I'm really glad that Oprah thought better of her defense of the fiction-riddled non-fiction memoir by James Frey, "A Million Little Pieces." In the book, he claims to have served a three-month jail term, when he was actually only in custody for a few hours. He also allegedly exaggerates mistreatment he received during a visit at a rehab clinic that could have discouraged readers from seeking treatment for their own issues. Oprah has apoligized to her audience for acting as if the truth didn't matter and today she confronted Frey on her show.
Some excerpts from an article by Edward Wyatt of The New York Times reporting on the show:
"Mr. Frey said he had made up many of the details of his life and had created a bad-guy portrayal of himself as a 'coping mechanism.'"
"'I thought of myself as tougher than I was and badder than I was,' Mr. Frey said."
"Ms. Winfrey asked if he made up the material because it helped him cope or because he thought it would help sell books. Mr. Frey responded, 'Probably both.'"
"Ms. Winfrey was about 20 minutes into her show when ABC News interrupted the broadcast to televise President Bush's news conference."
How ironic to interrupt one discussion of a million little lies with another.
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