June 9, 2009
Newsweek Covers Oprah’s Fiction Sales
And no, we’re not referring to her book club sales. In “Why Health Advice on ‘Oprah’ Could Make You Sick,” Newsweek takes on the lifestyle maven’s disturbing tendency to traffic untested or discredited medical therapies and theories, to provide advice that defies logic and common sense, and to offer up plain-old wackiness.
The article, provided for free online, finds that too often these 45-minute shows simplify things so much so as to distort the truth. What’s worse, celebrities with a cause–be it “natural” hormone therapy or (largely unproven) vaccine-related autism–can drown out expert voices and allow dubious cause-and-effect connections to go unchallenged.
It’s a good read and a worthy attempt to push back at the notion that televised tonic can ever hold the cure to what ails us. As the article notes:
“At some point, it would seem, people will stop looking to Oprah for this kind of guidance. This will never happen. Oprah’s audience admires her as much for her failings as her successes. In real life, she has almost nothing in common with most of her viewers. She is an unapproachable billionaire with a private jet and homes around the country who hangs out with movie stars. She is not married and has no children. But television Oprah is a different person. She somehow manages to make herself believable as a down-to-earth everywoman.”
The bottom line: In life, there is no such thing as a quick fix and no substitute for hard-headed discernment between fact and fantasy. Subscribe to Newsweek here.
Health Care Article Becomes Required Reading at White House
We found the recent New Yorker article about health care costs in McAllen, Texas, illuminating, prompting a lengthy post here. Interestingly, the same article grabbed the attention of the White House–currently contemplating how to pass health care reform–where it recently became required reading. Good journalism matters. ‘Nuff said.
June 7, 2009
NEH Choice Announced
Former Rep. Jim Leach (R-Iowa) was selected last week as the nominee for the National Endowment for the Humanities.
In a statement, President Barack Obama said this:
“I am confident that with Jim as its head, the National Endowment for the Humanities will continue on its vital mission of supporting the humanities and giving the American public access to the rich resources of our culture. Jim is a valued and dedicated public servant and I look forward to working with him in the months and years ahead.”
June 6, 2009
Event: 2009 Belmont Stakes
Who will win the mile-and-a-halfer? I predict that Mine That Bird, who landed a perfect post position, will go the distance, but who knows? This is truly the test of stamina; the final leg of the Triple Crown is the longest race.
June 5, 2009
Science Friday Gets a Jon Stewart Shout Out
Host of Science Friday, Ira Flatow, recently got a cool shout out at the start of a recent Daily Show. He blogs about how it all went down.
Science Friday videos are posted here most Fridays.
Support the show here.