No One Is Late For Oprah!

[lkb]

I admittedly dislike Oprah and I barely know who Jennifer Hudson is but...
I just rewatched "The Devil Wears Prada" the other night and it sounds to me like Oprah acted like Miranda Priestly in a similar situation.
So does Jennifer Hudson have to get the latest Harry Potter for Oprah? 

[Ceiling Fan]

I admittedly dislike Oprah and I barely know who Jennifer Hudson is but...
I just rewatched "The Devil Wears Prada" the other night and it sounds to me like Oprah acted like Miranda Priestly in a similar situation.
So does Jennifer Hudson have to get the latest Harry Potter for Oprah? 

YES! Three years before it's been written! (jeesh, don't my stupid emplyees know anything )

[lolane]

I don't love everything Oprah does, but I think Jennifer Hudson was wrong on this one too. She can book her time however she chooses, but if you make professional commitments, you are expected to honor them. If you can't honor them, because of extenuating circumstances, you should let people know that there *may* be a problem as soon as possible. I cannot understand why JH took so long to let Oprah's people know that there might be a problem. She may not have been able to anticipate bad weather months in advance, but she probably could have the week of the taping and she most certainly could have the night before and morning of the taping. Oprah shouldn't be passive aggressive and retaliatory rudeness is bad, but JH was rude as well IMO.

[Master_Edward]

Thank you, JonGirl. I'm glad to know someone agrees with me and sees things the way I do.

Ed.

[JonGirl]

Thank you, JonGirl. I'm glad to know someone agrees with me.

Ed.

No worries   

[cocacola35]

I think that personal opinions about Oprah is coloring many of the responses here.  This was not a personal situation, but a business one and the etiquette rules are more formal.  
In the business world, tardiness is one of the ultimate acts of unprofessionalism and rudeness.  If you have made a commitment, it is your job to forsee any problems that might make you late whether it be traffic, weather or airline flights and plan accordingly.  If something unexpected happens, then the least you can do is warn people ahead of time so they can make accommodations to their schedule.  For example, I am required to go to scheduled meetings at work along with thousands of other things to do.  If someone is significantly late it throws my whole schedule off and prevents me from doing other things.  I find this not only rude but a complete lack of respect for my time and work.  So I tend to get pretty angry if I have to twiddle my thumbs waiting for someone at a business meeting.

While I agree that it was in poor taste for Oprah to make PA comments about JH on her show, I understand her anger.  Not only was JH costing Oprah and her staff thousands of dollars, but there were audience members and viewers wanting to see JH.  At the very least JH should have contacted Oprah when she realized there would be a problem (preferably just telling them about the other gig in the first place) so her staff could make a plan B.  JH or her people shouldn't have booked the party in Dallas the night  before the   Oprah show.  The way I see it, JH is in the wrong here.  However after she apologized, Oprah should not mention the incident publicly anymore.

[StuffedGrapeLeaves]

I think that a lot of personal opinions about Oprah is coloring many of the responses here.  This was not a personal situation, but a business one and the etiquette rules are more formal. 
In the business world, tardiness is one of the ultimate acts of unprofessionalism and rudeness.  If you have made a commitment, it is your job to forsee any problems that might make you late whether it be traffic, weather or airline flights and plan accordingly.  If something unexpected happens, then the least you can do is warn people ahead of time so they can make accomadations to their schedule.  For example, I am required to go to scheduled meetings at work along with thousands of other things to do.  If someone is significantly late it throws my whole schedule off and prevents me from doing other things.  I find this not only rude but a complete lack of respect for my time and work.  So I tend to get pretty angry if I have to twiddle my thumbs waiting for someone at a business meeting.

While I agree that it was in poor taste for Oprah to make PA comments about JH on her show, I understand her anger.  Not only was JH costing Oprah and her staff thousands of dollars, but there were audience members and viewers wanting to see JH.  At the very least JH should have contacted Oprah when she realized there would be a problem (preferably just yelling them about the other gig in the first place) so her staff could make a plan B.  JH or her people shouldn't have booked the party in Dallas the night  before the   Oprah show.  The way I see it, JH is in the wrong here.  However after she apologized, Oprah should not mention the incident publically anymore.

Parking my POD right here. 

