Got To Be Real? Um, No, Actually.

Meghan O’Rourke rightly notes in Slate that the larger truth about Oprah’s response to the James Frey flap is that in certain climates of this culture, anything that provides a decent therapeutic buzz is "real." Even if, by normal standards, it's fake.

In this spirit, I would like to petition that certain lyrics I heard in my youth by Husker Du, American Music Club and Black Flag be reclassified as "non-fiction." I mean: c'mon! They helped!

UPDATE 1/26: A better day for actual reality, as Oprah recants.

In retrospect, there was a pretty powerful aroma wafting off of Frey's "A Million Little Pieces" and the entire notion of JT Leroy that seems completely Snopes-worthy. As if any of that would stop this from happening all over again some day.