Oprah got Scamed!!

[ObiwanGinobili]

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0104061jamesfrey1.html


JANUARY 8--Oprah Winfrey's been had.

Three months ago, in what the talk show host termed a "radical departure," Winfrey announced that "A Million Little Pieces," author James Frey's nonfiction memoir of his vomit-caked years as an alcoholic, drug addict, and criminal, was her latest selection for the world's most powerful book club.

In an October 26 show entitled "The Man Who Kept Oprah Awake At Night," Winfrey hailed Frey's graphic and coarse book as "like nothing you've ever read before. Everybody at Harpo is reading it. When we were staying up late at night reading it, we'd come in the next morning saying, 'What page are you on?'" In emotional filmed testimonials, employees of Winfrey's Harpo Productions lauded the book as revelatory, with some choking back tears. When the camera then returned to a damp-eyed Winfrey, she said, "I'm crying 'cause these are all my Harpo family so, and we all loved the book so much."

But a six-week investigation by The Smoking Gun reveals that there may be a lot less to love about Frey's runaway hit, which has sold more than 3.5 million copies and, thanks to Winfrey, has sat atop The New York Times nonfiction paperback best seller list for the past 15 weeks. Next to the latest Harry Potter title, Nielsen BookScan reported Friday, Frey's book sold more copies in the U.S. in 2005--1.77 million--than any other title, with the majority of that total coming after Winfrey's selection.

Police reports, court records, interviews with law enforcement personnel, and other sources have put the lie to many key sections of Frey's book. The 36-year-old author, these documents and interviews show, wholly fabricated or wildly embellished details of his purported criminal career, jail terms, and status as an outlaw "wanted in three states.".............................................

It;s a very long detailed article.


:wow Is it OK if I :lmao @ this????? I find some sick pleasure in seeing someone get 1 over on her. Kinda like that happy feeling I got when Tom Cruise got water squirted in his face.

[NameDropper]

Rumor has it that it won't hurt her pocketbook one bit. She's laughing all the way to the bank.

[1Parker1]

How exactly did Oprah get scamed? The author pulled one over everyone if he listed his book as non-fiction and then fictionized (is that a word?) the story...

[1Parker1]

Side Note: I was just thinking about getting that book the other day, but I told myself to wait and get it the next time I'm at B&N...no way am I reading that book now.

[SpursWoman]

How is this a negative on Oprah? The dude made up all that stuff....he's the asshole. :wtf

[2Blonde]

Oprah gives millions of dollars of her own money every year along with getting other corporations to give generously as well. If you don't like her then that's all well and good, but I don't see how her liking a book by an author who may or may not turn out to be a liar makes her be a laughing stock. He's the one who stands to lose face. Oprah didn't do anything wrong or unethical.
Just my measly 2 cents.

[SequSpur]

Scammed.

[ShoogarBear]

Wow, the Church of Oprah may be the mightiest of all . . . :lol

[SpursWoman]

I've never even seen one episode in all of the years she's been on....but I'm aware of how generous she's been over the years, and don't see how she's the one to be ridiculed because of some asswipe. Does that make me a member of that congregation?

:fro

[1Parker1]

:lol @Shoogarbear. I used to LOVE Oprah, I'd watch her everyday. Lately though, she's been getting on my nerves. I'm well aware of how generous, smart, successful, etc. she is...but I can't stand it when people in Hollywood talk about her and place her on a pedastal on par with God or something.

[ObiwanGinobili]

:lol @Shoogarbear. I used to LOVE Oprah, I'd watch her everyday. Lately though, she's been getting on my nerves. I'm well aware of how generous, smart, successful, etc. she is...but I can't stand it when people in Hollywood talk about her and place her on a pedastal on par with God or something.


thats is exactly what i'm talking about. It's liek everyear she gets more and more self righteous. And the way people worship her gets on my damn nerves.

[T Park]

but I can't stand it when people in Hollywood talk about her

So if other people talk about her, that makes you find her annoying??


women :rolleyes

[Vashner]

Oprah is still rich...

I wish she would pick my book...

[The sone]

Oprah is still rich...

