The Art of Redemption: Can Oprah Save Lance? Can Lance Save Oprah?

I know I’m not the only one who had to search the Internet to find the channel number for OWN, the poorly-rated network Oprah Winfrey launched in 2011. 

My sudden interest in OWN, of course, is Oprah’s interview with Lance Armstrong that will air in two parts tonight and tomorrow. This super-hyped event is also interesting in that it is a spastic attempt at dual redemption, although it is not one that is without precedent. Oprah finds herself in the role of David Frost to Armstrong’s Nixon. Oprah desperately needed to land the big interview while Armstrong desperately needed to clear his name. 

Americans love to see the mighty fall just as we love a good redemption story. Tonight two of the most celebrated stars in their respective fields will try to reclaim what slipped away from each of them in a very short amount of time. Who would have thought a few years ago that Oprah would be fighting for her life to remain relevant? It is still just as jarring for many to see Armstrong, the iconic athlete and cancer survivor, to be fighting to retain his dignity. 

Will they both pull it off? What will that require? To gain some perspective on the art of redemption, let us turn to Jeffrey Archer, who “served five years in Britain’s House of Commons, fourteen years in the House of Lords, and two in Her Majesty’s prisons.”

Watch the video here:

Follow Daniel Honan on Twitter @Daniel Honan