Oprah

[Betty P]

While I agree with your comment Betty, I would add that it is all leaders, of all industries and sectors, political leaders, community leaders etc, who ALL need to say enough is enough and bring about real change that reduces sexual assault and domestic violence and seek to change people's behaviours and their attitudes towards these issues that affect way too many people of all ages.

I agree, everyone needs to address the issue, but the entertainment industry seems to have a stronger history of child abuse. From the beginning, it attracts children and parents to the profession. Its the only one I can think of where children are workers in an environment controlled by adults. The stories of child sexual abuse in the entertainment industry are legion, shocking,horrific. It's a unique environment, unlike any other workplace and there are very few standards in place to protect kids.

Some of the abusers like Kevin Spacey and Bryan Singer have been temporarily flushed from the system, but there are many more still working in the business. Many former child actors have begun to talk about the problem and they need support and encouragement. Some of their stories point to very well known directors, producers, etc.

I'm not sure how other businesses can help with this problem unless they encourage advertising boycotts. Yes, government can and should do more to stop it. Is anyone aware of another profession where many children work routinely with adults, with little or no supervision? Other than the education system, where there is a lot of oversight, I can't think of any.

 

[yurena]

I'm a lifelong Democrat and I would not support her or any other celebrity. I don't know of many fellow Dems who would. Celebrity candidates rarely work out well and we do ourselves a great disservice as a country when we trivialize the office of POTUS. I used to think " oh well, whatever it takes to get someone elected", but no more. I'll still stick with Bernie.

Amen to that Betty P.

Much as I admire Oprah for what she has become after the rough childhood and hardship she had to endure, running for president of a political party or even aiming much higher, running for POTUS should not be treated as a publicity stunt because it is not.

Oprah, like thousands of celebrities, does not have a clue about economics, law, implementing changes to improve social justice etc, etc... Please leave politics for the professionals. It is a profession after all and one for which a lot of people spend years and years of study to prepare. I also think that someone running for POTUS should at the very least have work experience in public sector, private sector and the third sector and speak minimum one foreign language.

Let's get serious please. The demands and the skills needed to run a country are not something everybody has and we have a clear example nowadays.

Edited: Being a Canary Islander all I know about American politics is theory -my first degree was in Politics with German- and not practice but I do appreciate Bernie Sanders as well and wish he was given a chance. Plenty of good ideas to improve essential issues such as health care, economy and immigration for what I have listened to on his speeches.

 

[Betty P]

Amen to that Betty P.

Much as I admire Oprah for what she has become after the rough childhood and hardship she had to endure, running for president of a political party or even aiming much higher, running for POTUS should not be treated as a publicity stunt because it is not.

Oprah, like thousands of celebrities, does not have a clue about economics, law, implementing changes to improve social justice etc, etc... Please leave politics for the professionals. It is a profession after all and one for which a lot of people spend years and years of study to prepare. I also think that someone running for POTUS should at the very least have work experience in public sector, private sector and the third sector and speak minimum one foreign language.

Let's get serious please. The demands and the skills needed to run a country are not something everybody has and we have a clear example nowadays.

Edited: Being a Canary Islander all I know about American politics is theory -my first degree was in Politics with German- and not practice but I do appreciate Bernie Sanders as well and wish he was given a chance. Plenty of good ideas to improve essential issues such as health care, economy and immigration for what I have listened to on his speeches.

Thanks! I think a lot of voters are coming to that realization. Foreign policy is especially difficult, not something you can learn overnight and it carries huge responsibilities. Maybe celebs are ok in Congressional seats, if that's what people living in a particular district want. There have been a few cases where celebs served well in Congress, but most were in over their heads. It's a very complex, difficult job. Does anyone know where Oprah lives & votes? Illinois or California? IDK. Perhaps the people in that district should support her running there or for one of Cali's senate seats.

 

[grammieto5]

So I’ve been thinking as powerful as Oprah is and considering her own childhood, maybe just maybe she will be the one to force Hollywood celebrities to acknowledge child abuse/rape. That lady does have power; as rosemadderlake stated earlier, Oprah did get America reading with her book club. I would also like to acknowledge what Mrs. Barbara Bush did 25 years ago for Literacy. But Oprah for President, I think she would have more power just being who she is.

