For me, that phony vernacular of new age buzzwords that culminate in testimonials of poorly-worded self-expression are simultaneously the best and worst elements of a reality show. Naturally, that's what made Starting Over one of the few reality shows I could not only tolerate, but adore.

Recently, TV columnist Aaron Barnhart took note of the fact that Oprah Winfrey's show is sinking in the ratings. Her talk show, which is the centerpiece of her multimedia success -- a success that has made her the richest woman in show business -- has been losing ratings consistently for the last six months. At first blush, the politically minded of you might think it's because she endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, but I think it's more than that. After all, if anything, the vast amount of grassroots support that the Senator from Illinois has engendered might be a plus for Oprah rather than a minus.

Therefore, there have to be other factors to explain why Oprah's landmark TV talk show has lost its luster -- at least ratings-wise. I've come up with six possible reasons.

(S02E04) This episode focuses on Tom, a 37-year-old salesman from New Jersey who has problems managing the stresses in his life. He's got a high-pressure job, he's divorced with a 7-year-old daughter, and his girlfriend Misti seems to be somewhat of a controlling type of person.

Tom decides to try out some New Age healing practices over the next 30 days in order to reduce his stress and hopefully improve his outlook on life. Misti is skeptical because she thinks that Tom will be supplanting his Christianity for "black magick" and other practices. Tom then meets with a life coach who will help map out a strategy for the next 30 days and to open his conciousness, which means attending and participating in a number of New Age rituals.