It goes without saying that Oprah Winfrey wields some major starmaking power, so when someone signs a multi-platform, multi-year development deal with Harpo Productions, get ready to see a lot of them. The latest beneficiary of Oprah’s media might is Jenny McCarthy, who’s on track to create a syndicated talk show for Harpo after inking just such a deal. In the meantime, she launched a blog called "Give It Up Before Summer" on Oprah.com this past Friday. The "it" currently being given up is refined sugar, which McCarthy seems to have sworn off because, she explains, "I would always complain to my friends that I wish there were AA meetings for chocoholics." Also, just FYI, Jenny McCarthy was PMSing this weekend. And she refers to her "awesome husband" even though she and Jim Carrey are not technically married. So many things to learn from this blog!
So far McCarthy’s been a Playboy model, an actress with a knack for gross-out comedies, an MTV dating show host, an outspoken parent, and, recently, a frequent guest on Oprah. Not a bad career arc. Now, clearly, she’s poised to become a bigger phenomenon than ever. So now’s the time to speak up: What sort of projects would you like to see emerge from her Harpo deal? The sky is the limit here.
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Simon, you forgot to note that Jenny’s also a published author who’s had at least two best sellers. She’s also stood both sides on the cigar debate (on Time Magazine’s cover she dissed them as “stinky”, but in the Chigago Cigar newspaper she was prominently featured as a fan of cigars), was the most successful hostess of Mtv’s Remote Control, and did her first Playboy shoot straddling over a Vespa P200.
I’m no fan of Jenny’s, but must give the lady props for all she’s been able to accomplish. It’s also cool that she’s as outspoken on autism as she is.
I’d love to see her find a niche for herself like a talk show or as hostess of a skit series. Either that, or add her as Jenna’s long lost sister on 30 Rock and let’s see what ensues…
If she finds a cure for chocoholics, I’ll be forever in her debt.
Ugh, no. Jenny McCarthy is an idiot who continues to perpetuate the myth that vaccines cause autism. This is surprising from Oprah, who is normally so smart with health issues.
What sort of project would I like to see come of this? I guess I’d like to see a project called “Jenny McCarthy Stops Contributing to the Spread of Deadly Yet Easily Preventable Diseases.” The premise is simple: Jenny McCarthy stops publicizing her idiotic, non-scientific views on immunizations and starts educating people about the truth – that vaccines are critical to the health of our children and have absolutely no link to autism.
Yeah, I’d watch that.
I just lost my respect for Oprah.
Ms. McCarthy*s voice, along with the rest of her, should be welcome to the dialogue that is America. However, what is her reaction to the news that autism could be an inheirted trait as noted in an English medical study?
Since Oprah is such a huge Obama supporter and Obama has made a commitment to science and research, I don’t see why this anti-science celebrity is being given a platform to spew her ignorant bile. At least Dr. Phil has an actual degree. Shame on Oprah!
Ditto Crispy. Why Oprah gives her any love is beyond me.
Ep Sato, she was a hostess on “Singled Out,” not “Remote Control.” Kari Wuhrer was on RC.
It’s really too bad that Oprah does not use her considerable power to really do some good for the world–or at least remain neutral. But providing a platform for seriously (even dangerously) uninformed people like Jenny McCarthy is actually doing harm.
Jenny, Deepak, and others get a free launch from Ophrah and the world suffers for it. One day, I hope, Oprah will realize the harm she is doing.
Oprah’s the only one either:
http://faseidl.com/public/item/231380
I’d be willing to pay Oprah a subscription fee to keep McCarthy out of the public eye.
McCarthy is a menace to public health and is directly responsible for the un-vaccinated children that are dying from whooping cough and measles.
Yes, give her a talk show … the first one featuring true scientists, and have her get schooled on the fact that reading the internet does not make you qualified to speak about the causes & cures of autism.
Somewhat surprised by the JM hatred! I find her charming, and I think she’s been providing a shot in the arm to the O Show, which has been more and more snoozetacular lately…
I think Jenny McCarthy is funny and I’m impressed with her devotion to and advocacy for her son. BUT, have to agree with the other posters, it’s just not okay that someone with her public profile continues spreading the myth that vaccines cause autism. I can only imagine how it feels to have an autistic child and wish for answers, but vaccines just aren’t it.
It’s good to see Oprah has yet another minion. Blah.
Oprah must be desparate. She has a child with autism doesn’t make her anymore palatable than she was 10 years ago. What would make Oprah think anyone wants to listen to this flake.
Oprah is sinking fast in my opinion. One show a week is sitting around with Jenny (ugh) Gayle (who?) and Nate barely bearable, and talking about nothing absolutely NOTHING. Give me the View any day. Or Ellen.
But Jennie McCarthy oh plesae Oprah. If she gets 5 viewers a day with will be a miracle. I think Oprah should retire and just run a foundation with all her big bucks dedicated to helping people otherwise she should just go away.
If it wasn’t for her considerable aftermarket female attributes and Hugh Hefner’s creepy old man horniness, Jenny McCarthy would an unknown employee in either the food service or housekeeping industry.
