Ow. Ow. Ow. Oprah’s tearing James Frey a new one, it appears, and live on public television.

Quoth Oprah, presumably with him sitting mutely for once:
“I feel duped. I don’t know what is true and I don’t know what isn’t,” she said, before addressing Mr. Frey with the question, “Why did you lie?”

Say what you will, it had to painful sitting next to her, even if your bottom is delicately padded with millions courtesy of the last time you sat there. Oprah’s the uber-mom – I’m sure when she turns on the shame, there’s no going back.

Hope he invests that money wisely.

I guess, by the way, I’ve lumped myself among the gleeful hordes on this one, but actually it’s pretty tough to watch Frey get called out and made to endure a public confessional.

—–

Mr. FREY: I mean, I feel like I came here and I have been honest with you. I have, you know, essentially admitted to…
WINFREY: Lying.
Mr. FREY: …what I have been–to lying.
WINFREY: To lying.
Mr. FREY: And I think that’s…
WINFREY: Which is not an easy thing to do.
Mr. FREY: No, it’s not an easy thing to do in front of an audience full of people and a lot of others watching on TV.
WINFREY: Yes.
Mr. FREY: I mean, if I come out of this experience with anything, it’s being a better person and learning from my mistakes and making sure that I don’t repeat them.
WINFREY We’ll be right back.
(Announcements)
WINFREY: In closing, I wanted to say this: I read this quote in The New York Times from Michiko Kakutani, who said it best, I think. It’s why I really wanted to do this show. She says this is not about truth in labeling–a case about truth in labeling or the misrepresentation of one author, that it is a case about how much value contemporary culture places on the very idea of truth. And I believe that the truth matters. I thank you for being on here today. I thank you.
Mr. FREY: Thank you for having me.
WINFREY: Thank you for being here.