Dr. Oz Is Running For Senate And People Are Mad At Oprah?
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Yes, Oprah Winfrey gave Dr. Oz a platform, but does that mean she is responsible for his actions or that she owes the Black community anything?
Yesterday, Black Twitter and others ripped Oprah Winfrey apart after Dr. Oz announced his plans to run as a Republican for an open U.S. Senate seat in Pennsylvania. Although it might seem odd that Oprah would take an “L” for the political aspirations of Dr. Oz, some people have made a clear connection between Winfrey and the selection of celebrities, writers, influencers, and on-air talent she has endorsed. Specifically citing that she has used her larger-than-life platform to promote some pretty questionable characters who tend to have a relatively conservative lean and leave a lot to be desired in the areas of credibility and contributions to the Black community. But the real question is, does Oprah owe Black folks anything? My answer: yes and no.
On Tuesday, social media blew up after news broke that Dr. Mehmet Oz decided to run as a Republican for an open Senate seat. The announcement received immediate media attention because the 61-year-old surgeon — who first came to the public’s attention as a regular guest on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” before starting his own long-running daytime medical advice show — has become infamous for making controversial comments about COVID-19 during his regular appearances on Fox News. After making erroneous claims, Dr. Oz has earned a few well-deserved side-eyes for spreading misinformation. For example, in April 2020, he cited a medical journal, saying that opening schools “may only cost us 2 to 3 percent in terms of total mortality” of the population. After receiving harsh criticism, with his tail tucked between his legs, the good doctor headed to his Twitter page to say he “misspoke.” Just one month prior, he jumped on the conservative anti-vax bandwagon and promoted hydroxychloroquine to fight the coronavirus, despite researchers at the time warning that the drug had not been proven to be effective.
So, it should come as no surprise that the celebrity heart surgeon positioned himself even more aggressively as an enemy of elites and as someone who has “fought the establishment” throughout his career in his announcement to run for Senate. Also, sharing that his frustration with the “arrogant…
