4 times Oprah ruined the world (that no one ever calls her on!).

This is half way to share a cool article and half to introduce more people to a favorite site of mine cracked!





I've always found Oprah Winfrey's influence impressive and frightening. Mostly frightening, actually. Her powers of influence are such that they even have their own name now -- the Oprah effect. Thanks to this odd phenomenon, people will blindly cosign or follow pretty much anything or anyone Oprah endorses on her show.

That makes sense, I suppose. Her audience is massive, and she's generally liked and respected. The thing I could never wrap my brain around with Oprah, though, is how someone at the helm of an empire as mighty as hers could be so #ing ... gullible. I'm not sure if it's a side effect of her whole "spiritual/positivity" thing, or what, but the woman is directly responsible for making some pretty #ty people, and their bat-# crazy views, mega famous. For example ...

#4. She Helped Jenny McCarthy Bring Measles and Mumps Back


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Back in 2007, Oprah had Jenny McCarthy on her show to promote some book she wrote (I believe it was called The Stupidest # Ever) about her son's autism. I never went to med school, but I do have Google (that counts) and, according to CDC statistics, more than 3.5 million Americans have an autism spectrum disorder for which scientists have yet to identify a definite cause. But McCarthy, who also did not go to med school (but she was on Singled Out, which doesn't count), announced very matter-of-factly that her son's autism was caused by vaccinations, specifically the MMR vaccine.

The MMR vaccine had nearly eradicated measles, mumps, and rubella in this country. If you didn't already know that, it's probably because society hasn't had to worry about those diseases for decades. Mumps and rubella aren't as serious, but measles did not # around in its glory days, killing thousands of people a year.


EdwardSamuelCornwall/iStock/Getty Images
This is what it looks like under a microscope.

The number of total cases had dropped to less than 200 annually, until McCarthy and Oprah conspired to discredit science.

The result has been a gradual spike in measles cases, with 2014 boasting a record 23 outbreaks and 644 cases reported. Was that merely coincidence or the Oprah effect at work? You can take in the available information and decide for yourself, but please remember, one of the key proponents of the anti-vaccine movement earned her college degree in the public restroom at a Candies shoe store.

She's just like us!

I don't care what talk show she appears on: you don't take medical advice from Jenny McCarthy. Even more importantly, if you're in charge of these things, definitely don't let her give that advice on the most influential daytime talk show in television history.

Unfortunately, trusting her famous friends over modern medicine is kind of Oprah's thing. Case in point, don't forget the time ...

#3. She Trusted Suzanne Somers Over Science


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Most people know Suzanne Somers from her role as Chrissy on Three's Company.

Others know her for shilling the single greatest piece of workout equipment ever made, the Thighmaster.



But did you know that when she wasn't fulfilling her life's goal to be a low-budget Jane Fonda, she was becoming a world-renowned physician who specializes in hormone replacement therapy?

If you didn't know, that's because she absolutely wasn't doing that, but damn if that was going to stop Oprah from treating her like a medical professional anyway. In 2009, Somers was invited to appear on the show for the sole purpose of having a platform to stand on while gushing about her intense daily routine, which consists of taking 60 pills, rubbing estrogen lotion on her arms, and vaginal estriol injections.


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Vaginal!

Not content to simply allow Somers' lunacy to permeate the airwaves, Oprah apparently let a little spill on herself as well. Shortly after Suzanne's appearance on her show, The Mighty O followed that same daily regimen of vagina shots and horse pills and, after four days, concluded that she was essentially born again into a more vibrant, clear, and youthful version of herself. FOUR DAYS? #ing hair replacement cream goes through a longer trial than that, and that # goes on your head, not IN your vag.

Why does Suzanne partake in this? Well, according to her, all this # is making her stay young and healthy. However, according to pretty much everyone with actual medical credentials, her "wellness regime" is actually very unhealthy, to the point that it could endanger her life. Somers is a huge fan of bio-identical hormones ...





www.cracked.com...

She was angry at Tom Cruise. Her robots all hate Tom Cruise now. Even grown up men that don't realize they have become Oprah's robots.

Maybe people should think for themselves instead of letting Oprah think for them.

originally posted by: Iamthatbish
Maybe people should think for themselves instead of letting Oprah think for them.

Shouldn't some of the blame be laid at oprah's feet? Don't people with such a gigantic forum and following have a responsibility to fact check the information the put out there. Of course I agree we shouldn't put that much trust in a random celeb , but still.

a reply to: Entreri06
Entertainment television shouldn't be a substitute for due diligence. If someone uses a show to give them ideas to discover for themselves that would be completely different.

I've enjoyed Cracked for a while, but I'm a bigger fan of their YouTube After Hours channel.

As for Oprah, eh, never paid much attention to her. Stupid is as stupid does, and I've always lumped her in with all the other daytime TV people.

a reply to: ketsuko

Id say anyone in or entranced by any aspect of the Entertainment Industrial Complex is equally retarded.

This includes politics, our nations most prized form of entertainment.

a reply to: Entreri06

ok on the autism thing what about robert kennedy jr spearheading his own investigation
on the subject with his scientist and his doctors

Now i dont believe jenny but watch this ..........the only reason i even care about is i have a 12 yr old with autism i got lucky
though he has ausburger syndrome he a little butthead genius lol

www.youtube.com...

a reply to: Entreri06

Great stuff but where is example #2 and #1??

a reply to: sweets777

the only reason i even care about is i have a 12 yr old with autism i got lucky though he has ausburger syndrome he a little butthead genius lol

You don't know how to spell your son's disorder?

a reply to: LogJammer

no thats how you spelled it i googled it and everything but thanks for the concern lol

reply to: sweets777

Pretty sure it's Asperger's Syndrome - I checked my academic qualifications though, not though, so I might be wrong.
I believe it's named after Austrian pediatrician Hans Asperger.