst a Black community, with the local DA seeking political office. The entire Lacrosse program was shut down. Professors and other faculty released comments through the school paper denouncing the boys in question. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton came to the defense of the stripper, describing her as a single mom, struggling to put herself through college, and finding stripping as the only way to support herself and her family. One of the boys in question had to leave the school. All of their reputations ruined - and keep in mind, that the case had never come to trial.
Well, what do you know - the DA is found to be witholding key evidence that DNA tests performed on the stripper reveals that NONE of the boys accused were in fact guilty of the crime of rape, and that what DNA evidence that was there belong to at least several other men. The stripper's companion, another stripper, said that none of what was described happened, and the original stripper was forced to recant her statements. On top of this, the DA also appears to have committed several major errors legally, making him a target for prosecutorial misconduct, censure, even liable for criminal offense. The story was in the news all year. But it never made Oprah.
Do you honestly think the Duke U case would have made "page one" of the Oprah Show if indeed, the stripper WAS gang-raped? To ask the question, is to answer it.
Thank God for 60 Minutes.
Why do I seemingly focus so much time and energy on Oprah? It's simple. It's because she's more than just a chatshow hostess, more than just a talking head - and I think it's safe to say that she would agree with that statement. She's an activist for a particular point of view, and has the power to make those points of view public policy, or at the very least, to be able to influence the public discourse and culture.
One of my best friends, Zam, recently said that while he doesn't agree with my views regarding Oprah, he nevertheless feels that she does envince a level of prejudice with regard to men. His honesty is one of many reasons why he's one of my best friends I've ever had in this life - and in any event, is a rarity when it comes to Oprah, because I honestly believe lots of people, men and women alike, see the very same thing he does. However, given her past with men, he was willing to give her a pass. I'm not.
I don't because I see that O can make her prejudices, biases and the like, real or perceived, into a form of public policy, for good or ill. And, if the Duke U case is any indication, she has. While O has no problem getting on the Rappers case for their treatment of women, she like the rest of her Feminist sisters are nowhere to be found when things like the Duke U case goes down. We're all just supposed to turn a blind eye to such things, like my friend does when he clearly sees that Oprah has an axe or two to grind.
Whether you agree with me or not, just take both cases - the abducted boy and his parents, and the Duke U case - and compare and contrast.
Going to the astrology, as mentioned before, Oprah's having the milestone SA Pluto=MC, with transit Saturn sitting right on her 8th House Pluto, and transit Neptune sitting right on her 2nd House Mercury. The latter two measurements are those that can suggest a difficult time, particularly where communication, thinking, and one's point of view and perspectives are concerned. In Oprah's case, it certainly seems to tally with the measure of criticism she's received over the rapper controversey last year, the all-girls school and boy abduction this month, and so on. And, from what I can see here, the hits just keep comin' - this Spring she'll have SA Venus=Mars/Saturn with SA Saturn=Venus/Pluto (Apr), followed by SA Venus=Saturn/Pluto in Jul. These are NOT happy measurements, folks!-and in light of the fact that Venus rules O's MC, along with the aforementioned transits in play, it all adds up to O's reputation taking some more hits before the Summer's out. Look for yet more headlines with Oprah's name "above the fold" between early Spring and mid Summer.
A final note. As mentioned earlier, I've received quite a bit of angry letters from folks regarding my essays on O. After awhile, I've noticed a pattern emerging, and I'm seeing this in other quaters as well - that it almost seems blasphemous to criticize Oprah, to point anything that might raise real, legitimate questions regarding her stance and most importantly, her actions, of which her show plays a huge role. In truth, if it were Montel, or Maury, or Ricki Lake, or Jerry Springer, I couldn've cared less what they were doing, because none of them put themselves out as a sort of guru/activist to a signficant portion of American Society. But since Oprah has, I think she's fair game for scruntiny, at least as much scruntiny as anti-Bush types say he should get. Afterall, O was being pushed to run for President last year, and in many ways, has as much influence, moreso in some cases. In any event, while I find the hatemail to be quite funny, it would be nice to actually get some that debates me on the issues surrounding Oprah, rather than just the sounds of guzzling the Oprah-aide.
Word.
Salaam,Mu
mumin_bey@yahoo.com
7:33 AM 01/20/2007 Sat
My mailbox is full with all manner of reactions to my recent piece on Oprah and her efforts to open an all girls school in South Africa - mostly hatemail LOL. It seems that I've once again hit a vein, crossed a line, that isn't looked upon too kindly among the Oprah faithful.
This update, then, will come as no surprise to the opposition. Earlier this week Oprah had an exclusive interview with one of the boys held hostage for years in the home of a man who apparently abducted them, along with his parents. Although O agreed not to ask specific questions as to exactly what happened to the boy during his time in the suspect's house, she nevertheless went up to the water's edge, so to speak. I had the chance to see a portion of the broadcast, and felt very uneasy about it.
As Bill O'Reilly points out, on one level you really can't blame Oprah - she's only doing what a truckload of other talking heads on TV would have done, score the exclusive interview - it's a no brainer, it gets mad ratings, and in a country where children are so important (note the USA astrology with the Sun, Mercury, Venus and Jupiter ALL in Cancer), again, you really cant blame her on the "journalistic" side. But there IS something to be said from a decency standpoint, at least it is for me. The boy has barely been home for a few days, and already here we have Oprah trotting the boy out in front of the nation, potentially the world. In light of the fact that she herself was abused as a child, you would think that she could give the guy a break.
