Is Oprah feeding off the people with her dishonesty?
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.…
Article comments
— go to most recent comments26 - Matthew T. Sussman
"I ... am a division manager! People FEAR ME!"
27 - ABH
There are lies...damn lies...and journalists. And I can say that because my spouse was one.
At least Dawn doesn't suffer from blind-worship-syndrome.
28 - Orchid
I've lived in Japan for the last 17 years and remember when Oprah was a competitor for Phil Donahue and not marketing herself in a variety of ways as a lifestyle guru. This blog was also actually the first I'd read that she was denying being gay because of rumors. I hope you'll believe me when I say I approached this article objectively and not as a particular fan of Oprah's nor particularly disliking her. I was more interested in the sexual orientation angle and how the issue was playing out for yet another celebrity caught in this particular situation.
My perspective on Dawn's blog is that it's mainly self-satisfied Oprah-bashing. If you want to bash Oprah, go ahead. Everyone is entitled to hate a celebrity but you think you're part of an "elite" minority because you dislike Oprah? Why do you feel liking or disliking a celebrity makes you superior?
I don't know if Oprah is gay or not but I do think that denying it isn't an indication that she doth protest too much. No one lives in a vacuum. Even if Oprah herself is fine with being called gay, she has family members and friends who may be upset by such rumors. Also, if her reputation is built on being candid and honest, wouldn't dealing with such rumors be a reflection of that? What evidence do you have, Dawn, that her denial is a lie? Also, where is the evidence that her relationship with her longtime boyfriend is "dysfunctional"? I'm not up on celebrity news but have they had public arguments? Had there been documented abuse?
And one final word. I have to disagree with the notion that claiming "I'm not gay, not that there's anything wrong with that" is a manifestation of homophobia. People correct statements made about them which are erroneous about a wide variety of issues including where they were born, their education, their careers, their ancestors, etc. The only difference between correcting those facts and "accusations" of being gay are that one has to always attach a "not that there's anything wrong with that" to placate people who will accuse them of being homophobic.
If someone says my ancestry is Scottish and I say it's Irish, does that mean I hate the Scottish? I'm sure that anyone who suggested that were the case would be seen as irrational. There appears to be a specialized standard for particular types of denials. This reflects an oversensitivity on the part of people who hope for better treatment and regard of gay people and does nothing to further their cause. It only serves to alienate people.
29 - Joe
Dawn, I think you should find something in your life to occupy your time with. Really.. you must have a lot of time in your life to write a hate article on a celebrity who you don't know or have ever met.
30 - Mike
"My perspective on Dawn's blog is that it's mainly self-satisfied Oprah-bashing. If you want to bash Oprah, go ahead. Everyone is entitled to hate a celebrity but you think you're part of an "elite" minority because you dislike Oprah? Why do you feel liking or disliking a celebrity makes you superior?"
Great point Orchid. I'd like to know this as well.
31 - Donna
I agree with Nikki. "you are a hater", and what's with your picture?? Looks REALLY PROFESSIONAL.
32 - Eric Olsen
actually, she's a "disliker," which is rather clearly and honestly stated in the story unlike, say, the bias in the guise of neutrality of "journalists" like Denise and logic. There are plenty of "facts" here, and then an honest statement of opinion based upon those facts. One of the reasons so many people are turning to "alternative media" is that it is honest enough to not pretend to be "neutral"
33 - Dawn
I love my job, I really, really, really love it.
I have to say though, that while Oprah fans are loyal to a fault, they are much more polite and articulate about their disgust than most celebrity worshippers.
What a breath of fresh air.
As for those thinking I care whether Oprah is gay or not - I could care less. You see, unlike Gayle King, I really don't think there is a thing wrong with being gay. I just think there's something wrong with being full of shit and selling it like hot cakes on the griddle at IHOP.
Therein lies my issue with Oprah.
Hey, I am just being "real girlfriends" don't be hatin' on the hater.
