Harpo's Blues

A friend of mine wrote this and posted it on Oprah's website:

Hey Oprah,

Having watched your show on 1/26 with James Frey, I am disturbed at how much of a victim you've made yourself out to be. The simple fact of the matter is his book has greatly affected many people's lives. The goodness of the book came long before you read it. It seems your only concern is that you may have contributed to James success of selling his book.

Maybe deep down, James knew the way the book was written was a more effective way to allow many more people to benefit from his experience and develop a hero within themselves for their own lives. To sit there as you do and judge him would be equivalent to someone calling you a phony for wanting to catch child abusers. As if you were only doing it to better your own image as a commercial icon. I'd like to think you have a greater interest to help others in mind. As I still do with James Frey.

The only thing his book did at all, is help those that read it and allowed them to question their own existence. You didn't write the book, and all of the positive influence the book had had absolutely nothing to do with you. Your arrogant view of how you promoted his book and how you take the untruths in it so personally is jaw-dropping.
If you are so concerned with the truth, as you state on your show with regard to James and his book which is ultimately something that did NOT hurt ANYONE. I really wish you would open your eyes and start to pay more interest to the truths that are negatively affecting people in the world everyday. Such as what exists within our government. Specifically with our healthcare industry, pharmaceuticals and the political relations involved with the FDA and the FTC. But I guess those truths are things that you would never have the guts to challenge as most of your advertising and support is funded by the same corruptions. It just reminds me that your show is nothing more than a jaded view of reality as our media so eloquently presents to people. And how sad is it that people accept that as truth.

The truth is what drives me in life, but I've become aware of more important un-truths than a man's encounter of his drug addiction. And to anyone whose life was positively affected by A Million Little Pieces, I would be willing to assume they aren't overly concerned with James Frey's personal truths, but with how the words in his book affects their own personal truth.

Warmest, DR