 

[Spellbound]

So I’ve been thinking as powerful as Oprah is and considering her own childhood, maybe just maybe she will be the one to force Hollywood celebrities to acknowledge child abuse/rape. That lady does have power; as rosemadderlake stated earlier, Oprah did get America reading with her book club. I would also like to acknowledge what Mrs. Barbara Bush did 25 years ago for Literacy. But Oprah for President, I think she would have more power just being who she is.

Oprah was raped as a child (under 10, I believe), was pregnant at 14 (and the baby was born early and died within a few weeks). She would be a good spokeswoman for sexual abuse, particularly against children.

As for president ... I do think she could do the job but I also believe the candidates should have had prior experience with political positions.

maybe we need to remake the rules for qualifications of candidates?

Interesting read on her life: https://www.thoughtco.com/childhood-biography-of-oprah-winfrey-2535832

 

[Spellbound]

Her friend, Gayle King, doesn’t seem to think Oprah would run, though she did not say definitively no. Over the years, she has been asked about a possible desire to run and she has said no:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...hing-you-need-to-know/?utm_term=.c7c1420dd999

 

[Betty P]

Oprah was raped as a child (under 10, I believe), was pregnant at 14 (and the baby was born early and died within a few weeks). She would be a good spokeswoman for sexual abuse, particularly against children.

As for president ... I do think she could do the job but I also believe the candidates should have had prior experience with political positions.

maybe we need to remake the rules for qualifications of candidates?

Interesting read on her life: https://www.thoughtco.com/childhood-biography-of-oprah-winfrey-2535832

It would be great if she could get Hollywood and the entertainment industry in general to focus on sexual abuse of minors. That's really her area of expertise and influence.

As for Oprah or any celebrity, no, they're not qualified to be president. We serve ourselves best as citizens when we understand the complexity and difficulty of performing that job.

No more "on the job training", for US presidents, thanks. We've had too much of that over the last 20 years and it's not worked well for us. It puts us in the position of having unelected, unknown "advisors" running the government. There's no way a person who hasn't served in elected office for some time can quickly learn such a complex job whose skill set lies outside of most non-government careers.

Running a political campaign is not at all like running the executive branch of the federal government. Democracy is hard, as they say. As someone who has been politically active for 30+ years, worked on campaigns and engaged in legislative advocacy - just please don't go there with the celebrity + politics. Government is not reality TV and it's not a corporation. It's wrong and irresponsible. Do the hard, boring work and learn how your government works, study the issues and candidates who are qualified. There are actually quite a few very good, qualified people who could and should run for POTUS. Mostly they don't because it's become so expensive (most POTUS campaigns cost around $1 BILLION now).

 

[Jealoushe]

Oprah is CLOSE friends with Harvey Weinstein. As in, she knew what he did and helped shuffle women his way who wanted career gains. She spent a lot of time with him. She used her show as a platform for celebrities to promote their careers and ridiculous fake relationships. Including celebs who are known abusers. She is part of the problem, not the solution. I can not believe how many people think celebrities are hollier than thou. The media and the entertainment industry is the fakest thing out there.

Oprah is not going to be the one to the systematic abuse of children in Hollywood or the world, she is part of the cycle.

 

[Betty P]

Oprah is CLOSE friends with Harvey Weinstein. As in, she knew what he did and helped shuffle women his way who wanted career gains. She spent a lot of time with him. She used her show as a platform for celebrities to promote their careers and ridiculous fake relationships. Including celebs who are known abusers. She is part of the problem, not the solution. I can not believe how many people think celebrities are hollier than thou. The media and the entertainment industry is the fakest thing out there.

Oprah is not going to be the one to the systematic abuse of children in Hollywood or the world, she is part of the cycle.

If so, then someone else needs to step up and take on the problem. The chronic abuse of women and children should not be exploited for any side's political purpose. IMO, that's blasphemy.

LE needs to get involved. Local politicians (without grandstanding) should consider holding hearings and backing an investigation into the abusive practices. They should be providing a safe haven (Grand Jury?) for victims to come forward, share the information they have and allow investigators to look into the allegations and suspects.

On the outside, industry should set up expert committees with unbiased members who have no conflicts of interest to review policies and practices for oversight. SAG and others are supposed to be doing this, but apparently, whatever safeguards they have in place are not working. They need something tougher.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Thanks! I think a lot of voters are coming to that realization. Foreign policy is especially difficult, not something you can learn overnight and it carries huge responsibilities. Maybe celebs are ok in Congressional seats, if that's what people living in a particular district want. There have been a few cases where celebs served well in Congress, but most were in over their heads. It's a very complex, difficult job. Does anyone know where Oprah lives & votes? Illinois or California? IDK. Perhaps the people in that district should support her running there or for one of Cali's senate seats.

