Talk show and media mogul Oprah Winfrey, typically happy to shill her brand of self-help advice to armies of "girlfriends" seeking her Svengali-like influence, has sought to quash rumors that she is an active lesbian by making a statement on the subject in the August edition of O, The Oprah Magazine.
"I understand why people think we're gay," Winfrey says. "There isn't a definition in our culture for this kind of bond between women. So I get why people have to label it – how can you be this close without it being sexual?"
The bond she refers to is that between herself and Gayle King, the editor-at-large for Oprah's O, The Oprah Magazine. King, a divorced mother of two, was a news anchor for many years before she took her position at O, and the two women have been friends for 30+ years.
In the same article, King also goes on record about the two women's extremely close relationship. "The truth is, if we were gay, we would tell you, because there's nothing wrong with being gay."
My thought on this is if you have to issue a written statement in your own magazine to quash rumors about your sexual orientation, there might be a good reason the rumor is circulating.
Big Whoopi Goldberg – you're gay, bi, or possibly asexual. Who cares? Most people who really aren't gay would ignore such rumors, secure in their knowledge of the truth, but Oprah – always with the James Frey spin job – doesn't want to alienate her suburban housewife minions.
In the spirit of all this openness, I will admit I don't like Oprah. I find her disingenuous, arrogant, self-centered, and a raging hypocrite. I am in the minority. Perfectly sane and reasonable people seem to accept Oprah and her unrelenting advice on how to dress, eat, decorate, think, believe – live.
Oprah attempts to project a woman-of-the-people persona, and to an overwhelming degree, she has succeeded. But, there are those who don’t buy it – and I count myself among that small, elite minority.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - DJRadiohead
Dawn, you better duck. This is riskier than taking on the anti-Christ.
It's also spot on and terrific.
2 - sal m
wait, there are rumors that oprah is gay? what next, tom cruise is gay or that his baby really doesn't exist? you people are really too much...
3 - Jet in Columbus
Jeez the next thing you know, they'll be saying that --I'M-- gay!
4 - Dan
When you said....
"King also goes on record about the two women's extremely close relationship. 'The truth is, if we were gay, we would tell you, because there's nothing wrong with being gay.'
"My thought on this is if you have to issue a written statement in your own magazine to quash rumors about your sexual orientation, there might be a good reason the rumor is circulating." ...
I thought you were going to say, "If you have to issue a statement to quash rumors about your orientation, THEN OBVIOUSLY IT'S NOT A SIMPLE CASE OF 'THERE'S NOTHING WRONG' -- it could put a hitch in, and possible torpedo, her image if not career, for starters.
Ellen and Rosie are examples where that hasn't happened, but the show-biz closet is still pretty full.
5 - zesela
Did you actually do any research on Oprah before declaring her a liar in cyber space? She was an extremely promiscuous teen who had a baby at 14. Her love life with men has been well documented all through her twenties including by one man who tried to write a tell all book about her. Just because you need a husband in your life to feel secure about yourself doesn't mean any woman woman who stays single is a lesbian. I hope Oprah Winfrey reads your blog and sues the living shit out of you for questioning her intergrity based on nothing but petty rumours started by people who resent her wealth and influence. And you consider yourself but part of an elite because you don't like Oprah? You're not only reckless, but deluded.
6 - Anna Creech
Well said, Dawn. Oprah's statement, true or not, smacks of "I'm not gay... not that there's anything wrong with that." Thanks to Seinfeld, this bit of disguised homophobia is frequently used by people who think that gays are "weird" or "wrong" but who don't have the balls to just come out and say so. If Oprah isn't gay or bi, then she shouldn't have to make Tom Cruise-like statements proclaiming her heterosexuality. Making statements like that only further the rumors because they show that the person in question is not fully comfortable with their own sexuality.
7 - Victor Plenty
Dawn has a PhD in Advanced Oprah Studies from the Massachusetts Institute of Oprahology.
8 - Grace McCallum
It's called Capitalism--Oprah made money marketing a product, herself...she became very wealthy in the process. Just like Whoopie Goldberg did, and so many other people before them. Who wouldn't change or morph into a different person from where they started (rags to riches)?? More power to her, and to anyone that tries! Secure people like to see others do well in their endeavors...instead of criticizing, improve your own lot in life, or do community work to help others. The sky is the limit in America!! You are blessed to be born here. It is a complete waste of time and intellect to spend your words being petty.
9 - zesela
Oprah feels the need to deny she's gay because she worked very hard to build a repuation as the most open and candid person in media, thus she's very uncomfortable being accused of keeping secrets from her fans.
10 - shell
Who cares! Oprah's magazine sales must be down. To publish a statement in your own magazine it's just a scam to sell.
11 - Mary K. Williams
Zesela:
Calm the heck down girl. Now, I think Dawn is a peach, but I don't necessarily agree with her on this. I don't think that Oprah is all that dreadful.