34 - Ben
For all self proclaimed writers, defenders, critiques, and could be hypocrites, we all read the article didn’t we. The writer may not love Oprah, but I think the Oprah-defense mechanism is a little on the poignant side. Love yourself; don’t worry so much about idolizing someone else, it’s all sales and human interest. If you can’t accept it, don’t read it.
35 - Lousan Dargin
Dawn! Please. I am not what one would call an Oprah fan, but I do not dislike her, as she is simply an entertainer just as the other entertainers are, but she has done a better job of it. She is not fooling anyone about anything, and her personal life is hers to live. I think you are eeking of jealousy.
36 - Eric Olsen
wow, it took #35 comments for the "jealousy" gambit to arrive
37 - Dawn
I reek of 1% perspiration and 99% inspiration - and it shows. Not sure how much eeking I am doing - is there a mouse around here somewhere?
Oh, and what Ben said.
38 - Moppylynn
Come on people, does any one really care? They are, for all their pomp and circumstance just regular people trying to live a life with staggering notoriety. Their popluarity is what spins thier world of course but when if comes right down to it they are just people!!! Who cares who is gay, who is straight, who makes how much money, and why they do what they do. Hollywood royalty is a fairy tale and if everyone would worry about themselves and leave everyone else alone....this world would be a much better place!! THOU SHALT NOT COVET!!
39 - Aikna
The focus of the article was NOT Oprah's sexuality. It's her relationship with Gayle. Oprah didn't take out a statement to say she wasn't gay. She loves her best friend, that's that. Her best friend loves her, that's that.
40 - mcdc
A couple of points you seem to have missed:
(1.)You don't need to have the the best relationship in order give advice on relationships. If this were the case, I'm sure we'd loose at least half of the best marriage couselors, therapists and psychiatrists in the country. We leave and learn and we can pass on our experiences and advice to others regardless of our current state.
(2.)Oprah came from nothing and worked hard to get where she is. People WANT and ASK for her advice; if people didn't want advice on how to live, eat, and breathe then she wouldn't be giving it. If you think this makes her a hypocrit, you should open up a dictionary.
41 - Doreen Kayegi
I reaaly think dawn is putting in too much of his persona feelings. Come on dawn, you dont have to hate Oprah that much. On ething is true, she is such a genius and blessed to be what she is.
If someone is betther than you, accept it and move on to try your luck elesewhere
42 - Candy
I personally agree with her. I can't stand Oprah either. She is very arrogant, snobbish, and self-centered. She gives off the appearance that she is your "best friend", when in reality, she couldn't care less about the "little people".
The new car issue for her audience was a joke. If people were so ticked off about paying money to get the car, Oprah should have opened her purse, and paid all the expenses. It's not like she can't afford it.
If she is so secure with her relationship with Stedman after 20 + years, why not make it legal? The poor guy probably wants to marry her, but she keeps putting it off. I don't get her. (Except maybe for her bosom buddy, Gayle).
Another joke is this "Dr. Phil" dude. The guy is a complete fake. He is living off Oprah's name.
I will NEVER watch Oprah or Dr. Phil. They are both brainwashing people with their false sincerity.
These "gay rumors" is just another way to get publicity. Enough is enough.
43 - Sherry
Dawn, you really are pathetic. What I see written all over your article is jealousy, jealousy and more jealousy, and your classifying yourself as being part of an elite group shows your wanting to be considered more than what you really are. Seems to me this is really just a case of sour grapes. Your behaviour is peurile - that tacky photo confirms this - grow up and go get a life! Oprah worked her ass off to get where she is and that's why decent, self-respecting people admire and respect her. No decent, self-respecting person would shower the same love or respect on you. Based on your article there is nothing to respect about you!
44 - Patrick
I really don't care if it is true or not. Oprah is doing alot for people out there who want a chance to do better for themselves. I just don't mean in the cars and the houses that she has given but an actual chance to better yourself with education. The advice that she gives whether she follow it herself is still good advice and the experts she has there are great for people who watch her or on her show are there to get them the help that they need. I know her relationship with Stedman might be unconventional but even at the age she is Oprah is still too this day dealing with what happen to her. Do you really get over been molested having a child to die, you keep living and pour yourself into whatever you can find and that is what Oprah did.
