OPRAH: SONS AND DAUGHTERS YOU NEVER KNOW (TV)
Summary
One in this talk show series hosted by Oprah Winfrey. This episode is about the fear of HIV and AIDS and how it affects both individuals and their families. Oprah brings Brian Halda to the stage; he revealed that he was both homosexual and HIV-positive on the Oprah Winfrey Show the previous week, and returns to talk to Oprah about his family's reactions to the news. Brian works as an AIDS volunteer in Tampa, Florida, helping to alleviate the isolation which he says many victims of AIDS often suffer from. He talks about confronting his grandparents, who had previously stated their belief that that AIDS was created as divine retribution against homosexuals. Brian is surprised when they react to his revelation with sympathy, saying that they love him no matter what. He talks about how his mother was extremely upset at first, but realized she was in denial and made amends with him. Brian is intensely relieved at his family's understanding. A man from the audience with AIDS discusses his plan to end his own life once the disease reaches a critical stage, and Oprah talks about how a friend of hers' with the disease went through a similar situation. She then brings Monia Walker, a woman diagnosed as HIV-positive in 1985, to the stage, along with her mother and sisters. Monia talks about how her family was not always there for her in the past, such as when they chose to attend her niece's graduation instead of coming to be with her when she was sick and possibly dying. Despite this, she does not begrudge them for their decisions, but still feels as though a "barrier" exists between herself and them. The studio audience takes particular exception to the behavior of Monia's mother Ann, in particular her decision to work as an election pollster rather than spend the day with Monia. Ann claims that she was uneducated about HIV and AIDS at first, but over time she learned more and came to accept her daughter for who she is. One woman in the studio audience gets particularly emotional, talking about how her family disowned her after she revealed that she was HIV-positive. Oprah then brings up Dr. Abe Karrel, who found out he was HIV-positive in medical school. His family disowned him, his boyfriend left him, and his medical license was nearly revoked by someone ignorant of the nature of the disease. He and Oprah get the studio audience to reveal that much of their anger stems from ignorance about HIV and AIDS they witness in their own families and elsewhere in their lives. A young girl in the studio audience with the disease talks about how her family and friends have left her feeling isolated because of it; she believes that the fear of the disease is as much of an issue as the disease itself. Others talk about how HIV and AIDS have affected their own lives, with many different reactions from those around them. Dr. Karrel talks about the importance of "living in the present moment," and about the importance of resolving familial conflict. Nita Pippins, a 66-year old AIDS activist, comes to the stage. She started a program to help people reunite with their estranged adult children suffering from AIDS. Her son died from AIDS and at first she was angry and blamed him for his death, that she was "angry at everything." However, in time she came to understand what he was going through, and at the end her son called her "the best friend I ever had." Dr. Karrel discusses the psychological problems inherent in revealing one's HIV status to their families. Oprah also speaks to David Phillips, a man suffering from AIDS who feels cut off from his family. He is reunited with his sister for the first time in four years, and both of them talk about the factors keeping him apart from the family, such as physical distance and their mother's difficulty in accepting him. She points out that David has also been slow to communicate with them, and he calls it a "mutual alienation." Oprah shows a clip from the film "Philadelphia" to demonstrate the effects of homophobia and fear of AIDS in action. Monia relates the story of how she got the disease from her husband, who was secretly bisexual and carrying on an affair with a homosexual man. Several members of the studio audience voice their views that AIDS should not be equated with homosexuality, and that the view of AIDS in mainstream society has produced a "porcupine of discrimination." Monia notes that learning that she was HIV-positive has changed her life immensely, and she tries to live every moment to the fullest. She says that despite the issues she's had with her family and the many tragic losses they have seen over the years, they all love each other. Dr. Karrel says that he and other people diagnosed as HIV-positive learn to appreciate their lives far more. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: Syndicated
- DATE: 1994/01/xx
- RUNNING TIME: 1:00:00
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:34164
- GENRE: Talk/Interviews
- SUBJECT HEADING: Talk/Interviews
- SERIES RUN: Syndicated - TV series, 1986-2011
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Debra DiMaio … Executive Producer
- Alice McGee … Senior Producer
- Ellen Rakieten … Senior Producer
- Dianne Atkinson Hudson … Supervising Producer
- Oprah Winfrey … Supervising Producer
- LeGrande Green … Producer
- David Boul … Producer
- Karen Melamed … Producer
- Dana Newton … Producer
- Dan Santow … Producer
- Kandi Amelon … Associate Producer
- Judy Banks … Associate Producer
- Kevin Borenstein … Associate Producer
- Elizabeth Coady … Associate Producer
- Lisa Erspamer … Associate Producer
- Laura Grant … Associate Producer
- James Kelley … Associate Producer
- Lesia Minor … Associate Producer
- Joan Roebuck … Associate Producer
- Anne Marie Szimanski … Associate Producer
- Monica Teague … Associate Producer
- Curtis Vogel … Associate Producer
- Duke Struck … Director
- Oprah Winfrey … Host
- Brian Halda … Guest
- Monia Walker … Guest
- Abe Karrel … Guest
- Nita Pippins … Guest
- David Phillips (audio id only) … Guest