This article details Oprah's various residences: http://www.eonline.com/news/788839/...rom-chicago-to-maui-and-everywhere-in-between

While I don't know for certain, I suspect that Oprah would vote in Illinois that has been her primary home for many years. Additionally, Oprah owns a home on the Caribbean island of Grenada. Not sure about other properties outside the U.S.

 

[rosemadderlake]

Oprah is CLOSE friends with Harvey Weinstein. As in, she knew what he did and helped shuffle women his way who wanted career gains. She spent a lot of time with him. She used her show as a platform for celebrities to promote their careers and ridiculous fake relationships. Including celebs who are known abusers. She is part of the problem, not the solution. I can not believe how many people think celebrities are hollier than thou. The media and the entertainment industry is the fakest thing out there.

Oprah is not going to be the one to the systematic abuse of children in Hollywood or the world, she is part of the cycle.

Is there a link for that?

Good lord, a woman makes a soaring speech about her experience as it verifiably relates to history, her history, and our current events...

I can't think of anything more relevant, more now, more searching for further thought.

And now, she is accused of being part of the problem???

Ohhhh.... Back it up, provide links for this crap accusation. A part of the cycle? Really? In what universe?

 

[rosemadderlake]

Oh please, is this about which corrupt funding supports which corrupt party?

Really?

 

[JerseyGirl]

Is there a link for that?

Good lord, a woman makes a soaring speech about her experience as it verifiably relates to history, her history, and our current events...

I can't think of anything more relevant, more now, more searching for further thought.

And now, she is accused of being part of the problem???

Ohhhh.... Back it up, provide links for this crap accusation. A part of the cycle? Really? In what universe?

here? http://dailycaller.com/2018/01/08/oprahs-has-a-history-with-harvey-weinstein-photos/

 

[rosemadderlake]

Oprah dosen't need backing... That's why she was able to tilt the axis of our planet with her speech.

 

[rosemadderlake]

here? http://dailycaller.com/2018/01/08/oprahs-has-a-history-with-harvey-weinstein-photos/

Oh please, congratulation hugs at past film parties? Are you kidding? Show me any alliance worth talking about and you may have a point, or a story..

 

[rosemadderlake]

Please, people, forget the politics, Oprah tied a bow around history at the Golden Globes. She didn't make it about politics she made it about history as it is relevant to today.

The take away is so many are yearning for peace, for inclusion, for safety, for a woman for answers that Oprah has been drafted into the discussion... Because we love and respect her. And she delivered at the GG.

I see a woman, who at sixty something has come into some amazing wisdom that is reverbating around the world.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Oh please, congratulation hugs at past film parties? Are you kidding? Show me any alliance worth talking about and you may have a point, or a story..

Well, there was also and article. But if you need another here's one, this time from November 2017:

Actress: Weinstein used Oprah and Naomi to seduce me

https://pagesix.com/2017/11/28/actress-harvey-used-oprah-and-naomi-to-seduce-me/

 

[Betty P]

Oprah dosen't need backing... That's why she was able to tilt the axis of our planet with her speech.

We don't need any more unqualified, inexperienced candidates whose primary qualification is that they can buy their own billion dollar campaign to get in office. We've already had enough of that in the last 20 years.

No. I don't need any more millionaires or billionaires cutting my Social Security and Medicare.

Oprah sounded great to some people because she read a speech someone had written on national television during prime time. She was acting. That's it. Acting. Why oh why do some voters (and yes, you're in the minority) think that good acting skills are a qualification to hold the most powerful public office in the world?

It's become such a problem that in recent years, POTUS candidates travel to Hollywood (or have advisors come to them) to teach them acting skills. There are actually intensive, weeks long classes they take. Just no. This has to stop.

 

[rosemadderlake]

Well, there was also and article. But if you need another here's one:

Actress: Weinstein used Oprah and Naomi to seduce me


https://pagesix.com/2017/11/28/actress-harvey-used-oprah-and-naomi-to-seduce-me/

Omg, And the unsubstantiated page six point?
That it somehow discredits a powerhouse speech? Really?

 

[JerseyGirl]

Omg, And the unsubstantiated page six point?
That it somehow discredits a powerhouse speech? Really?

Are you discounting this woman's own words as well as her attorney's?