Pajiba

Like you say, dude has a point.

I would say to Bill though, this problem is not just limited to the USA.

Why worship Oprah when Wendy Williams handed out a bottle of hooch, a box of chocolates, and the new Sony PSP? Retina burning TV screen that costs lots of money for more than two people to watch, or some Christmas spirits? Panini press, or non-stop ninja fighting action? Team small but practical gifts.

Unless someone wants to give me a new car with a hatchback or serious storage space. Then all bets are off. I'd act a damn fool on TV to get a car made after 1986 right now.

Apparently, the audience this year was made up of people who had given back to their communities in meaningful ways. So, the audience was deserving.

Besides, Bill is taking it way too seriously. The woman is giving away free shit.

And the spirituality that she seems to support is of the self-help-"Secret"-new-Age type and not the Christian give-of-yourself-and-want-nothing type.

Wow that song at the end of the video was bangin'.

Hmm Bill Maher always gives me a lot to think about. Will be pondering over this video.

Hey. Don't hate the player. Hate the game.

Pookie, you're focusing on the wrong thing. The point of Bill Maher's speech, and Cindy's subsequent post, is that we ('Mericans) focus too much on materialism. Is Oprah great? Yeah, sure. She's the bomb-diggity. But does her yearly best-of and subsequent give-away have anything to do with being a humanitarian and philanthropist? No, it sure doesn't. It has to do with celebrating material goods. Not just celebrating them, going buck-fucking-wild over the prospect of getting a bunch a free shit you don't need. Are those people in the audience maybe strapped for cash? Sure, who isn't? Are they good people who help their fellow man? Maybe. You can't be anymore certain of that than Cindy can be that they're living comfortably. Whatever their financial status, and whoever they are personally, one thing I (and Bill Mahr) know for sure is that not a single one of them need a 3D TV. Redirecting the focus to how great Oprah is doesn't really counter Mahr's argument that rampant materialism is akin to feverish spirituality, if the outward reactions are any indication.

On Bill: smug, self-serving asshole. I like many of his views, but he doesn't like to get called on any of his shit by others. For a comedian, he's got a very small sense of humor.

On Bill's take on Oprah: mostly right. Those shows are mostly masturbatory in nature, for Oprah and for her audience.

I have no doubt that if you went to a poor village in some third world country, and the people had the energy, you would see them going buckwild for the free food.

The fact that we get excited over material things means that we doing just fine. Should we be thankful that we get to eat food everyday? Yes we should. But people in Ethiopia are more thankful then we are because they don't have it as much. So, whats the solution Bill Maher? Should we sacrifice our good lives just so we don't obsess over material things? No, we shouldn't. Stop acting high and mighty because it makes your followers act high and mighty. I can't stand Oprah one bit. But I like the fact that I live in a country where my toughest decision is whether I should buy an LCD or Plasma screen television. That does not mean something is wrong with this country. So because other places in the world are suffering means that we should suffer also? Of course no one NEEDS a 3D TV. But this country allows us to WANT things that we don't need. There is a certain beauty in that idea. Merry Christmas.

"Let's say the audience deserved the items due to some charitable deed. It doesn't mean they need to be crying and wailing over some kitchen tool, or whatever else she gives them."

I agree that the audience reactions were stupid. But I doubt it was just greed. Before all the fun started there was probably a producer telling everyone that the ones shown on TV would be those who showed "real, heartfelt emotion". And you know how people love seeing their pieholes on TV. Also, I imagine a lot of it was just a snowballing effect, if you got the girl on the left and the guy on the right losing their shit, its a lot easier to lose your shit too.

I've only seen Oprah's show once, maybe 10 years ago, but it just happened to be one of her "very special shows."

She gave an all expenses-paid trip for a month to Europe, all major ports of call for two, to a woman who had lost her three children to a murder-suicide by her ex-husband about a year earlier. The woman's friend contacted Oprah,related how her friend's life had been utterly destroyed and Oprah delivered.

I totally lost my shit and sobbed like a baby. Manipulation? Oh yea.

I love me some material goods. Call me shallow. And I'm grateful that someone took on the time-consuming task of sorting thru countless panini presses to find me the best one. Think of all the time I saved, buying, assembling, testing panini presses, only to find the don't meet my stringent requirements for sandwich makers.

God bless her.

