is oprah always bad

Whilst down in Sydney I was having a chat with my friend's housemate, also called Nat. She'd bought a book called "Secrets of Simplicity", which the internet revealed to be endorsed by Oprah. Having already decided I liked this book (it's self help disguised as home renovation, in the ilk of Elegance by Kathleen Tessaro and the movie Sunshine Cleaning), I decided that it wasn't always bad to be liked by Oprah. Bless her, she means well. I think I've only watched two episodes of Oprah, enough to conclude that she stinks as an interviewer, but that she truly is a powerful brand endorser. 

 Nat snickered as I described her red episode when Bono promoted all the Apple/Sony type products issed in a red colour, with any red merchandise purchased leading to a donation to his African causes. She understood how it was good but bad, promoting awareness but  not suggesting that less spending on retail could help solve a deep capitalism/colonialism problem. 

 A better episode was when Oprah themed her show on handbags, namely women who carry too much in their handbag. The woman who won in no way outdoes my friend Sarah, who is known to carry around work clothes, gym clothes and other stuff (asthma puffers, glasses, toothpaste, lip balm, shampoo, mobile phones that she doesn't really she has, loose ATM cards, loose money, fliers, magazines) in open and overflowing green bags. A handbag wouldn't go anywhere for her. 

 Anyway, the Secret of Simplicity is really self help polished and looking nice. It has sections to fill in, such as "List all the things that make you happy that money can't buy-this is a list of your personal assets". It could be gag worthy, it could be okay. Still on the self help, I wrote an imaginary letter to my mum explaining all the reasons why I prefer to go weeks without talking to her... along the lines of finding it best to spend time with positive affirmations of life, not bile and criticisms and nitpicking. Came to, ahem, 15 pages, suggested how badly it needs repair! Some people I know get along well with their parents, or can talk to them without crying. Lucky.

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