SHARYN WOLF VS. JAMES FREY: The Oprah Factor: A Commentary

Sharyn Wolf

James Frey

 



I posted before about how author James Frey was given the third degree--and THEN some!--by the once-almighty Oprah Winfrey--and, of course, this blog's namesake--after he had admitted that he had "fudged" a little in his supposed autobiography A Million Little Pieces that was purportedly about his battles with drug addiction and such. That got me to thinking about another author featured on Oprah's old TV show who, like Frey, was also forced to admit she had "fudged" in her books yet, unlike Frey, she wasn't grilled by the once-almighty Oprah. The author's name is Sharyn Wolf and she was regularly featured on Oprah's old TV show as a relationship and/or marriage "expert" who had authored one or two books on how to have a "successful" relationship and/or marriage. Now here's where the "fudging" comes in: Apparently while Miss Wolf was touting her relationship/marriage "expertise" on Oprah's show AND in her books, her own marriage was apparently in the crapper. Not only that, but the "expert" information she touted in her books as her own she, by her very own admission in a TV interview I saw her give (but, of course, NOT on Oprah's show!), pilfered from other sources. So, the million-dollar question is, did Oprah berate Sharyn as she so famously--or was it infamously?--did on her old TV show as she did James? I got one word for that one: Noooooooo!!!! So why was that, I wonder? Personally, and frankly, I think it was because Oprah started getting some heat from her "viewers" about "supporting" Mr. Frey after he had finally "admitted" that he had in fact "fudged"--at least a little--in his "nonfiction" book A Million Little Pieces (of which he's STILL catching heat for to this very day), saying how his overall tale of overcoming addiction was more "important" than his "truthfulness" and whatnot. Here's a good rule-of-thumb for all my fellow book readers out there: When an author recounts certain events in their life in literary form, chances are that they HAVE "fudged"--at least a little--in their narration (which is probably why James Frey got the "support" of other authors such as the late legendary author Norman Mailer). Also, it might also be a good idea to take with a grain-of-salt whenever an author touts themselves as an "expert" about something unless they have the hardcore credentials to back it up and even then you STILL might want to take their "advice" with a grain-of-salt (Dr. Phil, are you listening?)! In any case, this is just more proof that this is most definitely NOT Oprah's Effing Book Club!