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Elie/Oprah: Bad Pairing
FUNNY PEOPLE: AN EVENING WITH
CARL REINER
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Thursday, February 9, 2006
8:15 p.m.
(Broadcast begins promptly)
Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit
D. Dan & Betty Kahn Building
Eugene & Marcia Applebaum Jewish Community Cap - bUs
6600 West Maple Road • West Bloomfield
7°8 p.m.: Janice Charach Epstein
Enjoy refreshments and tour the exhibit
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Call for tickets! 248.4
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Judaica Art & Jewelry Fair
Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit
6600 W. Maple • West Bloomfield
D. Dan & Betty Kahn Building
Eugene & Marcia Applebaum
Jewish Community Campus
Milk and Honey Restaurant
at the JCC will be open
Saturday night, February 11, 2006
from 7:30 pm to 11:30 pm
in honor of the Judaica Art Fair
Saturday, February 11, 2006
8:30 pm - 11:30 pm
Sunday, February 12, 2006
10:00 am — 7:00 pm
Monday, February 13, 2006
9:00 arn — 1:00 pm
Michigan's leading exhibition
of fine contemporary and
traditional Judaica
• 50 acclaimed artists will be present!
32 new to the show
• 39 Israeli artists
• Diverse media & an array of fine
jewelry
Adult admission $5 No Strollers Please
For information call 248.855.6170
SPONSORED BY BAIS CHABAD OF WEST BLOOMFIELD 1066660
.38
February 2 2006
by does Elie
that Wiesel took editorial liber-
Wiesel need
ties, labeling the book a novel
Oprah Winfrey?
and not non-fiction. Whatever
That's the puzzling question
mistakes Wiesel made, and he
raised by Wiesel's agreement
apparently made some, they
to appear on her show after
hardly fall into the category of
Winfrey, arguable the most
fabrications. The controversy
powerful television personali-
Berl Fa lbaurn
proves the point that Wiesel
ty, chose Wiesel's classic Night
Corn m unity
made Night a target of Oprah
as a selection for her famous
Vie
Winfrey pop standards that
book club.
make few serious distinctions.
Wiesel's decision to use this platform
Wiesel is offended as well as angered
demeans the book, his work and his voice by the criticism, and rightly so. But he
as the conscience of the world. He appar-
must remember that he opened the doors
ently has forgotten the incisive observa-
to a venue where the most deep-seeded
tion of Marshall McLuhan, generally
and complex issues are decided by an
described as the electronic age's first
applause meter. He also forgot that Oprah
prophet, that the medium is the message.
Winfrey, before selecting A Million Little
First, some background: Winfrey was
Pieces, was warned about the issues relat-
caught up in a controversy after choosing
ing to Frey's work. So much for literary
James Frey's memoir, A Million Little
standards and scholarship.
Pieces, for her book club. Frey's autobiog-
One can argue, as many do, that
raphy of how he turned his life around
Wiesel's decision helps disseminate the
from drugs, jail, etc., turns out to be, let's
message of the Holocaust to millions who
say, not quite accurate. There are charges
otherwise would never have heard of
that many "facts" were simply not true.
Night and its devastating story and mes-
Thus, Winfrey had to resort to some pub-
sage.
lic relations damage control and, admit-
But the intellectual Wiesel certainly
tedly, came up with a master stroke by
understands that the arena in which such
choosing Night.
subjects as the Holocaust are discussed is
While it is not clear why Wiesel made
important which, of course, was
his decision, the reverse is crystal clear:
McLuhan's point. Will the millions who
Winfrey chose a respected Nobel Prize
might hear Wiesel really be affected by
figure to undo damage to her reputation
the book when a minute later they will be
as .a book guru (among other things).
shedding tears after hearing the "true
Night, first published in French in 1958, is confessions" of couples who regret their
Wiesel's story of his Nazi death camp
infidelity?
experiences in Birkenau and Auschwitz as
The answer, of course, is obvious. The
a teenager.
affect of Night on Oprah fans is equivalent
Winfrey deals in pop culture, solving
to that of movie audiences watching
the most serious emotional and psycho-
Schindler's List as they eat their popcorn
logical problems of her guests as well as
while watching the gassing of Jews, and
social and political issues in 15 minutes
on their way out ask each other, "How did
between commercials. She still periodi-
you like the movie?"
cally peddles sex, and we should not for-
So why did Wiesel decide to appear on
get she started her career helping set the
Oprah's stage?
standard for the depraved discussions we
True, Oprah Winfrey's endorsement
have evolved into. Her exploitation of
can catapult a book to the best-seller lists.
human weaknesses in front of television
But Wiesel can't be motivated by sales.
cameras is appalling. The show's superfi-
Night has been extremely successful for
ciality, no matter what the subject, seems
48 years and Wiesel has written more
to have no bounds; audiences applaud no
than 40 other books, many of which did
matter what is said on stage.
very well. It can't be notoriety. He is world
To be fair, she is not the only one who
renowned, a Nobel Peace laureate, and
hosts a show that wallows in human
has been the guest of several presidents
tragedies, suffering, and what we might
in the White House and of other world
call "politics lite". Winfrey simply has
leaders.
perfected the "art"; one might add that, in
So "why"? If only Oprah would ask him
the end, it is not about the guests but the
that question.
hosts whether it is Oprah or Dr. Phil.
The fallout on Wiesel's classic, regret-
Berl Falbaum, author, Farmington Hills pub-
tably, has already begun. Even before
lic relations executive and former political
appearing on the show, Night has been
reporter, teaches journalism part time at
demeaned with some critics charging
Wayne State University in Detroit.