New Toon: The Secret

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Oprah has no credibility. When she touts SiCKO and universal health care and builds a school in Africa, it's hard for me to think it's because she's a reasonable person. That's because for every good idea she has, there is a half-baked huckster hauled out on her show to be made into a millionaire selling their snake oil to her uncritical audience. Mediums, self-help authors, Deepak Chopra, and now the worst of all, "The Secret."

If you aren't familiar, The Secret is a book and DVD that purports to reveal a secret held onto by elites for most of human history (In reality it's been used in many other new age self-help books). It says that the "Law of Attraction" can create good fortune and happiness by simply willing it. You may have missed the reports of this finding in scientific journals. You see, the universe responds to positive thoughts. Put them out there and the universe will respond by making your wishes come true--be it health, wealth, or love. It's Karma minus patchouli plus greed.

Besides being patently ridiculous, there is an implication that when you don't have good fortune--poverty, death, sickness, loneliness--it's because you weren't thinking strongly enough. Or worse, you deserve it. Actually, it's not an implication. The book comes right out and says this in the plainest language. Maybe that's why it's sold millions of copies; it provides a justification for the fucked up state of the world, makes you feel superior to others, and provides a delusion that things can get better not by actions, but thinking positively.

The real secret to success, it seems, is getting your crap into Oprah's hands and getting booked on her show where her minions will gobble up your bullshit and ask for seconds.

I have enough material for another strip on this--I want to touch on the self-centered greed aspect--so I may do that in the future. Please send feedback through your thoughts. Enough bad vibes and I won't do a follow up.