Palin, Oprah and the politics of personality

Gov. Palin is going to appear on “Oprah” in an effort to tout the already-best-selling Going Rogue on Nov. 16. This, needless to say, has caused some consternation throughout the free world, although it’s provided much satisfaction to know that only Gov. Palin would have to take a slight step downward in order to appear on Oprah’s couch.

As I’m not an Opraholic, before anything, I think we should get at sampling of the Oprahsphere regarding this announcement:

“Oprah you have hit a new low. Allowing Palin airtime on the most popular daytime show the day before her book is released is irresponsible on your part. You know better than this. You are very aware of energy and the collective consciousness. Can you honestly say to yourself that allowing Palin a platform to promote her book is sending positive energy into the universe? Having her on your show will send her book sales through the roof and legitimize her ignorance. Your show used to be about spirituality and upliftment [sic]. Now I have noticed that your topics are becoming more and more sensational. Shame on you... I'm hoping you at least ask hardcore questions which will expose her ignorance. I'm hoping that is your purpose for having on the show. Otherwise, you are simply contributing and spreading low energy into the universe...”

Another had this to offer:

“As others have stated, this will only give Sarah Palin fuel for her negativity. I do believe in listening to both sides, but I believe Sarah had her day when she ran for VP. She is a very strange woman, who isn't qualified for political office. There are many other people who deserve the air time and the money so much more than she does.”

This, obviously, wasn’t a scientific sample. I went to Oprah’s site, clicked on the Sarah Palin link, was ushered into the message board specific to “Sarah Palin,” and these – among others – were on the latest front page. If it helps, I can assure you I was generous in choosing the samples.

There are, I dunno, about eleventy-billion comments on Oprah’s official message boards regarding the fact that one successful, iconic female allowing another successful, iconic female onto her stage in order to ask her questions in front of a previously-taped, live studio audience. The major qualm seems to be that Oprah fans seem to be incensed that Oprah may host a woman who is not a victim, dupe or foil. If you’re looking for a pity party, fair to say Gov. Palin’s not the guest you have in mind. We can assume one rider or another ensured no Olympics jokes will be fair game.

So, is Gov. Palin’s choice to give the most famous backer of Pres. Obama the first interview before Going Rogue is released a wise one, all things considered? Let us brush aside the easy answer – of course it is! I’m not alone when I say I’ll watch the show for the first time in, well, ages, and Gov. Palin has a book to sell, and Oprah Winfrey sells a lot of books. Only a fool would think Oprah would be hostile to Gov. Palin, and if Gov. Palin is the near future of conservatism that so many like me believe, then she should be able to navigate whatever Oprah throws her way. The odd couple need not enter BFF status, but Oprah – more than any person on the planet – will be able to humanize Gov. Palin to people predisposed to dislike her.

As a thirtysomething bachelor, I’m not the type of fella who is in what experts call Oprah’s “target market.” Frankly, the last time I watched her show was in the 1990s during one of those Christmas escapades where she Gives Everyone A Bunch of Stuff. When the first commenter quoted discusses “upliftment” I admit it, I giggled like a schoolgirl. It’s no “strategery,” but it’s darn close, but again, these are message board comments. When the aforementioned second commenter dogs on Gov. Palin’s “negativity,” my interest it piqued that she wants Oprah – yes , Oprah – to ask “hardcore” questions of Gov. Palin.

Perhaps O will dig into which energy drink Gov. Palin finds more extreme. I would happily encourage this: Oprah, ask hardcore questions! Hardcore answers will follow; better yet, grab a script of your questions to Barack and Michelle, and apply them to your interview with Gov. Palin – it’s a win-win.

Sprouting cherub’s wings and lifting above the fray, though, I must pointedly say that if the women who adore and/or worship Oprah Winfrey are not people who would find Gov. Palin as quite the role-model, I’m not exactly sure what’s going on over there at Harpo Studios. She is spiritual and religious, she has a family, she is a working woman, and goodness, if ever there’s been a woman whose been told to know her place, it’s Gov. Palin. Every Second Wave feminist outside of Camille Paglia has echoed Eric Cartman, telling her to shut up and make babies.

Flatly, without emotion, if Gov. Palin wasn’t the chemo for the cancer that is Pres. Obama, most of Oprah’s audience would take up live ammunition to defend her. If these women – and excepting the various shrub-men who pepper Oprah’s audience, it’s all women all the time – cannot find anything admirable about Gov. Palin, then my future is obviously meant to carry a sandwich-board up and down a major city’s sidewalks reading “The End Is Near!”

For some time I’ve thought the automatons filling seats in Oprah’s audience are more like The O’s Disciples, yet confronted by the likes of Gov. Palin, I’m confident that more than a few Saul of Tarsus moments may be in the offing. Fair’s fair and the world turns color-blind, Sarah Palin is the embodiment of what The Big O has been preaching the last two decades.

Oprah, the name so big five letters don’t seem to do her justice, just got The Big Get. Conspiracies are already ricocheting around the ‘sphere regarding who is doing whom a favor. This should be a three-night primetime special, because if ever there was a case of worlds colliding it is the ‘Cuda and the Oprah. Not – to be clear – for the sake of antagonism, just for the sake that, if one were to take the complete fascination with Oprah and Gov. Palin and group it together, I’m guessing 82 percent of voting women would have a positive opinion of one or the other, if not both.
What is perplexing is the sheer hatred directed at Gov. Palin by so many in the Oprahverse. Sure, I get it. It’s the same degree of admiration that draws so many to her as pushes so many more away – abortion, Christianity, guns, etc., reflexive reactions to a woman most people know via caricature. In the best way, though, Gov. Palin is going to put herself out to her harshest everyday critics: women who get their news from Oprah, “The View,” and, I dunno, horoscopes or something.

Sure, that’s condescending, but it’s meant to be. I can accept disagreeing with the Governor on any number of issues, but calling her names and discounting her relevance? That’s just silly. For Palin fans (obviously I’m a big one) it’s a great opportunity to see how she handles a host that wont’ be hostile but will be firm, while having the chance to win over a crowd which previously only knew her from a comedienne impersonating her on a sketch comedy show.

Win-win.