And to those people that are bitching about her not helping third world countries, well they hardly have the materials to make a decent panini, do they? Well then what the fuck are they going to do with a panini maker?

Meditate on THAT.

And all my typos managed to make what I said nearly unreadable, I humbly leave good people.

*so*

Yes, the audience this year was made up of deserving volunteers but I believe she also mentioned that some of the people were, " some of my number one fans". I think she can give away what she wants and to whoever but that made me snort with laughter when I heard that. Contrast the people there who are making a difference in the world with the people there who are there because they just hang on everything Oprah says, read what she reads and buy what she says to buy.

This is why I said "those types of decisions", no I am not purchasing a large TV. But most days, my decisions are not about putting food on the table or paying my rent. I'm only just getting by, but I have a stable job, and mediocre health insurance, that was the point.

Here is what the audience got this year:

-A Course in Weight Loss: 21 Spiritual Lessons for Surrendering Your Weight Forever, a book by Marianne Williamson, published by Hay House
-Andre Walker hair care products
-Baker's Edge lasagna and brownie trays with Ghiradelli brownie mix
-Beecher's "World's Best" macaroni and cheese
-Breville panini press from Williams-Sonoma
-Decoded, a book by Jay-Z
-Elfa Customizable Closet System from The Container Store
-A five-year membership to Netflix
-Judith Ripka Eclipse Earrings
-$100 gift card for Kiva
-Kyocera Advanced Ceramic knife 2 piece knife giftset
-Lafco House and Home Collection Candle Set
-Limited edition "25th Anniversary" Oprah watch by Philip Stein
-Ralph Lauren Cashmere Sweater & Cashmere Blanket
-Lululemon relaxed fit pants
-Four pairs of Nike running shoes
-Nikon D3100 digital camera
-7-day cruise on the Allure of the Seas from Royal Caribbean International
-Round-trip flight on United Airlines to and from the cruise
A "25th Anniversary" Oprah shirt
-Sony Bravia 52-inch 3D television and blu-ray player
-The Beginning, an album from The Black Eyed Peas
-Tory Burch "Silver Anniversary" tote bag and flat shoes
-iPad, with Scrabble app
-UGG Australia sparkle boots
-A Coach satchel
-Magaschoni tunic and leggings
-Hope in a Jar moisturizer by Philosophy
-Nordstrom lingerie and $500 Nordstrom gift card
-Prepara Herb Saver Prepara
-Chicken pot pie from Centerville Pie Company
-Garrett Popcorn Shops "Oprah's Favorite Things" tin
-Le Creuset cookware
-Miraclesuit blue jeans
-A jewelry box from Pottery Barn
-Jessica Leigh Diamond earrings from Dana Rebecca Designs
-A gift card for DonorsChoose.org
-Mini croissants from Williams-Sonoma
-Talbott Teas holiday assortment
-The Book of Awakening, a book by Mark Nepo
-Illuminations, an album from Josh Groban
-Let It Be Me, an album from Johnny Mathis
-A 2012 Volkswagen Beetle, due for delivery May 2011

GOD GODTOPUS IN HEAVEN I WOULD SHRIEK AND FLAIL MIGHTILY FOR HER OPRAHIGHNESS IF SHE WOULD BE BESTOW THIS AWESOME SWAG ON TO ME HELLS YEAH MOTHERFUCCKA!!!1!!1

One year the audience was made up of teachers. Since I be a teacher, she good with me.

Can *I

(Eff my grammar nazi-ness.)

Just so you folks know, it has already been said that the swag that Oprah doles out to her audience is not by any means obtained with any of her income. It is given by the companies involved as promotional material. And for the most part, it's no skin off the companies' collective nose to do so. For them it's win-win situation. They get free advertising and publicity that helps promote their merchandise in front of millions of potential buyers and Oprah comes off deified by her audience- St. Oprah; Patron Saint of Shit We Don't Need. It's been proven that any bit that she flashes on her show becomes an instant bestseller. I have no doubt that if she declared the next big thing was steaming horsepucky on a bun, by the next week McDonald's would be rolling out the McShitt and hoards of her fans would be munching on it.

The best trick Winfrey's pulled off was making the act of shilling samples of overpriced garbage look like an act of kindness. If she were truly the giving soul she makes herself out to be, she would forgo this nonsense and take her cameras and her own money to shelters. Show the ignorant masses that are her audiences the real horrors that people go through everyday. And instead of the latest useless baubles, maybe she'd give in the form of food, clothing or even training for people to get the ability to provide from themselves.

