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The Kitchen Table

Most Annoying Oprah Disciples

16 years ago

MSNBC has a little roundup of some of "Oprah's disciples" and their annoying qualities. Whether or not you're an Oprah fan, it's an amusing read. Then you get to vote for your favoriteÂor least favorite, actually.

I didn't realize Rachael Ray got her start with Oprah.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Most Annoying

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Comments (21)

maryanntx
15 years ago
Interesting! I voted for Dr Phil as being the most annoying and I'm not alone!
marilyn_c
15 years ago
Rachael Ray annoys the heck out of me. I refuse to watch her silly show. They replaced Martha Stewart with her....but Martha is on another channel, so if I am inside, I watch that.

While I'm at it...Oprah annoys me just about as much.
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Yasmina, I wish you'd stop being so immature about this thread and our responses. Your age is showing and you haven't even told us. If nothing else, consider the source. Consider how many respondents think you have made a big mistake. Count them if you will. Did we all imagine it? Do we all have the exact same imaginations that brought us to the exact same conclusions? Is everybody wrong but you? That last question is one for life. Ask it of yourself often for the next 50 or 60 years. Any prudent, self-reflecting person would. Now consider the information and the source of the information on which we based our opinions. We had only that which you conveyed - the background of factors for us to examine and scrutinize. If there was more to the story; if the story wasn't nearly so bad as you initially expressed, then the failure this time was completely yours. You come back in anger to explain things a little better, but you surely cannot blame us for what we understood of your first and subsequent posts. One or two people might not catch something, might read it wrong, or might misconstrue, but surely not all of us and not most of us. You are again transferring aggression and blame, just like you did with the 5 year old. doesn't require lashing out. We can be angry and not lash out because what holds us back is gratitude of no regret. Everyone on this earth has experienced something like what happened with you, the kid, and the medicine. In every case, there is someone to answer to, someone who exclaims "Woo! Thank goodness nothing bad happened!" but without lashing out about it. Why? Because nothing bad happened. So, why did he lash out in anger? What was there to be angry about and call stupid? I disagree with BF and those here who say you should have known to ask the parent. I believe we do not know things until we learn of them. It didn't occur to you to check with dad about the medicine. It wouldn't occur to anyone without pre-disposure to the concept, whatever it might be in their history and experience that made them aware that this is something you have to ask about. There was nothing in your past, but now you know. Sorry, I stick with my original opinion and previous two posts. Your last ones did not change my mind although they did shed some more light and probably offered a different perspective. However, they didn't change scenario or the logical, analytical review. For the record though, I did not say or intend your relationship was a mistake. I think it was a mistake to leave everything you knew to be with a man it doesn't sound like you knew so well and to be entirely dependent on him. Perhaps you have plans to find work in order to gain independence so that if you ever have to pick up and go, you can do just that. For all I know, you have considerable savings to fall back on. I hope one of those two possibilities is the case with you. Incidentally, my age comment wasn't to offend you, just stating a fact that you are acting just like I did and practically every woman here when we were young(er) and inexperienced. A mature woman (someone older/more experienced) would not have written your posts, not the way you wrote them. Most of us are of an age and been through enough to have some wisdom to offer......to those younger ones who will listen so we can spare them some regret.
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dotmom
15 years ago
I voted for Gail King. (sp?) The only reason she is being shoved down out throats is because she is O's friend. Her talent, if any eludes me. I have often wondered if her marraige broke up because her husband had to take a back seat to O. JMO Dottie
sjarz
15 years ago
Have to agree with Dotmom - Gayle King's like Paris Hilton in that way - famous because of who she knows, not because of anything necessarily redeeming about her in her own right.
Rachael Ray is just wrong - I just don't watch her show.
I voted for Suze Orman, although her way of speaking can be quite entertaining. Saturday Night Live did a sketch on her that was really funny.
And i agree with Marilyn, Oprah herself should have been on the list.
Dr Phil has the most votes, Gayle King and Rachael Ray are up there.
Suzan J
ruthieg__tx
15 years ago
Rachel Ray has a long history and was popular way before Miss Oprah adopted her...I've seen her bio and she worked long and hard to get where she was on the food channel...The one I totally dislike is Dr. Phil...he used to be interesting and now he has just become another 2 bit Jerry Springer show...Ugh disgusting low lifes on the show.
sandy_in_ia
15 years ago
I am upset that I can ONLY PICK ONE!!!
gwanny2three
15 years ago
I agree with Ruthie....and I like Rachel Ray watch her daily! She did work hard before Oprah. LOL....I voted for Dr. Phil...he is very arrogant, but I watch him too :O). I agree Gayle is just like the rest of us without Oprah, but I love her sense of humor. The rest on the list, with the exception of Dr Oz, I don't know enough to comment on. I do like Dr Oz though....
ritamay91710
15 years ago
I didn't even know most of the people on the list. LOL.
I voted for Dr. Phil too. I used to really like him, but you guys are right, he has become Dr. Jerry Springer.
judy_jay
15 years ago
I just can't take Rachel Ray, and never have for some reason. DH loves her. She's not a "real" cook, as she has admitted herself, and what a difference between her & the other chefs on the Food Network. She whips things up from cans, which even I can do. She doesn't "make" them. JMHO. She's always been annoying to me, with or without O. Dr. Phil, who I watch in the evenings here, has changed in the past few yrs. I think. I used to like him, but he's just become a man of few cliches & they're really getting old.
sue36
15 years ago
My vote would go to Rachael Ray. And not just as the most annoying O disciple, but as the most annoying anything, ever. I cannot stand her. I've given her a chance, I have.
danihoney
15 years ago
I think they are giving O far too much credit for these careers. With the exception of Dr Phil and Gayle King, the majority of the others were not discovered or launched by Oprah. Not even Rachel Ray. I think Oprah or the Harpo company helped her get her daytime network show, but Rachel Ray was already a pretty big name. Annoying or not she has worked her tail off to NO credit of Ms O. Same with Suzie Orman and Jean Chatzky (I think I spelled that wrong). The Today Show deserves more credit than Oprah.
gadgets
15 years ago
I'm just disappointed that 'all of the above' wasn't an option.

