Ken Berwitz

Last week I blogged about Ellen DeGeneres' maudlin sobfest regarding the dog she took from a rescue group. 

As you may remember, DeGeneres signed an agreeement that, if she did not want the dog, it would go back to the rescue group she got it from.  But DeGeneres broke her signed agreement by giving the dog away to another family -- worse still, a family with children her agreement deemed too young to have the dog.  Not surprisingly, the rescue group took the dog back.

I have always admired Ellen DeGeneres and thought she was a tremendous talent.  But the cry-a-thon she taped and aired about the dog has greatly diminished my admiration.  To me, it was an abuse of the power major celebrities like DeGeneres have.  She used her power to make the rescue group look bad and turn the two women running it into villains.  Suddenly she wasn't wrong, they were.  It stunk.

Now lets contrast this with another situation in which a major celebrity cried over something that happened.  Here, courtesy of the New York Post, is what I'm talking about:.

OPRAH BACK IN TO AFRICA

Post staff writer

October 29, 2007 -- A tearful Oprah Winfrey begged parents to for give her for an alleged abuse scandal at her girls' school in South Africa.

"I've disappointed you. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry," Oprah told parents at an emergency meeting, South Africa's top news Web site reported yesterday.

It was the talk-show host's second trip to South Africa in recent weeks, according to reports.

The school was hit two weeks ago with allegations that one of the matrons fondled a girl and physically abused other students.

The school's principal - indentified only as Dr Mzimane - and at least one other matron were put on administrative leave following the charges, News24.com, the nation's No. 1 news site reported.

"I trusted [Dr. Mzimane]," the station quoted Oprah as telling parents.

"But, I've been disappointed," she said.

"It's not your fault. We don't blame you.," a father was quoted as saying.

"You have more passion for the school and its existence than anyone else in this country, including us parents."

The talk-show host reportedly gave students her personal phone number and email address if they needed to contact her again, the station reported. .

Oprah Winfrey is one of the most successful personalities in show business today, maybe the single most successful of them all.

I don't know of any other such personality who has contributed more time and money to helping others than Ms. Winfrey.

What she has done in South Africa is wonderful.  It is genuinely inspiring.  Her intentions are absolutely above reproach.

So what are we supposed to think if several personnel at the school she built turn out to be either incompetent or predatory?  Are we supposed to blame Ms. Winfrey?  Are we supposed to see this as a diminution of what she personally is trying to accomplish?  Does this in any way negate the vast amount of time, effort and money Oprah Winfrey has spent on the school or the intended benefits of that school? 

Maybe some people will come to such conclusions.  But I assure you I'm not one of them.  I have no doubt about the honor of Ms. Winfrey's intentions and no doubt that she will do everything she can to transform those honorable intentions into a life-changing reality for youngsters in South Africa. 

If a celebrity wants to cry about something, this is worth the tears.  Even if Oprah didn't tape it for your viewing pleasure.