New Jersey comedian Joey Novick ends “Oprah Boycott” of the Oprah Winfrey Show After 23 years.

By Joey Novick | November 22nd, 2009 - 11:06am
| More

     “My work is done here. Winfrey has finally succumbed,” announced Novick at a press conference, pumping his fist in ‘win’ style.   Novick was a huge Phil Donahue fan, and used to watch him everyday. Back in 1986, when the Oprah Winfrey Show took over the time slot previously held by Phil Donahue, a young brash 30-something Joey was mad. “I was mad,” Joey said.  

“I thought to myself, what can I do? I am just a young, brash 30-something guy all alone in this cruel world,” Joey continued. “Then I remembered! Aha, I am a comedian and a political activist. I’ll boycott this Oprah Winfrey gal, and force her off the air. I refused to watch the show.” And, so the boycott began.  
In earnest, Novick stopped watching the show. Everyday,for twenty-three years. Through the fat Oprah. The thin Oprah. The book club Oprah. The Dr. Phil Oprah. And the Obama Oprah. Did others join him in his boycott?

“Well, I meant to contact others to join me, and it’s been on my ‘To Do’ list. Just never got around to it. That ADD is a real bitch.”  

When asked what he is going to do with his “boycott time” now that he has been eminently successful, he answered, “I really don’t know. I might take some time off to not watch other things on TV. Maybe I will use my new found power and influence to force other shows off the air. There’s ‘Jon & Kate Plus Eight’. Maybe continue my plans for the All-Spinoff Cable Network. We’ve got shows planned like ‘Everybody Loves Lurch’ and ‘Honey, It’s The Howells’, and ‘The Granny Clampett Chronicles’.  

The Oprah Winfrey Show did not return our calls for comment. EndFragment

Tags:

Wake-Up Call

Morning News Digest: February 9, 2010

Garden State Equality fires new broadside at Dems Smarting over the state Senate's refusal to pass marriage equality and disillusioned at the moment with the Democratic Party majority, Garden State Equality’s 85-member Board of Directors unanimously decided against giving financial contributions to political parties and their affiliated committees. ...

Wally Edge

As the new administration looks to reorganize the embattled Passaic Valley Sewerage Authority (PVSA), watch for at least two part-time $53,420-a-year lawyers to be on the termination short list: James Piro, a former Essex County GOP Chairman and...
The brother of U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone has announced his candidacy for the Long Branch City Council.  John Pallone, who served as a Councilman from 1990 to 1994, said today that he would run with David Brown, the former Roselle Business...
A handwritten note left behind during a Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee meeting indicates that Senate Majority Leader Barbara Buono (D-Metuchen) would support a plan to require all current public employees to contribute at least 1.5% of...
As New Jersey braces for another snowstorm, noteworthy is Hamilton Mayor John Bencivengo’s website, where residents can use “Snow Plow Sal” to monitor the movements of snow plows to determine when their street will be plowed.  Hamilton also has...
Just before leaving the Senate Presidency, Richard Codey (D-Roseland) appointed Orange Mayor Eldridge Hawkins to the Congressional Redistricting Commission.  Now his successor, Stephen Sweeney (D-West Deptford) is considering making his own...

Contributors

Everybody needs to start a new job with a list of priorities and Chris Christie is no exception. There might be a thousand things that need to get done... more »
A new Governor and Legislature offer the perfect opportunity to re-think the Trenton status quo and for experienced observers and practitioners to offer their best ideas on improving the... more »
 I grew up in a neighborhood in Newark, New Jersey where gambling was part of every day life.  Many of my relatives gambled.  The guys gambled on games, and... more »
Due to a highly inappropriate breach of etiquette by President Barack Obama in his State of the Union Address, the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision in the Citizens United... more »
When life is bad---natural disasters, families losing homes or jobs, an attack on our country, health crises--people come together and do things that are inspiringly good.  After the... more »
Our new Governor suffers from no lack of advice.  Much of it, contained in the transition reports, deserves prompt attention.  Obviously, economic prosperity benefits everyone, and – as... more »
The agenda has been ambitious.Jobs.  Homeland security.  Iraq.  Afghanistan.  Healthcare.  Energy.  Banking.   Taken together, the Obama Presidency has all the makings of a compelling story -- action, adventure, emotion,... more »
The new regime pushes the only conservative off the Budget Committee.   This is a direct result of pressure from a certain Republican County Chairperson who was hired by Garden... more »
Now that  the dust has finally settled after the grueling campaign for governor, there are a number of lessons that we can draw from this election. First and... more »
A  few years ago, my brother Paul gave me a birthday present of Tim Russert’s book, The Wisdom of Our Fathers. Great book. Read it cover to cover. Or skim... more »
New Jersey's spending and borrowing spree over the past three decades is coming home to roost.  State debt has increased 700% under both Republican and Democratic administrations, and spending... more »
On January 11th New Jersey’s 213th Legislature ended its session, followed the next day by the commencement of the 214th Legislature, with newly elected officials being sworn into office,... more »
On January 6, 2010, several newspapers published articles with titles like “no more aid for struggling cities”, “Christie will cut state aid” and the like; furthermore, in the body... more »
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, you target teachers. That’s not a positive note to start your tenure. You forget that the Teachers’ Union makes decisions on its own, such... more »