Interesting take on midlife today (Feb. 29th, 2008) on Oprah. The strangest part for me is that it took her this long to do a show about it. I found the whole thing just a bit pathologically optimistic!
You’ll be relieved to know that she and her guest Marianne Williamson have decided that there is no such thing as a midlife crisis, only a midlife “process.”
Well listen, you may have had a midlife process, but mine was most certainly a CRISIS! Hate to burst your idealistic bubble, but most of us aren’t millionaires, Oprah. In fact many of us are losing our homes right now. Check out the new data on midlife depression and suicide. The news ain’t good!
Yes, I know, we just aren’t being optimistic enough. She even had the nerve to shame one audience member for telling her truth about her health problems brought on by aging. You can “re-frame” your perspective as much as you like, Oprah, but when your life sucks, it sucks.
Then the examples she gave of individuals who supposedly experienced a midlife “process,” were people like a university president who decided to learn some martial arts, or a Wall Street investment banker turned chocolatier, you know, regular folks just like you and me. Where does this woman live? In a billion dollar bubble???
I would like to challenge Oprah to do a show about us poor white folks, and how difficult midlife change can be without a million dollar safety net. She seems to be losing contact with reality… just like our president!
February 29, 2008 at 5:52 pm
I agree with most of your comments about Oprah and her midlife show. Unfortunately I didn’t watch the show (I guess I didn’t realize that was the topic or I would have recorded it, oh well), so I can only go on what you say.
I agree for the most part, she does live in a Billionaire Bubble, but to be honest….do you really, truly expect her to know or empathize with all of us on a different playing field? She couldn’t possibly with sincerity empathize or know the middle class or lower classes plight. That just isn’t where she is. She gave examples, according to you, of people who are relateable to her and her associates. Can you blame her???
I do hear your cry for some understanding from someone who is “reporting” on midlife to be more realistic and I do agree with you very much. It would have been nice for her to paint a more realistic picture of the majority rather than the elite.
I also feel that her “process” is a nice word to use, but doesn’t always apply to the majority. It could be a process if the only thing we had to “process” was just “who am I” and “hmmmmm….what would I like to do with my life now”, if we just had the time, money, ability to sit and reflect that would be nice and I could see that midlife could then be coined a “process”, but as you know and stated…most of us don’t have that luxary and it isn’t a process when a spouse cheats on you, you go through depression, you loose your home, your children are gone or almost and you are left with “nothing”, your credit is ruined from divorce, etc.
So, although I enjoy Oprah’s optimistic outlook on life, I would have to agree with you for the most part that she just doesn’t have all the facts. I would challenge you to get in touch with her and share your story and see what becomes of it. Oprah isn’t perfect and optimism never really hurt anyone…so let’s just take the good and throw out what doesn’t work for us…….but I still challenge you to be a revelation! Take Care
March 9, 2008 at 5:30 pm
Hi Laura Lee
I saw this episode as well and shared many of your feelings. I love Oprah, really I do (okay, I find her fairly entertaining but a frequently off putting) but sometimes it’s hard (okay, impossible) to live up to her expectations in the real world.
This particular episode caused me to pen a tongue-in-cheek letter to the Diviine Ms. O and post it on her website. (Still waiting for her reply - she’s awfully busy, you know.)
I’ve got a copy of it on my webiste if you’re curious.
http://www.thebestkeptsecret.ca/Articles.aspx?ArtID=206
Keep up the great work!