[RegionMom]

My neighbor was on the Oprah show a few years ago for doing something really cool.  I babysat her DD while she was gone.
She told me Oprah's staff was extremely professional, perfectionist, and that Oprah was not interested in the story that my friend had to present. 
I heard friend's telling before I saw the show, and almost did not believe her, unitl I saw the show.  Oprah cut her off, barely looked at the item, made a few uhm hum noises, and that was it!!
Friend said she would have peferred the Ellen show, but what she did was contract bound and signed by a head company.

Not that Oprah was a diva, but...if she does not like something, you can tell.

Back OT-
I teach at a private school and we are "allowed" to leave campus if we have a long break for whatever odd reason.  But we have to tell someone.  What if I had car trouble? 
Jennifer's people should have given notice, but Oprah should have given grace.

[MadMadge43]

and that Oprah was not interested in the story that my friend had to present. 

You do realize this is Oprah's job and like every other job there are juicier projects than others. While I understand it sucks to be the one who is boring, you can't blame Oprah for it being boring and her staff having nothing better to give her.

She is not a perfect woman by any means, but I think it's really hard to understand being in her shoes. If I had had paparazzi following me around for the past 25 years 24/7 just trying to dig up bad things about me, well I'd probably be on the tabloids every day.

Considering I only remember a few Oprah mistakes in the past 25 years I think she has done an amazing job. And if all the haters have to pounce on this so passionately it means she hasn't given them much to pounce on.

[Ceiling Fan]

and that Oprah was not interested in the story that my friend had to present. 

You do realize this is Oprah's job and like every other job there are juicier projects than others. While I understand it sucks to be the one who is boring, you can't blame Oprah for it being boring and her staff having nothing better to give her.

She is not a perfect woman by any means, but I think it's really hard to understand being in her shoes. If I had had paparazzi following me around for the past 25 years 24/7 just trying to dig up bad things about me, well I'd probably be on the tabloids every day.

Considering I only remember a few Oprah mistakes in the past 25 years I think she has done an amazing job. And if all the haters have to pounce on this so passionately it means she hasn't given them much to pounce on.

And my heart bleeds for her, really.

(well, no not really. possibly there are a few things you give up when you become one of the wealthiest and most influential women in the world, and one of those is the empathy of the 'little folks'. Because, sorry, but I can't relate to her problems and issues. First and last, she's a talk show host. If she can't make her own guests on her own show feel comfortable, what use is she?)

[Master_Edward]

Very good point, Ceiling Fan.

Ed.

[MadMadge43]

Because, sorry, but I can't relate to her problems and issues. First and last, she's a talk show host. If she can't make her own guests on her own show feel comfortable, what use is she?)

Just because you can't relate to them doesn't mean the problems and issues aren't there. And if you have never had an off day at work, seriously if you have been on 100% of the time at work and have never once made a mistake or been absent minded or checked facebook, then you can judge.

[Ceiling Fan]

Because, sorry, but I can't relate to her problems and issues. First and last, she's a talk show host. If she can't make her own guests on her own show feel comfortable, what use is she?)

Just because you can't relate to them doesn't mean the problems and issues aren't there. And if you have never had an off day at work, seriously if you have been on 100% of the time at work and have never once made a mistake or been absent minded or checked facebook, then you can judge.

I'm not reading tabloids to find out what she's doing in private, and only discovered by a paparazi with a telephoto lens. I'm judging her on what she herself has published, as a TV show (to increase ratings and make more money for her). This is Oprah "behind the scenes"? Sorry, it's not very attractive. JH was unprofressional, but OW made herself look like a jerk.

[Akarui Kibuno]

I'm not reading tabloids to find out what she's doing in private, and only discovered by a paparazi with a telephoto lens. I'm judging her on what she herself has published, as a TV show (to increase ratings and make more money for her). This is Oprah "behind the scenes"? Sorry, it's not very attractive. JH was unprofressional, but OW made herself look like a jerk.

Yes, this. Especially the bolded.

[Wonderflonium]

You do realize this is Oprah's job and like every other job there are juicier projects than others. 

Exactly. It's her job to be engaged. If she's not interested, it's her job to fake it. If someone went to a restaurant and had a waitress who was doing her job halfway, we'd tell that person to contact management. Just because you get extremely wealthy and famous doesn't mean you get a pass to not do your job. It's not fair to the people who are taking time to appear on your show or to the people in the audience.