I'm cool with her interviewing the parents (even though I thought they could given the Press a break, too) but bringing the kid out...wow.
At any rate, we can go back and forth forever debating whether O should've done the deed, but what can't be denied - at least for me - is the fact that while O didn't hesitate to bring on these folks, the guys who were dragged through the mud down at Duke U - and their parents - were nowhere to be found. Why am I bringing this up? Simple - it's because, it shows yet again, just how biased Oprah really is. By now, everyone's aware of what happend at Duke U last year. A Black stripper contended that she was viciously gang-raped by a bunch of White, well to do Duke students who happened to be on the Lacrosse team. Immediately, a firestorm of controversey was started, with decided racial and political overtones, since Duke U sits amidst a Black community, with the local DA seeking political office. The entire Lacrosse program was shut down. Professors and other faculty released comments through the school paper denouncing the boys in question. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton came to the defense of the stripper, describing her as a single mom, struggling to put herself through college, and finding stripping as the only way to support herself and her family. One of the boys in question had to leave the school. All of their reputations ruined - and keep in mind, that the case had never come to trial.
Well, what do you know - the DA is found to be witholding key evidence that DNA tests performed on the stripper reveals that NONE of the boys accused were in fact guilty of the crime of rape, and that what DNA evidence that was there belong to at least several other men. The stripper's companion, another stripper, said that none of what was described happened, and the original stripper was forced to recant her statements. On top of this, the DA also appears to have committed several major errors legally, making him a target for prosecutorial misconduct, censure, even liable for criminal offense. The story was in the news all year. But it never made Oprah.
Do you honestly think the Duke U case would have made "page one" of the Oprah Show if indeed, the stripper WAS gang-raped? To ask the question, is to answer it.
Thank God for 60 Minutes.
Why do I seemingly focus so much time and energy on Oprah? It's simple. It's because she's more than just a chatshow hostess, more than just a talking head - and I think it's safe to say that she would agree with that statement. She's an activist for a particular point of view, and has the power to make those points of view public policy, or at the very least, to be able to influence the public discourse and culture.
One of my best friends, Zam, recently said that while he doesn't agree with my views regarding Oprah, he nevertheless feels that she does envince a level of prejudice with regard to men. His honesty is one of many reasons why he's one of my best friends I've ever had in this life - and in any event, is a rarity when it comes to Oprah, because I honestly believe lots of people, men and women alike, see the very same thing he does. However, given her past with men, he was willing to give her a pass. I'm not.
I don't because I see that O can make her prejudices, biases and the like, real or perceived, into a form of public policy, for good or ill. And, if the Duke U case is any indication, she has. While O has no problem getting on the Rappers case for their treatment of women, she like the rest of her Feminist sisters are nowhere to be found when things like the Duke U case goes down. We're all just supposed to turn a blind eye to such things, like my friend does when he clearly sees that Oprah has an axe or two to grind.
Whether you agree with me or not, just take both cases - the abducted boy and his parents, and the Duke U case - and compare and contrast.
Going to the astrology, as mentioned before, Oprah's having the milestone SA Pluto=MC, with transit Saturn sitting right on her 8th House Pluto, and transit Neptune sitting right on her 2nd House Mercury. The latter two measurements are those that can suggest a difficult time, particularly where communication, thinking, and one's point of view and perspectives are concerned. In Oprah's case, it certainly seems to tally with the measure of criticism she's received over the rapper controversey last year, the all-girls school and boy abduction this month, and so on. And, from what I can see here, the hits just keep comin' - this Spring she'll have SA Venus=Mars/Saturn with SA Saturn=Venus/Pluto (Apr), followed by SA Venus=Saturn/Pluto in Jul. These are NOT happy measurements, folks!-and in light of the fact that Venus rules O's MC, along with the aforementioned transits in play, it all adds up to O's reputation taking some more hits before the Summer's out. Look for yet more headlines with Oprah's name "above the fold" between early Spring and mid Summer.
A final note. As mentioned earlier, I've received quite a bit of angry letters from folks regarding my essays on O. After awhile, I've noticed a pattern emerging, and I'm seeing this in other quaters as well - that it almost seems blasphemous to criticize Oprah, to point anything that might raise real, legitimate questions regarding her stance and most importantly, her actions, of which her show plays a huge role. In truth, if it were Montel, or Maury, or Ricki Lake, or Jerry Springer, I couldn've cared less what they were doing, because none of them put themselves out as a sort of guru/activist to a signficant portion of American Society. But since Oprah has, I think she's fair game for scruntiny, at least as much scruntiny as anti-Bush types say he should get. Afterall, O was being pushed to run for President last year, and in many ways, has as much influence, moreso in some cases. In any event, while I find the hatemail to be quite funny, it would be nice to actually get some that debates me on the issues surrounding Oprah, rather than just the sounds of guzzling the Oprah-aide.
Word.
Salaam,Mu
posted by Mu'Min M. Bey at
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