by Christine Merser
Let me get you up to date. Madison Square Garden. Horrendous humans saying horrendous things about other humans, none of them white. It was a replay of a Madison Square Garden rally held in 1939 by the KKK; not our finest hour.
One of the speakers? Dr. Phil. Made and merchandised by Oprah Winfrey, who he helped when she was in Texas being tried for something or other by the beef industry.
Dr. Phil’s remarks focused on what he described as America's foundations of "hard work and individual responsibility." He emphasized that "the American way" has been mischaracterized by what he views as a push for "entitlement" and "victim mentality." Dr. Phil also commented on cancel culture, suggesting that Trump supporters are frequently silenced and marginalized for their views. It was bad. No other way around it.
The outrage today around him being there? Yes, people attacked him for what he said and for being there, but from what I saw, there was more accusatory finger-pointing at Oprah for bringing him to our living rooms, than making him accountable for his actions.
“Oprah, girl, you owe the world an explanation for Dr. Phil.”
Seriously? When did we stop holding ourselves accountable for our opinions? I guess this could be called a teaching moment?
Oprah interviewed more than 39,000 people during her show, which lasted decades. I watched many of them. I learned a lot from what I watched and her hard work. Actually, now that I think about it, the things Oprah presented to me shaped me more than four years at the University of Nebraska. Yup. But, I did not agree with all of who she brought on. Neither did she. When it moved me, I dug deeper to see if I was in, or not.
It comes down to two things, which are exactly what got us into the mighty mess leading to the possible fall of democracy next week.
Influence versus Choice
It’s crucial to recognize the nuanced interplay between individual choice and influence. Oprah undeniably introduced these personalities to her posse, but her influence doesn’t absolve me of my responsibility for who I choose to follow and believe.
I have seen figures like Oprah, Dr. Phil, and Dr. Oz as influential, but influence is not synonymous with control. My responsibility lies in critically examining the information we receive, consulting additional sources, and being aware of confirmation biases. For example, countless studies show that people tend to accept opinions that confirm their own views. Recognizing this tendency, I should be more cautious in taking expert advice at face value and instead ask whether it holds up under scrutiny.
This is true for this moment in time in history. For so much more than Oprah. For every single thing I believe and pass to others.
I have never spoken to Oprah, but I do not believe—and would bet my Apple shares on the fact—that Oprah didn’t intend for me to substitute her interviewees’ (and, in many cases, her own) perspectives for my own critical thinking. As consumers of information, we all have a duty to assess the merits of advice before we let it impact our lives.
Oprah gave her guests a voice, but it’s up to us to decide if their messages are worth our belief.
And lest you think that this isn’t about gender, or possibly even racism, I do not hear anyone—not one person—blaming Mark Burnett, who was the producer and host of The Apprentice, for Trump’s presence in my life or at that rally. He legitimized Trump to his base.
Action Item: Take responsibility for our role in recognizing what is in front of us, what we click on, and what we believe.