Richard Brodie wrote:
>The power of Oprah is truly awe-inspiring.
>
>Within 36 hours, I am completely sold out and backordered several thousand
>books.
Good for you, Richard. I was wondering if anyone can give me the low-down on that program you guested on. Is there a transcription of your appearance online, an article, or a summary somewhere you or anyone can provide?
Myself, I cannot be arsed to watch television for anything, but I am curious about your guest spot. I don't know if I'd call it a "problem" or not, but I've gone from being your average TV-addicted adolescent years ago to someone who gets physically and emotionally irritated if a television set is merely turned *on* and audible in my presence, and I can no longer fathom how a person can be transfixed in a stupor for hours by looking at a glaring, harsh screen with moving figures on it. And that especially goes for daytime talk shows, no matter -what- or -who- is on it! I suppose it's like someone who quit smoking so long ago that they asthmatically choke whenever exposed to cigarette smoke. Plus, I purposely have no reception or an inkling of what channel or time our beloved Oprah is on.
But please don't take offense to my comments Richard. In fact, I think it's very amusing and clever for you to be pushing your book on memetics and asserting that pop culture/television shows are much like a malignant mental "Virus", while using one of the most generic and popular shows as your medium.
This reminds me of the wonderfully-absurd short story "A Shower Of Gold", in which the protagonist reluctantly goes on a talk show named "Who Am I?" against his better judgment but emerges the victor against a ridiculing public and a condescending host by assuming control, causing chaos, and vividly declaring: "Don't be reconciled. Turn off your television sets, cash in your life insurance, indulge in mindless optimism....My mother was a royal virgin, and my father was a shower of gold. My childhood was pastoral and energetic and rich in experiences which developed my character..."
Boy, would I have liked to seen that spectacle. "RICHARD BRODIE GOES BERSERK ON NATIONAL TELEVISION AND HORRIFIES OPRAH-WORSHIPPING VIEWERS. FILM AT ELEVEN."
'I'm every monotreme',
~kjs