Oprah’s Life Class (VOD Hidden Gem)October 28, 2011
OWN
Media savant T Tara Turk goes deep inside cable TV to reveal Video On Demand's Hidden Gems so even the busiest of our readers can get the most out of On Demand TV. Tell Tara what VOD shows you think deserves her attention.
Oprah's Life Class (VOD Hidden Gem)
I loved college and grad school. I loved it so much, my fantasy is to one day go back and study history as a hobby and get featured on a Ken Burns documentary. For you, I reveal my not so inner nerd happily. Now here’s a bit more of that revelation: I’m stanning (that slang for being a fan for you fogies) for Oprah’s Life Class.
I’ll admit I was VERY skeptical because OWN has not lived up to all my hopes and dreams as a channel aside from Lisa Ling’s Our America series. Behind the scenes of Oprah’s shows do not interest me as I wouldn’t want to see how Beyonce puts on Sasha Fierce or how Michael Kors designs a dress. In theory, these things SOUND fascinating but in reality, it could be like watching a real time clock movie.
But now that her Royal TV Highness has quit the biz and can devote some time to some programming, this Oprah’s Life Class seems to be her true calling. She’s an incredibly knowledgeable, seeming self effacing and honest person (I did read the unauthorized Kitty Kelly bio so some of that awe I had is a bit dusty but still there!). The way she speaks has eased millions of people into a sense of introspection that has rarely happened in television and it would be a shame to not use that gift for her new network.
I watched Letting Go of Anger and You Become What You Believe. Yes, these do sound like bumper stickers but it’s Oprah and this what she’s known for. She spoke to Terry McMillan (the great author and infamous woman scorned by ex who turned out to be gay), Jim Carrey (the man who wrote himself a $10 Million Dollar check he could cash soon after), JK Rowling (the woman who knew her story was gold even after a multitude of publishers said no) and Ralph Lauren (the man who said no to a famous department store and can now buy them outright).
Here’s what Oprah is GREAT at: she’s interested in everyone she talks to so therefore so are we; she is able to pull things out of these people that most interviewers cannot (and sometimes that’s uncomfortable - see the James Frey incident ); she is able to relate their lessons to her so that we want to do the same. In essence, this is a continuation - more concentrated version of The Oprah Winfrey Show. And that’s fine because that show changed lives.
Here’s what’s not so great about the show (and please don’t send me any bad juju for being honest here): Oprah is great in front of an audience. I find her to be good when speaking directly to the camera for the Life Class session but there is a little less sheen when we don’t see her make eye contact with someone in front of her who’s hanging off her every word. Another disappointment is that I never got my Oprah journal that I was supposed to get for signing up for the class. I tweeted this and I’m not the only one! What’s up with that? Lastly, I’m still confused about the social media part of it. There’s a webcast, a live Twitter feed, a website that I can’t easily navigate. These things are important when can’t make all the classes. Wait. I just had a flashback to freshman year when I got lost trying to find a classroom..
Yeah, I loved MOST of college and grad school just like I love most of Oprah’s Life Class..
T. Tara Turk is a novelist/playwright/screenwriter, living in LA with her boyfriend and dog - all three successful TV addicts. You can find her at www.ttaraturk.com or follow her on Twitter @ttaraturk.