I sincerely hope this is a late April fools day joke. Is Oprah really giving her a national platform to spread her special brand of pseudoscience?
It’s a sad day, and the kids of these dim parents buying into this will pay the price.
Why does Oprah hate us? First Dr. Phil and now Jenny freakin’ McCarthy?
I didn’t particularly like McCarthy when she was a blond bimbo obnoxiously riding out her 15 minutes of fame. Now I think she’s a rancid douchenozzle spewing pseudo science that encourages people to spread diseases to children. The only home she should have in the media is in a “Really?” segment on SNL.
So many people owe their careers to Oprah: Countless authors, Dr. Phil, Obama, & now maybe McCarthy.
I’m glad she was able to use her son to get a career again.
I am absolutely dumbfounded. I cannot think of one person who has done more to negatively affect the well being of our children AND encourage men to treat women as sex objects. Shame on Oprah. She just lost my respect.
http://www.lightwillguide.org
I’m guessing none of the previous posters had a child disappear into an abyss of darkness after an immunization OR use what you called “pseudoscience” and see your child recover. In fact, I’m sure of it. You see, my child is one of those recovery stories and none of you will EVER understand how on target Jenny McCarthy is unless you’ve seen your typical, healthy child one day and have him waste away in front of your eyes after a round of vaccines, THEN see him come back to life through diet, supplementation, chelation therapy and all the other modalities you obviously know nothing about. And why don’t you? Because I’m sure all of the docs you frequent are married to the pharmaceutical companies and not interested in treating the CAUSES of symptoms, they only want to make the sypmtoms go away with medication. If I had listened to mainstream pediatricians, allergist, and neurologist, then my son would not be RECOVERED from autism!
I’m guessing none of the previous posters had a child disappear into an abyss of darkness after an immunization OR use what you called “pseudoscience” and see your child recover. In fact, I’m sure of it. You see, my child is one of those recovery stories and none of you will EVER understand how on target Jenny McCarthy is unless you’ve seen your typical, healthy child one day and have him waste away in front of your eyes after a round of vaccines, THEN see him come back to life through diet, supplementation, chelation therapy and all the other modalities you obviously know nothing about. And why don’t you? Because I’m sure all of the docs you frequent are married to the pharmaceutical companies and not interested in treating the CAUSES of symptoms, they only want to make the sypmtoms go away with medication. If I had listened to mainstream pediatricians, allergist, and neurologist, then my son would not be RECOVERED from autism!
I’m an Autistic person. We’re not empty shells. We’re human beings. There’s no evidence that vaccination causes Autism, though to the untrained eye, symptoms may appear around the same age, and Autistic children are unusually prone to allergic reactions. Parents simply need to mourn the child they thought they knew. They need to admit powerlessness. 19% of the time symptoms will diminish on their own. Polio kills. Listen to your pediatrician. Please vaccinate your children.
What sort of projects would you like to see emerge from her Harpo deal?
As a Mother of an severely autistic child I would love to see some kind of reality show that would put typical parents in the shoes of parents of autistic children for a few days. Let them experience the pain we do, the frustration we do taking care of our autistic children. There are all kinds of other reality shows out there…. Why not one called “Living With Autism” If Jenny is such a committed parent advocate and she stresses how frustrating and painful it is for the families raising children with autism and how when we as parents speak about our children’s plight no one really listens this might be a feasible avenue to pursue that would do a ton of good for autism awareness. Let the world get a “real” dose of autism through a reality show and it would shed a whole NEW light on the disorder.
The problem with this world is not the fact that Oprah gave Jenny McCarthy a national platform to raise awareness on several different topics about life, the real problem is the shallow minds that can’t find anything better to do with their time but slander others with hatred comments. The bottom line is Jenny McCarthy did not murder someone, she is a wild child from our era and she has faced unfortunate circumstances and she is doing something about it!! Look around at everyone that raises awareness to different subjects because they have themselves been victims directly or indirectly and they are doing something about it!! Don’t hate people making a difference in life, hate yourselves for writing stupid hate messages while sitting on the couch eating your potatoe chips..LOL Get a life, make a difference and don’t keep score.. LIVE YOUR LIFE, GO FOR IT OPRAH and McCARTHY and make CHANGE!!
Let’s have some of you idiots walk in the shoes of a parent of an autistic child and NOT find hope in what Jenny is saying! I was so excited when I heard that this may happen for Jenny! I would be a faithful watcher of her show I hope she includes more information on Autism as she learns more herself. Some people don’t understand that many people may never be able to afford the resources that she has and so we learn from her what doctors or specialists could be crucial to helping our child with Autism succeed! GO JENNY!!!!!
Jenny McCarthy is a very credulous person who abuses her celebrity to promote unproven and unlikely therapies for very real illnesses. I am sorry that Oprah is supporting her and financing such a large bullhorn. There is a very real danger to many, many children if large numbers of parents follow McCarthy’s anti-vaccination advice.