(ThyBlackMan.com) That’s what Kanye should’ve said!
Whitney Houston was barely dead a month before Oprah swooped in to participate in the exploitation of Houston and her daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown. Yeah, you were tuned in, riveted as Oprah showed so much concern for Bobbi Kris and empathy for the rest of the Houston clan. That’s what you saw. I saw a businesswoman with a floundering network that instantly recognized a ratings grab at the expense of the pain of a family, friends and community. Yeah, Oprah knew you would tune in.
I was a bit uneasy watching that awkward conversation near the piano. I felt bad for Bobbi Kris, felt badly for the decisions the adults around her had made throughout her entire life. I watched a girl barely nineteen publicly trying to deal with the loss of her mother amid a media frenzy and whirlwind of activity that have thrust her square in the crosshairs of the media and Oprah. I was saddened as she talked about lights going on and hearing her mom’s voice and how she stumbled to put together sentences when asked how she was doing, which was more of an indication of how she wasn’t dealing well.
I lost my grandmother at 18 and was extremely traumatized by the loss, so imagine losing your mother at the same age on a very public stage and then having cameras and lights in your face barely a month later? While trying to 
deal with all of this, you’re talking about launching a career in singing, dancing and acting, what about the recovery? Did I miss the portion of the conversation when it was said there would be ongoing therapy, regular consultations with a pastor, some form of structure to picking up the pieces? What we do know is that she stands to inherit millions.
Cue the vultures…
Auntie Pat seems to be so caring and trying to keep Bobbi Kristina so close, because she loves her and the girl needs to be loved on right about now, but it’s more likely that she’s trying to stay close to the gravy train. That was Whitney’s house where the interview took place and mostly everything they have is courtesy of Nippy, Inc. The most telling part of the conversation was when Oprah asked where Bobbi Kristina was living and Auntie Pat said she was “between homes, she stays here sometimes”, so where else is she staying?Anyone with internet access has seen the blogs document Bobbi Kristina’s wild behavior, so now that she’s lost her mother and is seemingly estranged from her father, who’s exactly going to rein her in? I would have much rather Oprah sat down and had an adult conversation with the child, talking to her about the pitfalls that come with the newfound fortune and how those around you can drain you, much like she witnessed with her mother. Perhaps she did it privately, but publicly, she made the girl look like an idiot.
The bulk of the show was sent talking to Pat Houston, Whitney’s sister-in-law, best friend and manager, that’s a lot of hats to wear and can be quite confusing when the cameras are on. She looked like she was in business mode that night, trying to ensure she preserved the brand, but she came across emotionally detached from the situation and seemed more intent on placing herself in the top position of Whitney’s hierarchy. For all things Whitney, Pat Houston is now the expert and I’m sure we’ll see her often cashing in on the legacy. The streets are talking and saying that it was her that took the picture of Whitney in the casket, that she’s trying to hold on to Bobby Kristina because of the $20 million windfall the woman-child is said to inherit.
Another disturbing moment for me was when Whitney’s brother Gary was asked what he would miss most about his sister and his response was “singing duets” with her. Really? You’re not going to miss her fried chicken or the way she laughed heartily at times or just the conversations you had? These are some of the things we miss when we lose people, part of a relationship and intimate moments between people who love. It was all just weird to me. However, you do notice there was one person missing from the circus, Cissy. Cissy wasn’t ready to talk in front of a camera; she’s hurting, smarting from the pain of losing her daughter. She’s still searching for answers, asking God why, wondering if she could have done anything differently to avoid the pain she’s feeling.
I’m sure Bobbi Kristina is in a similar place and would rather had none done the interview, but she’s being lead to the wolves by the hounds and Oprah was there to capture it all to the tune of 3.1 million viewers. 3.1 million people haven’t watched OWN in months, but Oprah was sure that Black America would take a break from NeNe Leakes to tune in as she put pain on parade. That’s exploitation, but we’re so needy for information and to feel like part of what’s going on that we completely ignored the pain for the story.
Sad.
Maybe I just hate Oprah, but I love Black people…
Staff Writer; Al-Lateef Farmer
More of his work can be found over at: The World According to Teef.
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