Above, you'll see a billboard featuring Oprah's face... with a huge smile on it. Next to her giant, smiling face is the headline: "Oprah Goes To Auschwitz."
I point this out because I don't know whether to laugh at or be offended by this. I don't think I have to spell out just how messed up I find the juxtaposition of Oprah's beaming smile and a headline about Nazi death camps. If someone driving past only gave the billboard a quick glance, he or she might expect the headline next to Oprah's giant smile to read "John Travolta Teaches Oprah to Fly" or "Oprah Gives Audience the State of Rhode Island... As A Gift," but nope, that's not the case this time -- she's smiling about Auschwitz. Of course, I don't mean to imply that Oprah finds the Holocaust amusing. But whoever's in charge of that billboard sure has some poor judgment. Because, man is that a bad advertisement!
So, what do you think? Is this billboard (A) horribly inappropriate, (B) hilarious, (C) neither or (D) both A and B?
I'm thinking (D).
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Seriously, Oprah?
On May 24, Oprah aired an episode of her show documenting her visit to an Auschwitz concentration camp with a Holocaust survivor. So far, so good -- Nazi camps were vile, but there's no rule against covering them. But, what's not so good is the way Oprah advertised the episode.
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1 comment:
D for sure! I just think that someone wasn't thinking...but perhaps a photo of her in tears wouldn't be the image she'd want to put across...
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