My reaction?

After Friday's debacle and today's failed Tom Cruise publicity stunt, Oprah is pandering too much to her cultist friends.

This hot on the heels of the scandals surrounding her "New Earth" guru Eckhart Tolle and the online "Church of Oprah".

I'll not waste another moment watching her show. I think her values are fundamentally corrupted and she is using her show as a means to decieve her fans for personal gain, both monetarily and egotistically.

Oprah's career and importance was at one time titanic. Now her career is The Titanic, and she's polishing the brass and instructing the band to play on as it sinks.

Another humanitarian succumbs to greed and selfish agendas.

It's not too late for Oprah to salvage her reputation as a humanitarian. Give a voice to the people whose lives have been ruined by scientology. Do a show about the abuses of scientology and let the ex-scientologists and those who have lost family members to the cult speak their piece. Then you might save some credibility. Otherwise, it will just seem as though you are pandering to your celebrity cultist friends.

Then again, perhaps Oprah doesn't have the courage to go down that route. It is a road that will lead to harrassment, frivolous law suits designed only to cost money and make people back off, and perhaps even the loss of those friends who are in the cult. Perhaps Oprah is afraid to be declared a Supressive Person if she allows the other side of the discussion on her show. If Oprah starts talking to the wrong people she may well get asked 'what are your crimes?'. So, I guess one can't blame her for not wanting to be the next Paulette Cooper, although one can blame her for promoting the scientology agenda.

Does anyone really CARE that Mariah Carey got married again. Is anyone shocked by this "shocker". ? Barbar Walter had a fling with a married blck man-nope still not a "bombshell". Millie Cyrus? zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. David Blaine, stupid pet tricks, I mean people tricks. You really need to ask what the talk is all about this week// Check your messageboard. Give two sides to the scientologist story.

I have to agree Oprah is going down the tubes..

Just another show biz person with a few chinks in the armour showing..

Remember Oprah is not a real person she is a carefully crafted act, or image to win over as many people for ratings as possible.

Oprah the person, none of us really knows and to get to meet the Real Oprah maybe a terrible surprise. I used to think Bill Cosby was a great guy that is until I had the misfortune to meet him in person and see him for what he really is.. Pastor Clark is mild and meek when compared to Mr Cosby..

So all in all it is time for some turn over in the producers at Harpo.. Otherwise Oprah will become just another has been.

I'm going to put on my "Team Oprah" Jersey here and give my reaction.

First of all - Although I didn't agree with the show with Nate where they made over that couple's mudroom, and thought it was a waste of valuable air time to report on more important issues, or help out people who needed a life make over instead of a mudroom, I will continue to support Ms. Winfrey and her show.

Those who have doubted Oprah's credibility, professionalism and humanitarianism over any one particular guest she had on are both rediculous and hilarious. To judge an obviously giving woman over one show is only damaging your own credibility towards being a understanding, open-minded, accepting human-being. To judge Oprah on one particular show is the same as judging your husband for forgetting to take the trash out one time. Get over it. Does one particular incident change your feelings towards your husband? If your child fails one test in school...do you stop supporting him or her?

We are talking about a woman who is a billionaire a few times over. She never had to work another day in her life past the age of 40 and yet here she still is into her 50's still going strong committing herself to endless hours of production and philanthropy. SO, obviously she still cares enough to make good television.

She has had very informative, entertaining, mind-boggling shows this year. From David Blaine setting a world record to Barbara Walters confessing to an affair with a married man and feeling embarrassed of her mentally handicapped sister - something that still stuns me. This is a woman who criticizes and ridicules people everyday during her Hot Topics and who knew all the while she was doing the same in her life. Talk about contradiction. Talk about cruelty towards the ones you're supposed to love unconditionally.

Great job, Oprah. Hope you continue to serve the world and its people for many handfuls of years to come.

After two days of Tom Cruise I think Oprah has a little something on her nose.

Let me just say, the more you spend time with your "high-profile guests" the less you will see me tuning in. It is outrageous to contribute to America's ignorance of the world outside our borders by contributing to the celebrity grind. WHO CARES!!!! Miley Cyrus, Tom Cruise, Mariah Carey, BLECH!!!! Makes me want to puke! I find it fascinating that someone who can spend such obvious time and care on spreading the word of enlightenment can spend the next amount of time available on rehashing the personal saga of some celebrity. Move on! The world is out there, full of personal struggles and collective strife and inspiration. America needs to get its head out of our celebrity sandtrap and WAKE UP! Educate yourselves about the world outside our borders and let the celebrities fade in the background of our awakening. The world awaits our contribution! C'mon! Do the right thing!

