The Remote Island

Oprah Winfrey Cancels Columbine Program

Posted by Jake Kalish

 

Oprah's reasoning for canceling today's ep, which was to mark the 10th anniversary of the Columbine massacre, is very interesting...

Winfrey posted a message Monday morning on her Facebook page, saying that after she reviewed the taped show she decided to pull it because of its focus on the two gunmen.

She urged viewers to keep the Columbine community in their thoughts.

Winfrey said she would air a program about a mother released from prison in place of the Columbine piece. Her company, Harpo Productions, confirmed the announcement.

Huh. You know whoever put this piece together is catching it, and good. Add one or two to the unemployment numbers. Well, we applaud Oprah for not airing anything that doesn't make her completely comfortable, and recognizing that making these massacres about the killers rather than the killed might encourage the Jiverly Wongs of the world. She's a smart lady and this is a good decision, if the piece takes the wrong angle - it's too sensitive and important a topic to not handle correctly. On the other hand, she's got the perfect forum to remember Columbine, and it's a shame she won't be doing a show on the massacre. Also, it's her show, and she's responsible for the stuff on it. Obviously, the way these things go is producers put together a package, host sees it after. But the host directs those producers beforehand, so if stuff doesn't turn out right, ultimately that falls on the big O. Ms. Winfrey pulling a piece from her own show is kind of like when Charles Barkley claimed he was misquoted - in his own autobiography. 

PREVIOUSLY:

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About Jake Kalish

Jake Kalish is the author of Santa vs. Satan: The Official Compendium of Imaginary Fights http://www.amazon.com/Santa-vs-Satan-Compendium-Imaginary/dp/0307406709/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1208807460&sr=8-1

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    Jake Kalish is a freelance journalist and humorist whose work has appeared in Details, Maxim, Stuff, New York Press, Spin, Blender, Men's Fitness, Poets and Writers, and Playboy, among other publications. He is also the author of Santa vs. Satan: The Official Compendium of Imaginary Fights.

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