Bob McCarty Writes

I’m not a gambler, but I’m willing to wager that you’ll like the news I uncovered about Paddy Power, an Irish bookie who’s offering betting lines on a number of items related to the Democratic National Convention nomination acceptance speech Barack Obama will deliver Thursday night at Invesco Field in Denver. Which pithy saying will [...]

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John Lennon stirred much controversy when, during an interview July 29, 1966, he stated that the Beatles were “more popular than Jesus.” Beatles concerts were canceled, and Americans staged public burnings of Beatles’ records and memorabilia. Today, another media personality seems to be getting away with making similarly blasphemous statements. She is Oprah Winfrey. Don’t [...]

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The last time an Oprah Winfrey endorsement backfired, the talk show diva did not sit idly by and watch her reputation tank. Instead, she brought the perpetrator of the “crime” — A Million Little Pieces author James Frey — back to her show for a televised verbal flogging. Today, some in the media* are saying [...]

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Ever wonder why it seems only attractive white girls who turn up missing become fodder for television talkers like Greta Van Sustern, Oprah, Nancy Grace, Dan Abrams and Bill O’Reilly? Despite what some folks might have you believe, it’s simply a matter of demographics. Advertising Age ran a piece on the subject yesterday, accompanied by [...]

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Much has been written and reported in recent months about the so-called “Oprah Effect” and its impact on the outcome of this year’s race for the Democrat presidential nomination. There has, however, been far less discussion about any role Oprah Winfrey played in sinking the White House “boat” of the first serious female candidate for [...]

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Two negative influences are impacting Americans at this time: Reality television and presidential politics. Thanks to the ongoing strike by film and television writers, television viewers are being subjected to increasingly-desperate examples of reality TV programming. The latest unfortunate example, NBC’s Clash of the Choirs, airs Monday and pits amateur choirs against each other, singing [...]

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Much of the political world’s attention in recent days has been focused upon Democrat presidential candidate Barack Obama and how he might benefit from the so-called “Oprah Effect.” Conversely, little attention has been paid to the impact of the “Okra Effect” — that is, until now. During the last weekend of September, Republican presidential candidates [...]

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