Racist for disliking Oprah, Obama?
Oprah Winfrey, with all the diverse media and hoopla surrounding her name, persona, and every move (and pound gained), gives new meaning to the term "narcissistic." She reminds me of Imelda Marcos, during that lady's heyday of vanity.
Oprah is nearly as rich as Imelda was, and far more talented. I admire her charm, energy and her mellifluous way with clichés. What rubs me the wrong way is her contrived gravitas, a blend of New Age sensibility and feminist wisdom, packaged in the ribbons of daytime TV. Due to what I perceive as her inauthenticity, I find myself disliking Oprah. And because I disparage her, I am, as a consequence, a racist.
Tiger Woods is another person I can't stand. He's the premier golfer of our time, honing his skills through practice and sheer willpower. He wins half his matches, owns a yacht, hobnobs with princes and goes to bed with a Swedish babe. Of course I envy him. When I see him sinking yet another putt, or endorsing yet another product, I am reminded of how utterly mediocre my own achievements have been. But it isn't my poor perspective or lack of maturity that makes me feel this way. Rather, it's my ingrained racism, directed at a black man of means.
The same is true with Barack Obama's health care proposals. Yes, I find them ill-advised. They would sabotage the free market, and funnel my aching body into a government bureaucracy, there to run a maze of quotas and requirements before being patched up for free, or for a small fee. But rational, or even emotional, reasons cannot possibly be the basis for criticizing President Obama. Because he's black, I must be racist by definition, for disagreeing with him.
Perhaps we should include that category on the census form this year, under "political affiliation." The new R: Racist.
Alexander Lee
Carol Stream