Over the last month, I actually started watching Oprah's The Big Give.
My opinions on Oprah have not really changed over the years - she's an ambitious person who I can respect for her tenacity and drive, who has contributed to society nationally and internationally in a mostly positive way and who, at the very least, should be given some sort of kudos.
I just don't like her. Her show tends to be her and her celebrity friends ta ha ha-ing about all the times they were hanging out in fabulous places, too fabulous for her audience to ever dream of going there once. Then, she introduced Dr. Phil, who is just simply an advertisement for the obvious and a sad state of affairs if he is considered an 'expert' on helping people.
For me, it's mostly her book club, although I have to give her credit for getting people reading. It was more the pretending to not profit from the books. I suppose you don't count having to sign movie rights over to her company as profit. Cause that was the deal. I don't mind that she did that - I mind that she didn't DISCLOSE it.
But I'm getting sidetracked. The first episode of The Big Give I watched really got to me. It was the simplicity of people just helping other people, the idea that by watching average people on TV give, you suddenly will become inspired to do that.
And so I had to add one more thing to the list of kudos to Oprah (or perhaps the ingenious people that work for her) for this show. This show could really have a ripple effect - change people's lives for the better, one person at a time.
So, yes, I'm a fan of The Big Give and all that it has helped to do.
But I am still torn after reading this article in the Toronto Star.
It makes some good points about the differences between the U.S. and Canada - something us Canadians are always trying to define.
For me, the verdict is still out about the show. Changing the world can happen just one person at a time. And maybe it can effect the big picture, even if not immediately.
There's something to be said for empathy and the way The Big Give teaches it to us.
We're all concerned about the environment now. Isn't it also time we became concerned about our next door neighbours?
My opinions on Oprah have not really changed over the years - she's an ambitious person who I can respect for her tenacity and drive, who has contributed to society nationally and internationally in a mostly positive way and who, at the very least, should be given some sort of kudos.
I just don't like her. Her show tends to be her and her celebrity friends ta ha ha-ing about all the times they were hanging out in fabulous places, too fabulous for her audience to ever dream of going there once. Then, she introduced Dr. Phil, who is just simply an advertisement for the obvious and a sad state of affairs if he is considered an 'expert' on helping people.
For me, it's mostly her book club, although I have to give her credit for getting people reading. It was more the pretending to not profit from the books. I suppose you don't count having to sign movie rights over to her company as profit. Cause that was the deal. I don't mind that she did that - I mind that she didn't DISCLOSE it.
But I'm getting sidetracked. The first episode of The Big Give I watched really got to me. It was the simplicity of people just helping other people, the idea that by watching average people on TV give, you suddenly will become inspired to do that.
And so I had to add one more thing to the list of kudos to Oprah (or perhaps the ingenious people that work for her) for this show. This show could really have a ripple effect - change people's lives for the better, one person at a time.
So, yes, I'm a fan of The Big Give and all that it has helped to do.
But I am still torn after reading this article in the Toronto Star.
It makes some good points about the differences between the U.S. and Canada - something us Canadians are always trying to define.
For me, the verdict is still out about the show. Changing the world can happen just one person at a time. And maybe it can effect the big picture, even if not immediately.
There's something to be said for empathy and the way The Big Give teaches it to us.
We're all concerned about the environment now. Isn't it also time we became concerned about our next door neighbours?
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