Oprah

I wrote a letter to Oprah! Can you believe it? I've wanted to write her after seeing an episode of "Season 25: Oprah Behind the Scenes," and I actually did.

I've always wanted to write "these" type of letters in my life, but I never follow through. For example, I so desperately wanted to write BU while going to school there because I was so sick of the yellow and white circus looking awnings on Warren Towers, a HUGE dormitory close to the middle of campus. It was ugly, fading only on certain panels, and made the university look like Barnum and Bailey's. But I never actually sat my butt down to write the letter. Good news is 2 years after graduating they changed the awnings to a sleek, medal awning.

I also wanted to write American Airlines a nasty letter after a bad flying experience where I was charged $50.00 unnecessarily to change flights when I DIDN'T NEED TO! The "help" line in the airport check-in terminal was completely unhelpful and the lady on the phone had an extremely thick accent and was impossible to understand. I would have received help from a ticket agent behind the counter instead of the lady on the help line listed on the kiosk, but there was no one behind the counter. No ticket agent for 20 minutes, when I had a flight! Finally, when an employee arrived at the check in desk, he apologized to me for being "late for work". Needless to say, I had everything lined up to write a great letter to get reimbursed for my flight, but once I arrived at my destination, I was a happy camper just to be on vacation and in Montana, that the letter was never written.

And so on, and so on, it goes...until now! I'm so proud of myself for finally writing a letter I said I would. I really am. Yay me!

And here is the letter to Oprah:

January 27, 2011

Dear Oprah,

I must admit that I haven’t been an avid viewer over your 25 years at the Oprah show, but given that I’m only 30, I’m sure you can give some allowances in that department. I have caught shows over the years, and most recently have enjoyed watching your new, Season 25: Oprah Behind The Scenes, on your new OWN network. I think it is fascinating to see all the work, communication, and talent that is required to execute each successful Oprah show.

My husband and I watched an episode weeks ago that really caught our interest, mine specifically. I vowed to write you after seeing the show…but being a slacker, I’m finally writing weeks after intending to.

The episode which caught our interest was the one that followed the production and taping of your “30-year-old virgin” show. Funny enough, I actually saw the Oprah “30-year-old virgin” show when it aired and was entertained and otherwise unaffected, but was floored when I watched the behind scenes on OWN. I couldn’t believe your producer, Lisa’s, as well as your executive producer’s perspective and how they viewed someone being 30 and yet still a virgin. Their opinion, as I witnessed, was that no 30 year-old is a virgin anymore, and that if they are, there is something wrong with the virgin that needs to be fixed, hence Dr. Laura Berman’s therapy. And unfortunately, social media supports their opinions as do movies like “40-year-old Virgin.”

I strongly disagree with your producers, being a virgin myself when I married at 29. My husband was 30 when we married and was a virgin as well. I have the privilege of having numerous, accomplished, intelligent, strong, and beautiful friends who are virgins and in their late 20’s and beyond – BY CHOICE. So chastity isn’t shocking to me, given my Mormon culture and faith. We believe in chastity before marriage and monogamy after. And the America I know still has virgins past college.

I wish we could have been in your studio audience the day you filmed that show. Because I think we would have given your opinion some support. You, doing what you are supposed to do as the vision and name behind the show, thought of your viewers and questioned, “What is so wrong with being 30 and a virgin?”. I loved the question you posed to your producers and hated their response, utter shock. I supported your distaste for the show’s title and the premise. Ultimately, I believe the tone of the show was tasteful because you were interviewing as opposed to your producers. What very well could have been a show about how no well-adjusted, functioning, emotionally & sexually well individual is a virgin at 30 became a show about 2 women incapable of being sexually intimate (symptom) although they wanted to be and receiving therapy for self-esteem, self-confidence, and family issues (problem).

What I most admire about you, Oprah, is that you challenge yourself to be open minded in every direction, which is very important for a journalist or interviewer. Too many are one sided and allow their personal beliefs to cloud their professionalism. Ultimately, this inability to see the world from a different view creates a tone of judgment to the viewer. I rarely feel judged when watching your shows, although I don’t always agree with your guests, and certainly not your producers. And although you might not agree with chastity before marriage or other beliefs I have, you certainly do right by acknowledging my point of view or choice as existing (first and foremost) and mattering.

I suppose I felt responsible to represent a voice which was void in your briefings about the 30 year-old virgin show and from the audience that was present for the taping that day. Know, Oprah, that virgins exist past 30 as you very well suspected, and not just in India and other countries. We exist sometimes because of psychological reasons, sure (like your guests). We exist sometimes because we haven’t found anyone willing to sleep with us, sure. But you’d be surprised that many of us exist because we’ve chosen this path. It’s a personal decision that we’ve made. And I wouldn’t have chosen any other path.

Sincerely,

Robin Orvin
(Raised in Orange County, CA - Cheerleader in High School – Graduate of Boston University (Psychology) – Former Service Coordinator for Regional Center of Orange County – Graduate of Chapman University (Masters of Psychology – Marriage and Family Therapy Program) – adoring wife – pregnant)

And Cody Orvin
(Raised in Arkansas – Graduate of BYU (International Relations) – Former Missionary and English teacher in Mexico - Entrepreneur of Elchamacho.com and California Yogurt Co. in Conway AR – Graduate of Monterrey Institute of International Studies (MBA) – hot husband)

randcorvin.blogspot.com