I remember watching Oprah interview James Frey, author of the bestselling A Million Little Pieces. I was sitting with my son and we both had the same reaction: she went for the jugular and the interview was about her rather than about allowing Frey to share his story. She felt she had been made to look stupid by Frey’s lie and she went after him.
It’s not about holding someone accountable. It’s how we hold them accountable and we hold Oprah to a higher standard of interview because of what she represents.
This week, Oprah re-watched the piece as she prepares to close out her show. She saw what we saw: her ego got in the way and in that state, she saw only herself and lost her capacity to see the view of another and maintain compassion.
She never understood why so many people thought she was so hard on Frey as she felt it was her duty to bring the truth out. What strikes me in this clip is Oprah’s capacity for self-reflection and her honesty. She circles back, observes herself, meditates on her motives and rather than defend and attack, she offers an apology. Impressive.
