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Oprah Goes Back In Time In PBS 'Colonial House'
The Kanasas City Channel ^ | May 17, 2004

Posted on 05/18/2004 7:48:54 AM PDT by presidio9

Imagine one of the wealthiest people on Earth living without indoor plumbing.

Granted, she only lasted a few days, but Oprah Winfrey took that challenge. She sat down with KMBC's Kelly Eckerman to talk about what life is like without electricity, running water or modern conveniences of any kind.

Oprah and her friend, Gail, recently stayed in the PBS "Colonial House," where the pair agreed to live as people did 400 years ago.

Eckerman: "Were some people surprised you were anxious to do it?"

Oprah: "I come from a very poor family, so it was like going back in my own time for me. Gail, on the other hand, grew up with a maid and always had indoor plumbing."

There were many unforgettable moments for the television talk-show guru. Oprah seemed to take most tasks in stride, but Gail was another story.

Oprah: "First, you arrive and they make you strip all your underwear because women didn't have underwear in the 16th century. Just one of those facts, I guess I never knew that."

Eckerman: "I never thought about that."

Oprah: "You never think about it. The panties have to come off, bras off."

The chores were another big adjustment for Gail.

Oprah: "We're trying to cook bacon, gasping for air, and Gail says, 'I'd like mine extra crispy.' And I said, 'This is not the Fairmont Hotel, sister.'"

A rodent finally sent the pair packing -- that was where Oprah drew the line.

Oprah: "I'm not going to survive if a rat falls on my face!"

Oprah's said her stay was short, but priceless for "seeing how far we've come as women, as people, and all the people who did so much for us to have this exquisite life that we so often take for granted."

Oprah added that the most revealing thing about her colonial experience -- besides no underwear -- is how hard they had to work. The women, especially, never had a minute to themselves, Oprah said.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: colonialhouse; oprah; oprahspanties; pbs; smallpox
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To: cyborg

I watched it as well and enjoyed it. Very interesting. I'm not sure I could do 4 months with no hot showers, electricity or toilet.


21 posted on 05/18/2004 8:04:30 AM PDT by FeliciaCat (Life is to short for ugly shoes.)
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To: cyborg
No air conditioning would be my undoing. I hate heat and humidity.

On a more serious note, how about no modern medicine? The germ theory of disease was nearly 250 years in the future.

22 posted on 05/18/2004 8:06:07 AM PDT by GunsareOK
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To: GunsareOK

Herbal remedies, country stuff I guess... yeah you're right. A lot of the real colonists died from disease. If nothing else, it makes you appreciate what you have now.


23 posted on 05/18/2004 8:07:34 AM PDT by cyborg
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To: Zack Nguyen
the strict Sabbath-keeping of the Puritans.

Religious observance was ordained by statute.

I'm not trying to be pedantic,but Colonial History is my "thing", they are portraying Pilgrims,ie Plymouth (Plimoth) settlers.

They were not all "Puritans" in the strict sense of the word, they would be more aptly described as "Sepertarists"and not all settlers were there for religious reasons.

Puritans settled Boston,later on and would in time overshadow and absorb the Plimoth colony.

24 posted on 05/18/2004 8:08:25 AM PDT by Redcoat LI
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To: FeliciaCat

I managed for about a week after Hurricane Gloria made a mess of Long Island. But then again I was a kid and thought it was fun. I wonder how long I can go without internet and telephones,etc. now.


25 posted on 05/18/2004 8:09:29 AM PDT by cyborg
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To: cyborg

I wonder if the re-enactors could boil their water (knowing what we know now) since the colonists obviously had cooking fires and pots at the time. I hope they cooked that muskrat well-done too.


26 posted on 05/18/2004 8:10:37 AM PDT by GunsareOK
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To: Zack Nguyen; cyborg

The atheists had a fit about praying on the Sabbath. I'm praying for them, though.