Shirley
sue_va
15 years ago
Only 5 out of the 18 names were familiar to me, and I don't watch any of the shows of those 5, except sometimes Dr. Phil. But his show this morning did it for me. No more Dr. Phil!!

For 8-9 years I worked for a Family Counseling Agency as receptionist/secretary. After a couple years of osmosis I told the Director I could hang my shingle on one of the doors and do the same thing they did. It was all by rote, scripted. Same now with Dr. Phil.

Sue
kathy_
15 years ago
Who was the guy that was on with the New Earth stuff? I think he and Marianne Williamson crawled off the same planet.
mcmann
15 years ago
Most annoying - Dr. Phil

My favorite - Nate Berkus

Most strident personality - Suze Orman

Most man crazy - Gail

Most hyperactive - Rachel Ray

OK - Susan - who did you pick?
okwriter
15 years ago
We are big Rachel fans here. :-) I watched a very neat one-hour program about her on the Food Network that detailed her career. Come to think of it, I don't remember them mentioning Oprah. ???
alisande
Original Author
15 years ago
I was somewhat torn between Dr. Phil and Rachael Ray. I'm much more familiar with Phil (so to speak), and used to enjoy his showÂalthough I found Robin irritating. But his show has gotten so sleazy!

The couple of times I've seen Rachael Ray I've been puzzled at her popularity. Her food is way too unhealthy to appeal to me, although I can understand most of America liking it. But that voice! She seems like a nice person, but that never made someone a celebrity.

So I voted for (against?) Dr. Phil.

I like Nate a lot. I like Dr. Oz, perhaps to a lesser degree, but agree with the writer about the scrubs. What's with that? Suze Orman can be a bit much, but I wasn't aware that she had any connection to Oprah. I like Jean Chatzky, but thought she became popular on the Today Show. Gayle can be funny. I have Rosie's cookbook because my mother gave it to me as a gift. I can't stand Marianne Williamson. I'm familiar with some of the other names, but not the people themselves. Some, like Peter Walsh and Stacy London, I'd never heard of.
pineviewplanter
15 years ago
I voted for Eckhart Tolle because the combination of ET and O is volatile and dangerous. But that is all I will say on this board as religious discussion is frowned upon.

PVP
danihoney
15 years ago
years ago (10 / 11) around the time Oprah was on her "Gratitude Journal" thing, she had Suzie Orman on once a week or month doing a lesson in finance. She was also promoting a book. That made people more aware of S.O. but she was already all over the PBS channel lecturing.
socks
15 years ago
Whether you like the disciples or not, I think it is wonderful that Oprah has given these people a fabulous opportunity to share their expertise. They all have information which is helpful.

That said, my vote is for Dr. Phil. People airing their dirty laundry on TV is unappealing to me, and I wonder how many really lasting changes he has helped people make.
Happy_Go_Lucky_Gayle
15 years ago
what can I say? Who hasn't recommended someone for a job or introduced people for business purposes. It is called Networking. We do it all the time.

I don't agree with all things Oprah, but I am a Fan of the show. I don't like to Bash.

I think Gayle has a wonderful personality. I adore Nate. I really like the information Dr. Oz brings to the table. I like Susie Orman.

Gayle

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