Thanks, Oprah! (JK)

JK is “text talk” for Just Kidding (in case you are over fourteen).  I had fun placing my books near the “Oprah” sign today at the mall.  Seriously, though Oprah, if you are reading this, I could possibly make room for an appearance on your show.  Let’s talk.

No, my books haven’t sold a lot (yet), but they sure have been rewarding to write.  And they have sold a little.   Even more importantly,  Spring Break is officially over and classes begin again this week.  Whenever I have a break of a week or more I miss teaching so much that I have my outfits all picked out  for the week, my lesson plans written and re-written and several emails sent to my students nudging them about things we are doing in class.  Students:  I hope you have worked hard to research your informational speech topics.  Thorough outlines are due this week. (Some students read this blog for extra credit).

Here is some information on an upcoming campus event that looks especially worthwhile:  Thursday, April 1 at 6:00 p.m. at Penn State Lehigh Valley in Center Valley, Dawn Lennon  from Big Picture Consulting and Sybil Stershic will present a panel titled “Stop Fooling Yourself.”  These two business powerhouses will discuss how to position yourself for opportunity.  I don’t think it means moving your books to more opportune locations at bookstores, but it might!  I will be there and I strongly encourage you to attend.  It is becoming increasingly obvious to me that the topic “Stop Fooling Yourself” could be of immense value.

Women can be sexist, too. Oh, Oprah! Not you!

One of the difficulties women politicians face is the undue attention paid to their looks instead of their words.  That’s why I was surprised when media giant Oprah Winfrey stopped her train of thought in an interview to comment on a curly haired Sarah Palin in an interview recently on the Oprah Winfrey Show.  For years  rhetorical scholars and political scientists who focus on gender have noted  the tendency of the press to focus on the appearance of women politicians (hair, hemlines and husbands) instead of their stands on issues.  Researchers conclude that it is a major drawback to the success of women candidates.   While simply describing a woman’s appearance (as one would a man) might be considered thorough reporting, stopping an interview (before even really starting it) to call attention to a new hairstyle was a belittling move on the part of Oprah Winfrey.   Television is indeed a visual medium, but no doubt, Winfrey’s high pitched  “what ya do with your hair?” query at the beginning of this televised interview made most viewers tune out anything Palin said to weigh-in themselves on Palin’s new look. 

Shame on you, Oprah.