Oprah, I’ve Got A Bone To Pick.
Oh, Oprah, you had an amazing opportunity to do a show on diabetes. It could have been well-researched, with experts in endocrinology providing accurate information and dispelling the many myths that are floating around. You could have had CDEs and representatives of ALL types of diabetes.
Instead, you chose to have (your fellow cash cow) buddy, Dr. Oz, confront a room full of overweight, Type 2 diabetics, telling them that their lifestyle is to blame. Where was the discussion of genetics?Oh, that’s right. Dr. Oz said Type 1 was genetic. He also said a person is born with Type 1. And that the amount of insulin a person takes is an indication of how bad their diabetes is. All untrue.
But, what really pissed me off was the blatant exploitation of Laureen. You were doing a show about Type 2 diabetes (because they’re the majority, after all), but to really scare the shit out of everyone, you send Dr. Oz to visit Laureen in the hospital. You show graphic images of the absolute horror that diabetes has done to her body. She obliges by breaking down and sobbing accordingly. Then, as an afterthought, you make the distinction that Laureen is a Type 1. Why was she your example? Couldn’t you find a Type 2 to exploit?
7.4 million people watch your show every day. Many of them take your word as gospel. If you’d taken just a few hours and actually researched the different types (yes, there are more than two) of diabetes (or actually read the email I sent you weeks BEFORE the show), you would have presented a show that was truly groundbreaking. Instead, it was a joke.
There are many in the diabetes community who have spent years trying to raise awareness of Type 1 diabetes, its cause, its treatment, and the fact that it is not preventable or curable. You set us back years.
So, thanks Oprah. Your shoddy research and irresponsible reporting did more harm than good.
Themocracy
Well said, Shannon
You hit all the points. I still can’t believe how awful the show was. How much research they did Not do. All that they got wrong. Still shaking my head over this.
Thanks, Scott. I was so disgusted by that show!
I know, Crystal. It was painful to watch. Almost like a bad car accident – I couldn’t look away, but it made me sick to my stomach. Then again, maybe I’m just a masochist
I was NOT impressed with the show, at all. I always wonder why Dr. Oz is the “expert” on everything. He’s a heart surgeon. And Dr. Nancy Snyderman (sp?) on Today…why is SHE always the one on stage with the experts discussing medical issues. Does she know EVERYTHING about EVERYTHING? NO!!1
It’s no secret that I can’t stand Oprah and her self-righteousness, but yesterday’s show was just disgraceful.
Watching Laureen DID break my heart and yes, she’s been through a lot, but she’s also Type 1, not Type 2. They SHOULD have shown a Type 2, non-compliant diabetic in that hospital bed on dialysis with missing limbs, but instead, the showed a bunch of fat, black women who KNEW they had Type 2 diabetes (and chuckled about it) yet CHOSE to eat fried chicken and french fries every Sunday after church, followed by cookies and donuts in the evening. Come on, now. But it’s their “culture.”
That show was a waste…an hour I’ll never get back.
Thanks for the post, Shannon. Well written. Think it’s what so many of us are thinking, feeling, and also writing about. I’ve posted this on some of the other D-Blogs, but think it’s worth repeating in as many places as possible… While so frustrated and disappointed about this show (note I sadly say: NOT surprised), I am actually somewhat excited in that this may be something to motivate so many – DOC members, bloggers, lurkers, JDRF, etc – to step up and actually do something more to get our stories and the CORRECT information out there. Many of us are working already in such amazing ways on advocacy, and I think this may be another tool in doing that. Think Allison’s idea about a Diabetes Speakers Bureau might be a tool to do that, and I’m currently communicating with my state’s JDRF Outreach and Advocacy folk to possible move on this more locally here, at first. We’ll see what happens! Go, DMob! Anyhow, thanks for sharing your thoughts on this.
Amen. Well said. The show was a disgrace.
sigh.
Thanks for this post! I didn’t get to see the show, but followed twitter and was amazed at what I was seeing. I’m recently diagnosed LADA and am just becoming aware of what misinformation the media shares in an ongoing basis.
Adding you to my blogroll and happy to see a fellow LADA’er out there!
totally agree with you, Shannon…i say we keep up the blogging, comments, emails, tweets, etc…and maybe she’ll surprise us w/better representation!
Thankyou. I have been ranting all over the place about this show.
I am type 2, but have been told by type 1 friends how inaccurate the info was on them. I also thought the exploitation of that lady for ratings was shameful.
As a type 2, it was also offensive. Because people will watch the people represented – those who are not trying to take care of themselves, and assume it is ALL about ‘well, you have it cos you’re fat’ etc (I’m not, and my family on my mothers side has several type 2’s – I did NOT learn their lifestyle because I am adopted and only met them 3 years ago, after my diagnoses! So there goes that theory!) The show just said a load of misinformation about type ones and to type twos, it was just ‘its all your fault and you’re all fat and lazy’.
Wouldn’t it have been nice to see all types represented with people who are living positively with the disease? And to have people showing how self care can be a daily thing that is possible? To have all the info about this is what happens if you don’t take care of it, but also to give some hope to people who are overwhelmed with it all?
Oprah, I will no longer be watching your show!