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James Frey’s million little lies

I look forward to Oprah’s show where she admitted having been duped by bestselling author James Frey and apologized to her millions of viewers.

I get my Oprah Winfrey show via Starworld which is at least a week delayed and at ABS-CBN’s Channel 23 which airs months-old Oprah.

Meanwhile, I had to rely on the internet for reports about the unmasking of James Frey, author of the supposed non-fiction “A Million Little Pieces” as a master fictionist. The Smoking Gun, an investigative website (www.thesmokinggun.com) provides a comprehensive background on the Frey caper.

Last Oct. 26, James Frey’s “A Million Little Pieces” was selected for Oprah’s Book of the Month Club. She hailed Frey’s gripping confessional book on his having been an alcoholic, drug addict, and criminal as “like nothing you’ve ever read before.”

As expected, Oprah’s endorsement turned “A Million Little Pieces” into a best seller (more than 3.5 million copies sold). Inspired by the success, Frey had a sequel, “My Friend Leonard”, which also became a bestseller, thanks to Oprah, The Smoking Gun said.

In that Oct. 26 show, the 36-year old author said, “I was a bad guy. If I was gonna write a book that was true, and I was gonna write a book that was honest, then I was gonna have to write about myself in very, very negative ways.”

TSG’s six-week investigation revealed that police reports, court records, interviews with law enforcement personnel, and other sources showed Frey “wholly fabricated or wildly embellished details of his purported criminal career, jail terms, and status as an outlaw.”

TSG said Frey also invented a role for himself in a deadly train accident that cost the lives of two female high school students.

Last week, Frey returned to the Oprah Winfrey Show where Oprah raked him for lying to her and to the world. “I really feel duped. But more importantly I feel that you betrayed millions of readers.”

When Frey’s publisher, Nan Talese said, “Yes, the whole situation is very sad,” Oprah added, “It is not a sad situation for me, it is embarrassing; embarrassing and disappointing.”

Oprah’s ” precision smackdown of Frey and his editor”, as described by Amy Alexander, in her MSNBC commentary, was a relief to many of Oprah’s admirers who were torn by her defense of Frey in the Jan. 11 episode of Larry King Live.

Oprah, one of the most influential women in America and beyond, called up during Larry King’s interview of Frey and dismissed the brewing controversy about the truthfulness of the book as “much ado about nothing.”

She also said: “What is relevant is that he was a drug addict … and stepped out of that history to be the man he is today and to take that message to save other people and allow them to save themselves.”

In last week’s interview with Frey, Oprah made her own mea culpa: “I left the impression that the truth doesn’t matter, and for that I am deeply sorry. That is not what I believe….and to those who challenged me, you were absolutely right.”

It is reported that some booksellers will move “A Million Little Pieces” from the Non-fiction section to Fiction, where it should really belong. The New York Times influential bestseller list has a disappointing reaction. NY Times columnist Maureen Dowd said “The Times will simply indicate that will Mr. Frey has admitted fabricating parts of the book.”

I was attracted to the James Frey story because as a journalist, I have seen journalism assaulted by members of the profession who would not allow truth to get in the way of a dramatic headline story.

Many times, I am amazed by reporters who get the details of their story by just looking up at the press room’s ceiling.

Every year, a number of outstanding investigative pieces are recognized in the Jaime V. Ongpin Awards for Excellence in Journalism. If a TSG would examine closely the finalists in the JVO Awards, I’m sure they’ll find out that a number of the finalists should have been more appropriate for the Palanca Literature Awards.

Published inMalaya

482 Comments

  1. goldenlion goldenlion

    Ellen,
    I have not read that book of James Frey nor I watch Ophra’s show. That case of Frey is not an isolated one. Maraming ganyan, kailangang kumita eh. Even our brodcasting industry is doing it. Some TV reporters make a very ordinary story to a sensational report. what is more tragic is reading a fake news nowadays. During the EDSA 3, reporters from ABS-CBN and GMA 7 did not show the real number of people protesting. It was really sad to know that our field reporters are being paid to tell a lie. Kasi daw may pressure sila from Malacanang. Sana kung hindi nila kayang sabihin ang totoo, huwag na lang sila mag-report. Nagtataka ako, bakit iyong ibang newspapers, kahit nasa hit list na ng militar ang ibang staff ay patuloy pa rin sa paghahatid ng tunay na pangyayari? Palibhasa nagkaroon tayo ng pekeng Pangulo, kaya pati reporting ay pinepeke rin!!

  2. pugak pugak

    goldenlion, tama ang sabi mo : “It was really sad to know that our field reporters are being paid to tell a lie”

    Ganyan ba ang turo sa atin sa eskwelahan?

    “BEING PAID TO TELL A LIE” image of Pinoy reporter is a perfect qualities for an overseas job.Duon sa abroad malaki ang kita run.

    Ang isa sa pinakamagandang nagawa ng THOMASITES sa Pilipinas ay ‘makapagprodyus ng mga Pinoy na magsisilbi sa ibang bansa’ –at hindi isang bayaran(para maganda naman pakinggan).

    ALAM KO NA MARAMI ANG MAGAGALIT KAPAG SINABI KO NA MGA MUKHANG PERA ANG MGA FILIPINO!!!

  3. true pukag MUKHA PERA ang mga pinoy sa congreso,
    senado, mayor , kapitan pangulo ng pilipinas ay isang
    sample naMUKHA PERA ANG MGA PILPINO!!!!!!

  4. I’m amazed at the attackers about the Frey lies
    not that I feel he wasn’t truthful, and that is a no-no. Just find the Oprah behavior was kind of out of her charater of promoting her love thing and the “The I got it” phrase she uses over and over. Truth is we all know there are plenty of so-called “my story” books, that embelish or forget certain facts in “their story”. Whatever, Oprah will not suffer, loss of her fans and will continue to to be a wealthy person, know it all “guru”. Whatever…..we will survive her “being duped” and we can change the channel if we don’t want to view her broadcast. Right????? I’m just rather amazed this got so much press??? Oh, well, I am just a small “fish” in the sea..who cares what an uninformed person beleves????? LJN

  5. I picked the Frey story up because it is something close to my heart: upholding of truth.

  6. DSHEART DSHEART

    I was very dishearened when I found out the book was not based on fact. I couldn’t put it down and was so impressed that he got through all that he did. Now I just am disgusted. I wish that I hadn’t read it under the impression of it being nonfiction. I wouldn’t have been so touched and have felt so much empathy for the writer.

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