Today's Oprah is an interview with James Frey, the extremely sheepish author of
A Million Little Pieces. She is pretty much raking him over the coals for presenting his story as a truthful memoir.
She calls him out, saying things like "But, that's a lie."
I don't expect journalists to call Bush or other administration officials "liars" to their faces, but I would like them to tell the public when they have received information that is indisputably, verifiably false.
On the one hand, the James Frey kerfuffle is the latest celebrity distraction. On the other hand, it is a parable for some frightening times in which "fact is fiction and TV reality".
Marketing rules. Lies sell. Now lies are used to sell EVERYTHING. This has poisoned our culture.
Oprah began the segment by saying that she regretting calling in to Larry King in support of James Frey.
Why can't more people come out and say that they regret believing all the lies foisted on them by Bush? WMD, uranium, Valerie Plame, Medicare D, Social Security--the list goes on and on.
Update: Frank Rich is on Oprah now, connecting the dots.