“Mother Warriors”
The first time I saw Jenny McCarthy, I was not impressed. She wasn’t unattractive, but she was another dime-a-dozen ditzy blond. Her laugh was annoying, her personality was vapid, and I couldn’t justify Hollywood continually forcing her upon the public in sitcoms and magazine covers.
What can I say, except, motherhood suits Jenny McCarthy. She is no longer the tramp among tramps on MTV’s “Singled Out” (I mean “tramps” with all due respect, two of my friends from high school once appeared on an episode… one of them even won, as I recall). McCarthy is now a “mother warrior.” And she is also a MILF. Sarah Palin might have been something when she was beauty queen, but (I’m sorry conservatives) she isn’t much now. Jenny McCarthy has grown into a beautiful woman, and she seems to be focused on faith and family in equal measure. And did I mention she is a “mother warrior?”
I still don’t get this aspect of Oprah Winfrey’s show. I don’t understand why a mother who does her job can’t just be called a mother. Are women so fragile that they need empowering around every bend? McCarthy stood by her son and did what mothers are supposed to do. That shouldn’t be something worthy of special recognition… unless the point is for me to realize that the mothers who don’t do their jobs are more common. To me, that would be the opposite of an empowering message. That’s Oprah saying, “The ditzy blond can do it, why can’t the rest of you?”
McCarthy served as Oprah’s roving reporter, visiting the home of another “mother warrior” and sharing her story. That’s all well and good, but then the other “mother warrior” was brushed aside so Oprah could bring out McCarthy’s boyfriend, Jim Carrey. At this point, I had to wonder if being a “mother warrior” took second place to being the Grinch.
“Oh, you have no arms or legs, yet you can walk and change your baby’s diaper… that’s great… now scamper off the stage because we’ve got a bonafide celebrity in the house.” No, those were not Oprah’s words, but that was the impression I got.
I liked Jim Carrey on “In Living Color.” He was decent in the Ace Ventura movies. Eventually, like Robin Williams, he decided to stop doing what he was good at. I first personally encountered him when he was a guest on the Tonight Show. In the five years I worked on the NBC lot, no other celebrity traveled with a larger entourage. It sends a message to those in the industry. Message received.
Carrey wanted to reassure Oprah’s viewers that everyone deserves to be loved… because until he suggested it, none of us dreamed it possible. Oprah called him “deep.”
Episode Summary:
- Oprah thinks there is nothing better than motherhood
- Oprah is not a mother
Tomorrow’s Guests:
Puppies
on Sep 25th, 2008 at 9:23 pm
Since you didn’t mention it, I take it McCarthy didn’t push her anti-vaccination movement that she has on past shows. Her mother warrior powers give her more knowledge than doctors. If you’re looking for the harm Oprah does, it’s promoting anti-science like McCarthy preaches.
on Sep 25th, 2008 at 11:09 pm
Well, Pete, if ‘anti-science’ were that dangerous to those that weren’t using it, the government would be investigating her, wouldn’t they?
on Sep 26th, 2008 at 12:41 am
Bob, I not sure if you saying, “If the government doesn’t outlaw it, it must be okay.” The government doesn’t go after quacks and psychics, either. I’m not advocating censorship of McCarthy’s views. It should be met with more speech.
on Sep 26th, 2008 at 7:49 am
Oprah is a mother. She has some 300 daughters at he school in Africa who all view her as a mother.