I, of course, DVR'd the live Oprah skewering of James Frey and could not have been more impressed. Oprah did what nobody else of her stature does--whether in politics, arts, culture, journalism or anywhere else in contemporary American society--she admitted she was wrong and went about rectifying her mistake. There were none of the weasely words such as "mistakes were made" or "I'm sorry if I've offended anybody" or "I did not have sex with that woman" or "We do not torture anybody." No, she neither equivocated, lied or made excuses. She said "I was wrong" and she said the people who contacted her distressed at her defending James Frey on Larry King Live were "absolutely right."

It was astounding, unfortunately, because we have become so accustomed to people doing the exact opposite of what Oprah did today: Jason Giambi not facing up and admitting his steroid use and apologizing (or Rafael Palmiero, Gary Sheffield and Barry Bonds for that matter). What was also remarkable was Oprah was having none of the applause for her actions. She said, quite simply that it wasn't hard to admit she was wrong because she was, in fact, wrong. When she asked Frey tough questions and the studio audience applauded, she cut off the applause, not wanting to be applauded for doing what simply was right.

Unfortunately, there are already snarky attacks on Oprah, claiming she was only doing what she had to do to protect her profits and reputation. These nimrods think they are oh so clever and will not be fooled by anyone, including Oprah allegedly trying to pull the wool over their eyes by pretending to be good. Balderdash (righteousness makes me go all old English for some reason)! Oprah did not have to do this. She could have easily acted like all the other politicians, celebrities and athletes caught in similar situations. The story was already blowing over and she could easily have weaseled her way through. But she didn't. She should be commended for this. Oprah is, essentially a hero. It's sad that she is but she is because her behavior is not the norm. Because Oprah acted like no others in recent times we need to sing her actions and words to the rooftops of the cultural and political establishment.

This is especially true because people like Nan Talese (yes, the wife of Gay Talese) still suck up needed oxygen in this world. Talese, Frey's handler (editor is not a fitting word for her), was also on the show and could not have been a bigger weasel if she had fur, claws and a thin puckered face (oh wait, she did). She lied as much as Frey did and exemplifies all that is wrong in not only the publishing world but in the New York/LA/Washington, D.C. establishment. Incestuous and insular in their little cultural cocoons and contemptuous of all but their little oh so proud selves, she wouldn't know how to act heroically if she was led through it step by step by a Homeric Arthur Murray.

But let's not end on a negative. I know there are lots of snobs out there who dismiss Oprah as another day time talk show hack. I once was one of them. But it is a dismissal borne of ignorance. She certainly has her faults but her positives far outweigh her negatives. She is certainly a better interviewer than Larry King (of course, my couch is a better interviewer than Larry King) and when she interviewed Bill Clinton after his memoir came out, she did a much better job and asked better and tougher questions than did Wolf Blitzer or 60 Minutes' Steve Kroft . And, as I wrote in my original email to Oprah, she's done more for reading and literacy than anyone this side of JK. Rowling. She's now also done a tremendous service to the truth. Long Live Oprah!