27 posted on 05/18/2004 8:10:39 AM PDT by stainlessbanner
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To: cyborg
How hard it was for a colonial wife back then and the non stop work. Bizarre. People today couldn't begin to work like these people, and NO INTERNET. I'd be dead.

It's probably a cake walk compared to what the people in "Frontier House" had to put up with.

28 posted on 05/18/2004 8:10:40 AM PDT by dfwgator (It's sad that the news media treats Michael Jackson better than our military.)
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To: dfwgator

Damn I got my shows mixed up then. The one I saw had to be Frontier House because the lady was sewing a US flag.


29 posted on 05/18/2004 8:13:41 AM PDT by cyborg
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To: cyborg; Redcoat LI

Checking out the website, I noticed that there are several people profiled who were not on the show last night. I'm guessing that the Wyers family will not be returning and they are replacements on future episodes. Obviously they went through a terrible tragedy, so I can understand that, but aside from Amy-Kristina, Bethany (not Brittany -why do I look at a hot chick and think of that name all the time) and her younger sister Amy were the only attractive women on the show. It will be much less entertaining without them.


30 posted on 05/18/2004 8:16:45 AM PDT by presidio9 (Islam is as Islam does)
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To: presidio9

"Oprah Goes Back In Time...."

Rule #1:

If you're Going Back to the Future and you meet someone like Oprah Going Back in Time --- it's best to avoid eye contact!


31 posted on 05/18/2004 8:17:55 AM PDT by TRY ONE (NUKE the unborn gay whales!)
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To: presidio9

I watched the first show last evening and was very disapointed that they spent so much time being politicaly correct. My wife and I have reencated the middle 18th century for many years now and felt they did a poor job of selecting people and then preparing them for this experience. Alas, I'm afraid that had we lived back then, my wife would have been burned as she is very much a 21st century woman.


32 posted on 05/18/2004 8:19:13 AM PDT by Big Mack (I didn't claw my way to the top of the food chain TO EAT VEGETABLES!)
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To: presidio9

One of those serving wenches wasn't that bad looking.

There's nothing hotter than a chick in a corset(Oprah excluded)


33 posted on 05/18/2004 8:20:03 AM PDT by Redcoat LI
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To: Redcoat LI
One of those serving wenches wasn't that bad looking.

This is who is left:


Julia


Michelle


Amy-Kristina

34 posted on 05/18/2004 8:23:40 AM PDT by presidio9 (Islam is as Islam does)
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To: presidio9
Yeah, I'm sure the men spent all the time at the Colonial spa.
35 posted on 05/18/2004 8:26:08 AM PDT by atomicpossum (Hey, I wouldn't touch Camryn Manheim's uterus on a bet.)
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To: cyborg

Yes, PBS had "Frontier House" on a few years ago. The show was somewhat of a fraud. PBS wouldn't let the families use guns on the show to kill animals for food. The father of one of the families complained about this, but it was suppressed by PBS. Never underestimate the ability of PBS to present the bias of left wing views in everything they do.


36 posted on 05/18/2004 8:26:28 AM PDT by Ronaldus Magnus Reagan
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To: GunsareOK

Oprah would have welcomed sharing a cabin with rats if a hundred Indians were shooting arrows at her big, fat ass. I caught some of the show and thought it was almost as good as 'Amos & Andy'.


37 posted on 05/18/2004 8:27:43 AM PDT by johnny7
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To: presidio9

I found it interesting that when the conservative was in charge, they had some direction as a community; but once the liberal took over, the commuity was lost, b/c they spent so much time on how everyone felt (especially the women and their work).

I also found it interesting that the liberal professor was afraid to confront the women about the days-off issue.


38 posted on 05/18/2004 8:28:43 AM PDT by Aggie Mama
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To: Ronaldus Magnus Reagan

They did show the slaughtering of the pig which I found suprising.


39 posted on 05/18/2004 8:28:57 AM PDT by cyborg
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To: presidio9

This one.

40 posted on 05/18/2004 8:28:58 AM PDT by Redcoat LI
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