I read this interview, I suscribe to O Magazine - and it was mostly a study in friendship. Actually the whole theme of August was friendship, including a look at Lucy and Ethel.
Anyway, my point to you Zesela, is Dawn put some thought into what she wrote, she came across as neither reckless nor jealous.
And you obviously have not done any 'research' on Dawn, because she most definitely does not NEED a husband to feel secure about herself, but she happens to have a good one.
Dawn is not perfect, neither is Oprah, but I admire both of them.
12 - Dawn
Well thanks Mary, that was both kind and certainly more than I would expect from the kindest of folks like yourself.
While we disagree about Oprah, my whole point was that loads of people really dig Oprah and I knew by writing about her I was opening up a can of worms. But I am unconventional in my celebrity worship. I like Howard Stern and think his schtick is real and Oprah's is a load of hooey. Who's to say who's right?
I don't begrudge Oprah her success, God Bless it, but damn if she doesn't come across as completely and utterly full of self-important horse shit.
But, I mean no offense to her fans, truly.
13 - woman of substance
why is it that society seeks to judge women who dump a man or who are self reliant, and just happen to have a best friend, as gay? when will we realize that we are entitled to have relationships that aren't sexual? there must be some perverse fantasy lurking in our subconscience that makes us want to label someone based solely on our relationships with others. Kinda sick, if you ask me. whether or not you love or hate oprah is irrelevant. our society views being gay as negative and assigning that lable to someone as a means of deeming them negative in some way. wake up. it is no more our business what oprah does or doesn't do in her bedroom than it is her's what we do in our's
14 - Lissa
Look at the picture of Oprah and King. They look alike. They look like sisters. Maybe they are and don't know it? I bet they are related at least in the family tree. This explains their close connection and sisterly love. I had a close female friend for years and we were never sexual or gay. She was more like a sister than my own sister. All kinds of relationships are possible.
15 - Rachelle
Plain rude and intrusive! I think that you may have some inner problems to deal with. If it's hate that you want the world to feel for you... here it comes. EVERYONE LOVES OPRAH!! Whether you like it or not... she will always have a following that respects her, unlike yourself here. She doesn't need to put people down to make herself feel better.
16 - Anna Creech
Correction, Rachelle, everyone except for Dawn and I loves Oprah.
17 - denise
I am a journalist - former newspaper, now radio. Everytime I read a blog, I am sorry. I have difficulty with this type of writing where there are no facts to back up your writing. A good example is the supposed reports from the exit polls on the election results. There is no responsibility to other human beings here regardless of public or private status. Sad.
18 - Marko
I agree with Grace McCallum,
"Secure people like to see others do well in their endeavors...instead of criticizing, improve your own lot in life, or do community work to help others. The sky is the limit in America!! You are blessed to be born here. It is a complete waste of time and intellect to spend your words being petty." I would add that people can be both opulent and down to earth, it's not either or, but both and. Time to think outside the psychological box.
19 - Mary K. Williams
But I am unconventional in my celebrity worship. I like Howard Stern and think his schtick is real and Oprah's is a load of hooey. Who's to say who's right?
Exactly! That's why there are SO many varieties of celebrities - something for everyone. Stern is not my favorite, not by a long shot, but I'd interview him anytime, he's be an interesting study.
20 - 1-2-Oscar
I have been told that Blogcritics.org offers thoughtful commentary on the important issues of the day. The linked article is evidence that it also offers trash.
21 - Nikki
you're a hater. point blank.
22 - Gerri
It's really no body's business what she or anyone else does in their private life behind closed doors. Come on people, get a life of your own, then you won't feel the need to care any more what others are doing, you'll be too busy with your own life to have any time or energy to be concerned with others private business!
23 - logic rules
I am a journalist - former newspaper, now radio. Everytime I read a blog, I am sorry. I have difficulty with this type of writing where there are no facts to back up your writing. A good example is the supposed reports from the exit polls on the election results. There is no responsibility to other human beings here regardless of public or private status. Sad.
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Denise, Thank you for your comments.
The last article written by Dawn was also void of any documented facts and filled with nastiness as well. My advice to her (as a former journalist and editor) was find a new line of work. Both articles written by Dawn would never have found the light of day in any publication I had a say in.
True journalists look for the truth, even when the truth goes against everything they believe in. Journalists write objectively and with fairness, using facts, quotes and research to back up their words.
In my opinion, Dawn, you are not a journalist.
24 - Matthew T. Sussman
I am a journalist, former newspaper writer, Pulitzer Prize winning investigative reporter, two-time winner of the Peabody Award, on-air talent for CNN, MSNBC, editor of several magazines, one-time VJ for MTV's Total Request Live, and chef of the world's best strawberry crepes.
...what was the question again?
25 - MCH
Sussman;
You left out your letter to Sports Illustrated.