The last couple of Sundays, Oprah interviewed Curtis Jackson, known to the world as “50 Cent”, on Oprah’s Next Chapter. As a high-profile rapper, his lyrics haven’t exactly evoked the message of peaceful coexistence. He wasn’t the kind of musician Oprah typically supported in the past. However, she extended him an invitation to sit down in front of the cameras.

We have always loved that Oprah was fearless about opening conversations and asking the difficult questions. Everyone knew that if an entertainer chose to appear on The Oprah Winfrey Show that they would have to face public opinion and were accountable for their actions, whether it was poor parenting, drunk driving or lying about a book. However, things seem different on the newborn network.  The in-depth interviews feel more like a broad overview of questions being asked of the guests.  Whether they are concerned about alienating stars or they have a master plan to touch as many diverse audiences as possible, Oprah’s Next Chapter isn’t The Oprah Show and the hard questions may not come.

She did politely address some of the things he had said about her but he seemed to put his spin on the events. She didn’t need to drag him over the coals, but the interview fell short of addressing issues that raised the eyebrows of so many people. There was no mention of his harsh anti-gays comments, including an outburst at Perez Hilton with comments of shooting up a gay wedding. And although they mentioned his dog, there was no comment about how he got the dog in order to make Oprah “his bitch”.  I know Oprah is a forgiving person but it is hard, as someone who is loyal, to see her sitting next to someone who was openly disrespectful to her and so many others.

You know better, you do better. Oprah has taught us all. So did he learn from his mistakes and is he trying to “do better”?   Comparing the art of music to acting, he tried to distance himself from the “50 Cent” persona.  Noting that an album’s impact is no greater than that of a film like Scarface, he made a point.   But does that make it right?  Plus, music feels different.  It moves us in a very different way.  Spoken words have power…and if you chose them to represent you, they do.  Each artist is responsible for what they put out into the world, including words that could incite hate.  He claimed he was on the path to change filling his life with meditation and even reading from Deepak Chopra’s book.   However, he feared his audience wasn’t progressing at the same rate.  When people say his music reminded them of the old 50 Cent, he knew that he “matched the dysfunctional energy that I created in the very beginning.”  In fact, his Street King project was built out of his desire to change his own legacy.

Curtis went on to share stories of his difficult childhood and what appeared to be a constant search for unconditional love.  I’m not talking about dating…I am referring to having people in your life that love you when you only have a dollar in your pocket.  Unable to name anyone who would have his back, I realized how lonely he must be in his 52 room house.  The loneliness must swallow him.  Throughout the interview it was difficult for him to make eye-contact.  As the show came to a close his story was clear.  However, there still were lingering questions of hateful comments that never surfaced.  He was given a platform to show his chosen face to the world… but was this his heart?

Although it is not our job to judge, we couldn’t imagine Oprah giving a platform to someone who spreads hate. That doesn’t seem like Oprah or the vision of the network she is building. With pressure from everywhere, the network which gives us Oprah’s heartbeat seems to be changing. She has always interviewed people from all walks of life, but she kept it honest and real.  Maybe the goal of Oprah’s Next Chapter is simply to get us talking.

Although the base of the OWN programs are in-line with Oprah’s record, interviews with 50 Cent and the Kardashians have viewers scratching their heads. For some, something just doesn’t feel right. We realize many people were expecting a network miracle and the process of building a new…and different…network takes time. It is literally brick by brick and show by show. But with possible pressures from the network, are we to expect a new line-up filled with guests like the Kardashians and 50 Cent?

Oprah has an incredible opportunity to help change the way we see each other and the way we communicate.  But the real concern…if you sit down with any person you can usually find some redeeming qualities and incredible stories, but that doesn’t mean you’ve seen the whole picture.  There is always a bigger perspective.  There were parts of Curtis’ story that we loved and were drawn to however without the issue of how he uses his influence being addressed; it is hard to not feel that he was giving us what he wanted us to hear.