The Man Who Conned Oprah--(Author scams Oprah and millions of women)

Smoking Gun ^ | 01/08/06 | smoking gun

[reagan_fanatic]

I'm happy to say I never saw her show and don't plan on changing that.

I admit that I did try to watch it once when I was home sick and channel-surfing. The putrid combination of hand-wringing, tear-jerking, you-must-reach-out-and-touch-your-feminine-side clap-trap will cause you to either retch uncontrollably or throw on your housecoat and run out to buy a copy of Steel Magnolias.

I thought the retching would be less painful.

[gridlock]

Anybody who believes the stories of an addict who does not accept the principles of AA has only himself to blame. Frankly I cannot see what all the fuss is about with this guy, even if all the stories were true. But they are obviously self-aggrandizing bullsh!t. How anybody could read five pages and not figure that out is beyond my understanding.

[goodnesswins]

Uh....Dr. Phil is a "con artist" from what I understand....

[subterfuge]

"Just so you know there are women who can smell BS and I'm one of them. I had Klintoon pegged from the very first time I saw him and STILL can't stand to look at him."

Put my wife in the same group. She knew Clinton was a liar before FR was a gleem in Jim Robisnson's eye. She'll catch me too, if I try to BS.

[RobFromGa]

I have seen for myself the way this book got my son and his "crew" thinking about their partying - and they're the "good kids"...wonder what they'll think now.

Hopefully they will still recognize that alcohol and drugs can be very dangerous. And that people who abuse them are not perfect people. The story Frey tells is still tame compared to what I have heard at some AA meetings.

[lawgirl]

This reminds me of the Rathergate memos- forged but true. LOL!

Also, I cannot understand why Oprah always picks such depressing books. Ugh!

[yankeedame]

Oprah must be pissed!!!!

Ah, but that clever cookie will end up turning this to her advantage, just wait and see.

[SuziQ]

I'm proud to say I've NEVER watched an Oprah show.

[goodnesswins]

"depressing books"......have you noticed that these are the books that USUALLY win all the awards? I guess it makes the people who give the awards "feel" so glad there lives are better! That's all I can figure out.

[AD from SpringBay]

How about someone who went through life sober and out of jail?

I thought I was the only person in the world who ever had that thought. That's an excellent question - why can't we have roll models who do the right thing their entire lives? How come the dreck that overcomes gets our 'romantic notions' all a churn? I wouldn't cross the street to hear some of these stories - or buy a ticket to a movie that shows them, but some guy supposedly actually did it, so it's supposed to be worth the time of day.

[texas_mrs]

Exactly. Not someone I would have in my home even BEFORE the drugs became part of his life. So - no more chances from me. His dad says he must go straight to a live-in facility. I agree.

[Junior]

Evidently fiction is stranger than truth.

[kemathen7]

I read the book and didn't know it was a memoir until a few weeks after I read it (in fact, I had no idea it was an Oprah book). I thought it was fiction. That said, I enjoyed the book. I like how he used language to tell a story.

Now that I know its supposed to "non-fiction", I can't believe that many people really believed his story.

[subterfuge]

Sure are a lot of liars around being caught lately.

The Japanese guy who lied about his research, now this.

I would posit that if not for his endorsement by OpRAH, he would have never been caught. WAY TO GO OPRAH!!

In my best Howard Dean impression: Eeeeeiiiaaaaaaaaaghhhhh!!!

[goodnesswins]

YOUR husband (and you) are being SMART......

[Rembrandt_fan]

This is the first time I've heard of the guy. Guess I should watch Oprah at least once to stay up on these kinds of current events. As a recovering drunk and addict and former criminal (lowercase 'c'), I never considered writing anything about the life I once led, even though I'm a published fiction writer. Cashing in on old pain holds no appeal. His eagerness to do so should've tipped off the publishing house right away; it doesn't ring true. Another thing: I haven't read Frey's book, but from what I gathered, God doesn't make an appearance in it anywhere--no need for a Higher Power for this guy. So the central theme is one of redemption without faith, hence its appeal to the Oprah crowd. Yet another thing: one can't stay sober and clean and be dishonest. Doesn't happen.

[dead]

I read the book too. It was given to me as a gift, so I never noticed how it was marketed. I found it a very interesting read, and found his use of language very original and unique.

I didn't give it alot of thought, but I just assumed it was a fictionalized account of his rehab. The whole style was sort of impressionistic and emotional. His relationship with Leonard was like something out of a crackhead Horatio Alger story, for example.

I guess I wasn't reading for historical accuracy and couldn't care less how much of it was imbellished or invented.

The marketing of the book, and the author's interviews, were dishonest, but the book itself was very well done. And nobody's getting their money back.

[lemura]

They (women) can't smell BS.

Sure they can - it emits a very powerful odor to which they are drawn like catnip. Just evolution in action - women are queued to respond to wide range of emotions and group dynamics. No big deal, really; marketers target these characteristics in the same exact way as they use sexual imagery for males.

What I can't figure out is why the SG thinks this should be a topic of some breathless expose'. The media world is full of non-fiction books/movies that are fictional and fictional books/movies that are actually non-fiction (to avoid defamation, etc).

[SquirrelKing]

Two more authors wanted for questioning:

[LadyBuzz]

I was unfortunate enough to have a C-section without anesthesia.... a root canal sounds like a picnic