You say the members of the audience are teachers? Here's an idea, how about paying their basic utilities for a year since many teachers' salaries are impossible to live on. Why not make a donation to their school district so that they may continue doing good. How the fuck does a food processor a Netfilx membership or a book by Jay-Z change anything?

Oprah Winfrey is a the worst kind of sell-out whore; the kind that pretends to be something other than what she is. As an added insult she actually has the ability to be that great humanitarian and philanthropist she works so hard at merely pretending to be. I don't know which is more insulting, her masquerade or the mass consumption of this shit sandwich millions in her lemming audience do with a smile on their faces.

I watched and then started thinking, “Maybe Bill Maher is not the insufferable asshole I take him to be.” But thanks to these much-wiser-less-gullible-than-I commenters, yeah, maybe Bill Maher is the insufferable asshole I take him to be.

Thank you, Pajiba support group.

Good call on the Oprah part, but Maher's blanket contempt for christians makes me grind my teeth.

You can’t measure materialism nor can you measure a person that is materialistic. Theoretically speaking, anything more than bread and water to survive is being materialistic. Using a computer to debate is being somewhat materialistic, using a computer at home no less is being materialistic. In some parts of the world a glass of orange juice in the morning is a luxury, but to those people that don’t have it they might consider us as being materialistic when a glass of water would do the same job. People lose their shit everyday over the most least important things. A father loses his shit at his daughters wedding, grown men lose their shit when their favorite team wins or lose. Whatever god people pray to when something good or bad happens shouldn’t be ridiculed.

Yes Superasente, by all means lets evaluate materialism relative to American culture. lets all retire to Maher’s 6000 square foot glass house with the two guest cottages and the swimming pools and the batting cages that he uses to work out the stress that he gets from sitting home writing jokes for his three months out of a year TV gig. Let us wait for Maher to walk out onto his marble veranda of his 2 ½ acre Beverly Hills compound and preach to the common folk about the evils of materialism. And once Maher finishes sending out his edicts, he came go back inside and contemplate on his next subject while he waits for his noon meal of sushi to be prepared by his private chef no doubt. And upon completion of his noon meal he can go upstairs and lay on his California king with the one million count Egyptian silk sheets and do some more of that contemplation stuff.

Seriously Superasente, I would have had more respect for Maher if he had done the speech that “Scarface” gave at the restaurant.

I believe in global warming because too many scientist that have studied it say the earth’s temperature is indeed warming. And with 10% unemployment which is really about 17-20% and the unprecedented number of families that are now homeless because of an economic tsunami that hit us I’d say that you might want to rethink greed being rampant. The phrase “Greed is Good” wasn’t coined by some truck driver, it was coined by some fictional character that might as well have been a real life stockbroker. But my problem with Maher and other rich people is that they want to preach the evils of materialism like they’ve been hit by a bolt of enlightenment. When in fact the only bolt they’ve been hit by contains many zeros. It’s so easy for people with money to preach to people that don’t have money. Trust me, the only thing that Maher is upset about is the Oprah beat him to the punch. I’ll make a deal with you Sup, lets not let people with TV shows dictate how we should live. G-String Divas is excluded of course.

I am appalled by Maher's behavior.

Isn't flipping off Oprah inherently racist?

Or at the very least lard-intolerant?

Maher went insane shortly after learning that he couldn't get laid even at the Playboy Mansion.

You go, Oprah!

"Why isn’t Oprah in some third world country giving someone else their favorite things instead of hers?"

Because she is a visionary who realizes that with the United States' debt THIRTEEN TRILLION DOLLARS AND RISING, soon she won't have to leave Chicago to be in a third world country.

I adore Oprah. She proves to those of us gals who are unattractive and untalented that one of our own can soar right to the top.

Hmmm, Maximus did a scathing article on Oprah and for the love of bitchiness I can't remember the word he used to describe her. Anyone remember or know?

It gives me the chills on how much abject devotion people heap on her. I mean, case in point, Esther seems to hint at her apparent need to be a follower at the church of O. @ Esther: Do you find satisfaction in feeding off someone's ego? Her apparent need to be branded as the "kindest person in the world."

Oh Fuck Oprah.....the oddest part was the actual Kato Kaelin sighting in the end party video!