I wish she would pick my book...


i wish she would pick my nose... :angel

[2Blonde]

thats is exactly what i'm talking about. It's liek everyear she gets more and more self righteous. And the way people worship her gets on my damn nerves.
Well it sounds like your beef should be with people who worship her, not her. SHe's just doing her job and doing good things. Who can fault her for that? I think she does great things to help people who deserve it, but I only worship God.

[ShoogarBear]

Well it sounds like your beef should be with people who worship her, not her. SHe's just doing her job and doing good things.

:lmao @ the parallels to another ST.com Church.

I have never watched more than five consecutive minutes of Oprah due to the risk of testicular atrophy.

However, she has done a lot of good for a lot of people. While she is not responsible for this clown, I do think, given the influence of her opinion, she needs to be more responsible about researching the facts for any nonfiction books she endorses.

On the other hand, she always will have a warm spot in my heart for providing us with this:


http://davidpoland.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/tom_cruise_kills_oprah.gif

[2Blonde]

:lmao @ the parallels to another ST.com Church.

I have never watched more than five consecutive minutes of Oprah due to the risk of testicular atrophy.

However, she has done a lot of good for a lot of people. While she is not responsible for this clown, I do think, given the influence of her opinion, she needs to be more responsible about researching the facts for any nonfiction books she endorses.

On the other hand, she always will have a warm spot in my heart for providing us with this:


http://davidpoland.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/tom_cruise_kills_oprah.gif
So do I understand you correctly in thinking that you are saying that before each and every time she is allowed to say "I read a book that I enjoyed and you might enjoy it too" that she must employ a team of private investigators to check into the authors background? There is no author that could ever go on a book tour with kind of scrutiny. No show would book anyone with that kind of liability over their heads. Also everyone here seems to be forgetting the fact that this author was also on every other talkshow as well. But nobody seems to be blasting anyone else about their giving him press.

[SpursWoman]

Even though I'm not trying to ridicule Oprah in any way, shape or form, I will openly admit that I am damn envious of that girl's net worth.


:depressed :lol

[ShoogarBear]

So do I understand you correctly in thinking that you are saying that before each and every time she is allowed to say "I read a book that I enjoyed and you might enjoy it too" that she must employ a team of private investigators to check into the authors background? There is no author that could ever go on a book tour with kind of scrutiny. No show would book anyone with that kind of liability over their heads. Also everyone here seems to be forgetting the fact that this author was also on every other talkshow as well. But nobody seems to be blasting anyone else about their giving him press.

Just for nonfiction books. It's not that hard to do some very rudimental fact-checking. Talk and news shows employ entire cadres of gophers who spend untold hours doing all kinds of silly stuff. How hard would it be to have one of two people make a couple of phones calls?

Oprah knows when someone goes on her show (as opposed to others), it means millions for them.

How much you want to bet they'll check some facts now?

[JoeChalupa]

I've watched Oprah for years and thinks she is a great woman.

She has her ups and downs.....in weight....but she's solid.

[Kori Ellis]

It's not that hard to do some very rudimental fact-checking.

Then how come the Smoking Gun investigation took 6-weeks to break any news about it?

This is such a non-story to me. Oprah read a book and liked it and now someone found out it wasn't a factual book. I don't get how that really reflects on Oprah.

I've never watched her show and I find it funny that so many women are bugged by her. (Note: You must be watching to be bugged by her - so she win$).

[T Park]

I've never watched her show and I find it funny that so many women are bugged by her


Im the same way.

Other than really being pissed off about her story on the mad cow thing, and how that damaged the american farmer, I think she does alot of great things.

Very generous and very giving.

Of course, thats a bad thing.......

[ShoogarBear]

Then how come the Smoking Gun investigation took 6-weeks to break any news about it?


Cause people were lazy and/or just had other things to do? How many times have we blasted sportwriters here for not bothering to do very simple fact checking in their stories? Did the Smoking Gun really spend six weeks on it, or did it take them 5 and 5/7 weeks to get around to it and two days to break it?

Look, if the guy put time and effort into covering his tracks that's one thing; you can't fault anyone. But you read every day how much people get by on outrageous bullshit that doesn't stand up to even the slightest scrutiny. THAT shouldn't happen on Oprah's show.

[ShoogarBear]

Even though I'm not trying to ridicule Oprah in any way, shape or form,

Thought you were going to get away with that one, did you?

