Douglas Howe: February 2008 Archives

Robert Bianco's review in USA Today does something almost unheard of in today's media: it rips into Oprah Winfrey! He hints at the "horrifying" and "stomach-churning" as he describes her new entry into the prime time TV market.

Oprah is more than a pop diva or ratings queen—she's really become something of a cultural chaplain, influencing worldviews, belief systems, and careers. And she's done it with a sort of untouchability when it comes to media criticism.

That's why it got my attention when Bianco's review took aim at her new "giving" show, "The Big Give."

"Anyone old-fashioned enough to believe in keeping acts of righteousness private should give a wide berth to Oprah's Big Give (ABC, Sunday, 9 ET/PT)…as reinterpreted by the Queen of All Media," he writes. It's an "Apprentice-type game that turns charity into a competitive sport, Give will strike you as immensely uplifting or horrifyingly vulgar, or an odd combo of both."

Some TV shows are making their way quickly to post-strike prime time. Some are taking awhile and some are in limbo. There are even websites where you can go and weigh in on your opinion.

But one show that is not being talked about much is "24," and I'm not sure why. Fox made the decision to hold off on the popular Kiefer Sutherland series until January of 2009. 2009!

There's a new kind of media emerging, the kind related to much of what Beliefnet offer, and a window into what will probably be a major future trend.

The Washington Post and Newsweek have teamed up for "OnFaith," advertised as the place "where news and religion converge." (Sounds a lot like Beliefnet, huh?!)

But in this celebrity interview series, the current and most recent "celebrity" interview is with Rick Warren, the best-selling author of "The Purpose Driven Life" and the Founding and Senior Pastor of the largest Christian church in Southern California.

In the interview, Rev. Warren discusses a wide range of matters including the status of atheists, the role of music, the hope of Jesus, and the evidence of God.

Each year at the Oscars there are goof-ups and fashion slips, which make for lots of water cooler banter the next day. But for me, the most lasting moments are the most inspiring ones. This was certainly the "year of the montage," but it's the small moments that will live on from this year. Here are my ten most inspiring moments from the four hours of television that made up the 80th Oscars:

10. Jon Stewart’s opening monologue: It was funny, brief, positive, and relevant. He didn't overreach, had some fun, but didn't make it about himself. He set the stage for the shortest show in years.

9. The presentation of best documentary (short subject) made by Tom Hanks with help from U.S. troops live, via satellite, from Baghdad: A few troops saying their names and hometowns was a gentle and classy reminder to pray for all of the troops serving around the world, and a wonderful moment for each of them.

In her third album, 2007 Grammy Award Nominee Ledisi promises "fiery vocals, funk-up rhythm and absolute soul." And in her 14 full tracks (and two mini-tracks) that make up "Lost and Found," she delivers.

As one of Billboard Magazine's "Top 10 Faces to Watch in 2007," Ledisi has been carving out a name for herself in recent years. While spending the three years it took to produce the complete work of "Lost and Found," she was also performing awards shows, concerts, and benefits. Hers is a well-crafted young career and I suspect that as her face becomes more popular, her voice will become more well-known.

To me, the title sounded something like an inquest into the Kennedy assassination or the 9-11 Report, but from the first scenes, "The Final Inquiry" clearly takes us back to biblical times, complete with thieves on a cross, a solar...

Entertainment Weekly's current feature—the Top Twenty Most Appalling Shows Ever—provides a reminder of how bad television can get. No matter how bad we've gotten in this writers' strike, it's actually been worse while the writers were available! (Though not by...

Unless you've had your head in the cosmic dust, you've probably heard that the next movie in the "Star Wars" series is due out this August. And, you've heard of the two potentially controversial decisions made by creator George Lucas....

The beautiful American Dream of baseball, hot dogs, apple pie, and Chevrolet turned briefly into a near-nightmare today as one baseball’s strongest candidates for “hero” status—Roger Clemens—went before Congress to defend himself from allegations that he has used steroids to...

One of the more profound news stories of the day surfaced this morning via a clip on the MSNBC website and "The Today Show." I was struck by the ugliness, the beauty, the comic relief, and the missing link. There...

Every network that broadcasts live TV sports offers several versions of pregame shows, which are usually pretty boring. They serve as great fare for those in sports bars, people having parties, and lonely types who have nothing else to do...

In the growing (and potentially nauseating!) world of reality TV, yesterday’s Super Bowl once again proved that professional sports are still the absolute best reality TV programming on the air. And, occasionally, it’s not only entertaining, but inspiring, as in...