The events of the week seem pretty irrelevant, for the most part, since what Miley Cyrus does or Babs Walters DID doesn't really affect anyone but themselves. But what Oprah herself did this past week? What Tom Cruise HAS been doing now for years in giving money where he has, and support where he has? That affects thousands, maybe millions of people. Let's start with Oprah... A lot of people have said that time and experience has only improved Oprah. I beg to differ. I remember fondly the days when she was struggling in a crowded market of talk shows, when she was working again the legacy of a guy like Phil Donahue. and the emphasis of her shows was usually on important topics. Where she had to act like a journalist, not an entertainer. The Tom Cruise interview reminded me of the differences between the old her, and the current her, rather abruptly. Oprah is sincere in wanting to effect the world. I truly believe that. She's done a hell of a lot to prove it, because as obscenely rich as she is she DOES tend to put her money where he mouth is and contribute back. But she's lost her way, her connection to reality, in other ways. She seems to care MORE about what celebs think than real people. Sure, she'll have the crazy-devoted "real life" Tom Cruise fan on to try and draw a connection to what the real little people think, but that's a targeted sample for a targeted result. Even beyond the Scientology issue (just for a moment) you can see in her Tulluride interview that it all appears to be about a gloss job to drive home the concept that Tom is "normal". That he's just like you and me. Now I'm not saying things were manipulated to get that result, but if we are talking about how out of touch O is? Would ANY of US look at that kitchen of Tom's and think its "normal"? That's a quarter million dollar kitchen there, easily. But lets get off that. So its two rich people talking to each other, you might say. So what? Rich people can be "ethical" good folk too, right? What bugs me is that Oprah is SO disconnected from us, the real people in the real world, that felt it necessary to go along with a style of interview where she pretty much FED Tom the answers, and bolstered him at various points with warm fuzzy "this is all so normals" (as if she'd know) to rehabilitate a career he wrecked through his OWN choices. Oprah may have been TOLD by someone that it was done by viscous dirty evil newspaper people and even more viscous dirty evil people on the Internet, but if you spend FIFTEEN MINUTES on the web yourself, you can CLEARLY see that's not the truth. Tom picked his alliances (David Miscavige) and where he gave his money (the Church of Scientology), and the couch jumping and Matt Lauer and people questioning Suri's heritage are NONSENSE issues being used to distract Oprah, and most of the rest of the world, from what appear to be REAL issues. Those personal alliances and where Scientology spends Tom's money. Because Tom's personal beliefs and his family are IRRELEVANT to the world. That's absolutely true. But NOT his choice of friends, not his money, not what happens with and because both of those things. Those affect more than just him, so they are fair game to talk about, and only in the bubble where Oprah seems to now dwell are they less relevant than CREATING an artificial celebration to help boost his career (a 25th Anniversary? For a man who's ACTUALLY been in the business 27 years? Come on...). Oprah is a good person underneath. A responsible one. But she's lost--at least in this. She listens to the people with the money and the power, and that's just a sad, sad thing. It's not what the Oprah I grew up watching did.

Scandals surrounding Eckhart Tolly? Can anyone please tell me what this is about??

Kind regards, Julie

I posted the following on Monday after the Tom Cruise show, but wanted to be heard here ast well, so here is my original post:

"Well I for one LOVED the fact that she had Tom on! I was one of those people, like many of you that was fed up with all the Tom Cruise nonsense. This is the first time I have posted, or been on the boards, but felt like I wanted to be heard! I don't normally get to see the show because of work, but am home for a couple of week recovering from foot surgery, so I got to see both parts! Loved it! I laughed out loud so many times today! I got to thinking....who am I to judge? I have made mistakes, and have been forgiven, so who am I to look down my nose at him. We all need to remember that we all make mistakes, his are just made bigger because he is in the public light. He has tried to make things right, and I think it is time we forgive. Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you Oprah for making me remember why I love him, and his movies!"

One day later....and I STILL feel that way. Imagine that! Thanks again Oprah!

I didn't bother to watch. Tom Cruise is a spokesman for an abusive cult. It would benefit Oprah if she would explore the "real" side of scientology. She needs to learn how non-celebrities are enslaved and ordered not to speak to their families if their families disagree with Co$. It is now up to Oprah to decide to choose truth over friendship.

Yes, to some extent, I can sympathize with your point of view. Scientology is a fundamentalist religion - just as much as are the Jehovah's Witnesses. What does such low-level spiritual health have to offer to the world's spiritual evolution, Oprah?

Kind regards, Julie

Hi Oprah,

I was very disappointed by the Tom Cruise interview. That interview was billed as "clearing" everything up, but it really didn't. I realize that Tom Cruise is a friend of yours, so it would be awkward to dig deeper than you did, particularly concerning his role in the abusive practices of Scientology. I think you owe it to the many non-celebrities who have suffered abuses as a result of official Scientology policies such as Disconnection and Fair Game.

Please consider Jason Beghe and Jenna Miscavige Hill as guests to explore the other side of Scientology. You built up a huge audience by caring for the regular and less fortunate people of the world. Scientology's dark side has been steadily gaining worldwide attention in 2008, but it has not gotten a lot of media attention in the US due to fears of litigation from Scientology's lawyers. You can help by standing up for these people and giving some airtime to this issue.