[Mixability]

Oprah is just annoying as hell, with or without pushing bullshit books on the public. :spin

[ChumpDumper]

The fact checking should have been done by the editor of the book. The publishing company is the big fool here, not Oprah.

[SpursWoman]

Thought you were going to get away with that one, did you?


:angel

[ShoogarBear]

The fact checking should have been done by the editor of the book.

Good point.


The publishing company is the big fool here, not Oprah.

Except that who remembers which book came from what publishing company except for those New York elbow-patch-wearing cocktail party-goers?

There is no Church of Random House.

[ChumpDumper]

Except that who remembers which book came from what publishing company except for those New York elbow-patch-wearing cocktail party-goers?Well, I doubt Oprahco takes anything resembling a hit from this. She might start doing a little research of her own for nonfiction authors, I suppose, but victimhood of any kind might even bring more solidarity between Oprah and her viewers.

[ChumpDumper]

Nice NPR interview (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5148103) with Smoking Gun editor.

[SpursWoman]

who remembers which book came from what publishing company


Well, they might get a little more notice considering this turn of events....


Readers Offered Refund for 'Million Little Pieces'
Facts Surrounding James Frey's Controversial Memoir Disputed

By Mark Egan, Reuters

NEW YORK (Jan. 11) - Random House will refund readers who bought James Frey's drug and alcohol memoir "A Million Little Pieces" directly from the publisher, a move believed to be unprecedented, after the author was accused of exaggerating his story.

Readers calling Random House's customer service line to complain on Wednesday were told that if the book was bought directly from the publisher it could be returned for a full refund. Those who bought the book at a bookstore were told to try to return it to the store where it was bought.

"If the book was bought directly from us we will refund the purchase price in full," one Random House customer service agent told Reuters, noting readers would have to return the book with the original invoice. "If you bought it at a book store, we ask that you return the book to the book store."

Asked why the publisher, which normally sells books directly to consumers as nonrefundable, would offer refunds, the agent said, "because of the controversy surrounding it."

In the book, Frey runs down a cop in a small Ohio town and a wild melee ensues. The Granville Police Department report on the 1992 incident tells a different story.

-- TheSmokingGun.com


Several customer service agents called by Reuters reporters also agreed to pay refunds. A Random House spokeswoman said the company would issue a formal statement about returns later.

Frey's memoir of alcohol and drug-induced mayhem sold 1.77 million copies last year after being chosen by Oprah Winfrey's book club in September. But investigative Web site The Smoking Gun on Sunday reported the book, published by Random House's Doubleday division, was full of exaggeration and inaccuracies.

Frey, who will appear on Larry King Live on Wednesday to discuss the controversy for the first time, has called the accusations "the latest attempt to discredit me."

"I stand by my book, and my life, and I won't dignify this bullshit with any sort of further response," Frey wrote this week on his personal Web site bigjimindustries.com.


01/11/06 13:35 ET

[ShoogarBear]

Hokey smokes. Unprecetended is right.

And when I said "Church of Random House", I was just using the first publishing company that popped into my head. I didn't know that was actually the right one.

[1Parker1]

That's crazy that people are demanding their money back for the book. It's a freakin book. So who cares if the details weren't as accurate as the author thought? Wasn't the guy on drugs and alcohol during those times? Obviously, he remembers stuff differently! :spin

[1Parker1]

Oprah Dismisses Claims About Frey Memoir

NEW YORK - Oprah Winfrey broke her silence about James Frey's disputed memoir of addiction, "A Million Little Pieces," dismissing allegations of falsehoods as "much ado about nothing" and urging readers who have been inspired by the book to "Keep holding on." "What is relevant is that he was a drug addict ... and stepped out of that history to be the man he is today and to take that message to save other people and allow them to save themselves," Winfrey said Wednesday night in a surprise phone call to CNN's Larry King, who was interviewing Frey on his live television program.

http://news.yahoo.com/fc/Entertainment/Literature_and_Authors

That's cool of Oprah, I must admit.

[ShoogarBear]

It doesn't say how she knows it's "much ado about nothing". Has she actually checked the facts herself, or is she just invoking Ophral Infallibility?

[ChumpDumper]

Maybe she's optioned the movie rights....