Do Oprah's producers lie to audiences and guests to make political points? Pat Gowens, a one-time guest on "Oprah" recounts her experience. "Oprah reinforces the US war on the poor and unequivocally supports white male supremacy."
The original article, by Tim Wise, to which Ms. Gowens is responding, appeared in the October 25 edition of Black Agenda Report.
Ignoring and minimizing racism is only one reason the billionaire media enriches Oprah and allows her a voice. Oprah has risen to fame and wealth because she reinforces the US war on the poor and unequivocally supports white male supremacy. Oprah's focus on psychobabble self-help perpetuates bootstrap myths and the deadly US blame-the-victim ideology. Her routine attacks on moms who receive welfare child support are classic divide-and-conquer tactics to further empower wealthy Euro-American rulers. Her body-size obsession disempowers and distracts women from real issues, while making billions for "self-improvement" businesses.
When Welfare Warriors, a Milwaukee group of activist moms in poverty were invited to appear on Oprah, we accepted the invitation despite our anger at Oprah's betrayal of African American moms in poverty and her frequent attacks on all moms who receive welfare. Her contempt for impoverished mothers actually increased Welfare Warriors' membership when African American moms joined specifically to picket Oprah. (A typical Oprah assault on a welfare mom in her audience: "But you sit home with your feet up collecting that monthly check.")
"Her body-size obsession disempowers and distracts women from real issues."
Unfortunately, instead of picketing Oprah, we agreed to appear on her show to discuss the problems associated with welfare deform. And we provided Oprah with names of moms across the US who were willing to speak to this issue. Oprah sent a limousine to Milwaukee to pick up four Welfare Warriors the day before the show. They wined and dined us until we got into the green room the next day. Then we learned that only one Mother Warrior would be allowed to speak. The producer assured me I would be miked in the audience in an "anchor position." They didn't want me on stage because I was "too articulate" and not currently on welfare.
For 30 minutes before the show, Oprah's cheerleader worked the audience into a frenzy of hatred against moms on welfare. When the show started, Welfare Warriors member Linda, an Italian American mom with 3 children, was sandwiched between two women who attacked and pitied her. The African American mom on her right claimed to have overcome her "sick dependence on welfare" and bragged about cheating on welfare and allegedly living like a queen. The white woman on her left was not a mom but had once received foodstamps. Both women aggressively condemned Linda for receiving welfare. Throughout the show Oprah alternated between attacking Linda and allowing panel and audience members to attack her. Poor Linda had been prepared to discuss the economic realities of motherwork, the failures of both the US workforce and the child support system, and the Welfare Warriors' mission to create a Government Guaranteed Child Support program (Family Allowance) like those in Europe. But instead Linda was forced to defend her entire life, while Oprah repeatedly demanded "How long have you been on welfare?"
"Oprah's cheerleader worked the audience into a frenzy of hatred against moms on welfare."
Like a fool I stood in the audience with a mike (turned off) around my neck. Oprah only approached me after audience people insisted that she allow me to speak. She stuck the mike in my face and I began to describe how welfare reform was endangering children and impoverishing families. After about 30 seconds, Oprah cut me off, "But this woman says she wants to work" as she turned away to another woman in the audience. (And my one sentence was edited out of the show when it aired!)
Later we complained to Oprah and her producer about the false promises they had used to lure us onto the show. (We had engaged in extensive negotiations prior to agreeing to appear. We only said yes after they agreed that we would discuss welfare deform, not our personal lives.) The producer shoved an Oprah cup (our pay) into our hands and pushed us out the door, angrily denying their treachery.
The limousine ride home was a sad and silent one. No wining and dining this time - Oprah was done with us - just an empty limousine. Linda was crying and in shock; she said she felt like she had been raped. But the worst part came later.
By the time we arrive home, we had received calls from moms on both coasts. They called to warn us about the promos that Oprah was using to advertise her show, during the 24 hours leading up to it: "THEY CALL THEMSELVES WELFARE WARRIORS AND THEY REFUSE TO WORK. SEE OPRAH AT 4."
This ugly slander was not only destructive to our group, it was ironic. We had sent the producer our mission statement, flyers and publications. This literature addresses the difficulty for single moms to survive on either work alone or welfare alone. Thus our mission emphasizes the need to change the system to allow combining both sources of income or simply providing all children with guaranteed income, which would not reduce a parent's work income. (This is similar to Social Security Survivors Benefits.)
"Oprah had knowingly, intentionally, and repeatedly lied about Welfare Warriors in her promos."
We approached lawyers to sue Oprah for slander because she had knowingly, intentionally, and repeatedly lied about Welfare Warriors in her promos. The attorneys would not take the case because they believed that, as welfare moms, we were at the bottom of the barrel and could not be any further reduced by Oprah's repeated nationwide slander!
Did we ever return to picket Oprah? Not yet!
Mother Warriors Voice is a 20 year old, international quarterly news journal reporting on world news from an activist, mothers-in-poverty, perspective. Subscribe for $15 individuals, $25 Organizations and overseas, $5 victims of poverty. Send to 2711 W. Michigan, Milwaukee, WI 53208 414-342-6662. SUPPORT THE PEOPLE'S PRESS. Mother Warriors Voice is published by Welfare Warriors. Web: welfarewarriors.org.
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