Oh people. I am so angry at Oprah right now that I could spit. Seriously.
Let me back up.
Because Mercury is Retrograde ten city blocks in Salt Lake were without power today. One of those city blocks was mine. Yes, I'm blaming Mercury because it is Retrograde. You can blame whomever you want including the Rocky Mountain Power Company. I'm blaming Mercury. Since I was without power and the folks at Rocky Mountain Power Company kept extending the time when the power would be returned to "indeterminable", I decided to evacuate my very cold house and head for my sister's very warm house in Lehi.
My sister and her family were supposed to be going to St. George for the holiday weekend, so my plan was to take both dogs and spend the night at her house and return to Salt Lake in the morning when perhaps the power would truly have been restored AND my house may have also returned to a livable and breathable temperature. There are, truthfully, moments when my house is so damn cold that it hurts to breathe. The dogs and I sit around and practice making smoke rings with our breath. Like you all used to do when you were cool seventh graders and wanted people to think you were smoking cigarettes. (Or, yeah, maybe you really WERE smoking cigarettes!) But in any case, the dogs and I do get a kick out of seeing who can make the biggest one or those funky co-joined ones that turn into figure eights.
So the dogs and I landed in Lehi around 3:45 today. Only to be met by my sister, NeverNakedBeth who informed me that she and her husband were both too sick to make the weekend trip to St. George and she was retiring to bed that instant and I was welcome to stay with the dogs, but really, they weren't going anywhere and she was worried I was going to get sick.
Now, last night Nakedmom had sent me an email telling me to watch Oprah today because it was about being Naked. I do not watch Oprah as a general rule. I don't really watch television, as a general rule, as you all know. But Oprah and Naked did pique my interest. I mean what was Oprah going to talk about? Naked?! And why hadn't she talked to me??
So at 4:00 p.m. today I found myself sitting on my sister's bed in her bedroom watching Oprah. The topic of her show today was actually to highlight another show entirely that is on the Lifetime Television Network called How To Look Good Naked. I just learned about this show this week, actually, as some other online friends had been chatting about it and how it had disturbed them that perfectly good looking women (to them) had such horrific body issues and if they thought themselves disgusting what must the general public think when looking at my friends (who are all truly beautiful women in their own right, but who do not fit the magazine stereotype shoved down our throats every day that I'm constantly railing against).
So Oprah opens her show today by asking her audience with a show of hands how many of those sitting in the audience love their bodies naked. About 1/10th of the audience raised their hands. Oprah then asked these women to "Stand up because I want to get a better look at you!" So the women all complied. These were all lovely women. Of course, I, Nakedjen, am going to say that because I really do think all of us are lovely! I embrace all women, and men, as you know. I think our bodies are all beautiful precisely because they are ours and ours alone and they're what make us unique and special.
So Oprah, this is Oprah remember, the woman who is watched and worshiped by MILLIONS around the world, says, "You're really happy with yourself naked?" And one of the women says, "Oh, yes. Absolutely. Every inch! Front and back!" And Oprah says, "Have you looked in the mirror lately?!"
I was so angry I threw a pillow at the television and then I started screaming. Yes, me. Screaming. I could not believe that Oprah, OPRAH, had just said such a thing. I wanted to slap her. I don't care if she thought it. She should never had said it. Even if she meant it in jest. You do not perpetuate the "girl you have no right to love your body when it looks like that" mentality by asking a woman who clearly LOVES her body if she's looked in the mirror lately.
What Oprah SHOULD have said is, "You go, girlfriend. Right on! I wish I could be that confident!" Because obviously, Oprah is NOT that confident or she would have not belittled this woman on national, make that international, television.
I was already angry at Oprah over the way she handled the Autism/Vaccination link with Jenny McCarthy. But this? This hits so close to home I'm ready to stand Naked in front of the Harpo Studios in Chicago with a sign that says, "I love my body, Oprah, and I HAVE looked in the mirror lately, have you?"
Who wants to join me?? I'll make you your sign!