45 - Dawn
I won't argue that I am pathetic, but I sure ain't jealous of Oprah. If I am going to be envious of a celebrity, Oprah won't be it let me assure you. Her lifestyle isn't the one I would choose for myself.
And you know what, just because you had hard times growing up, doesn't make you any more special or important than anyone else.
I don't dislike Oprah for what she has or what she has accomplished, I just find her really insincere and fake. I guess I am just not that easily led. Perhaps my use of elite was a poor choice of words, I think "select minority" is a better way of defining those people who don't get the whole "Oprah" appeal. We may be small in numbers, but we know why we don't buy the product. It's false and full of pretenses.
You can be wealthy and still in touch with the masses in a very real way. It just takes the desire to do so. A vast degree of security in oneself.
46 - Cheryl
Dawn,the statement you made about Oprah, is completely vicious. My friend Stacey and I have been friends for 31 years. We are closer than my own sister and I. We do so many things together, we talk on the phone for hours, but we are NOT GAY. We enjoy each other as true blue friends. We have so much fun together. It would never even cross our minds to see each other in a gay way. We are just good ole friends, just like Lucy and Ethel and just like Oprah and Gayle. DO NOT JUDGE, LEST YE BE JUDGED.
Have a blessed day.
47 - Jet in Columbus
Good Job Dawn. I predict this'll turn into another B5 or High School muscial type string.
Oy vay
Carus deus, quis have ego commissio?
Jet
48 - Cheryl
Oh, I forgot, to approved of Howard Stern's behavior over Oprahs, tells me what side of the fence you are on.
Howard Stern will have to meet his maker one day and he won't be pleased with the outcome.
Howard Stern is a pathetically nasty and digusting
man, the things he chooses to do degrades women all over the world. Which is why his wife had to leave him. How awful to parade naked women around and do nasty things with them and talk the nasty talk while your wife is seeing and hearing it all.
It is simply appalling
49 - Jet in Columbus
That comment Cheryl tells me a lot about you too. despite his constant fag jokes I'm a fan of his too, and that you're judging Dawn by that criteria is stupid and irresponsible.
Carus deus, quis have ego commissio?
Jet
50 - Dawn
Yes Cheryl Howard can be really sexist, racist and extreme, but he is also self-effacing and honest about himself to a fault and those people who do appreciate him do so because he shows his warts to the world and doesn't try to hide them.
He may be a jerk, but at least he's far more honest than most public figures.
Again, (and clearly I must keep reiterating this) I don't care about Oprah or Gayle's sexual orientation in its minutia, I care than she is tricking people into believing she's something that she's not, and this latest PR campaign falls right in line with all her other foibles. How soon we forget James Frey.
51 - DJRadiohead
Honest, well-written criticism is valid and vital. Pretending mainstream media outlets are objective and not carrying an agenda is naive. It also happens to not be true. Look at the number of major news outlets that have had to retract stories based on plagirism, fiction, or plain bad reporting. The blogosphere might not be the picture of responsibility but the gulf between it and the mainstream press is not as wide as one might hope which, come to think of it, probably explains some of the blogging world's popularity.
Dawn, this is well-written and reasonable. Pity not all of the comments are.
52 - lue
I will never believe something like this.
53 - sixpackmax
If Oprah were spending all her time with some 20 year old sex kitten
(which she could easily do with all her money and power), then yes I
would think she was gay. The fact that she spends time with a 52 year
old woman she's known all her life and has so much in common with both
professionally and racially tells me she's probably straight.
It's so wierd. For the first half of Oprah's career all the rumours
were about Steadman being gay. Everyone knew about Oprah's wild
relationships with men in her teens and twenties but assumed she wasn't
married because she was fat but not a single person even suspected
Oprah was anything close to gay. Then she lost all the weight and
played the therapist on Ellen and overnight all the rumours about
Steadman being gay were replaced by rumours about Oprah being the gay
one.
But I don't buy it because I know her past and I know the statistsics
about black women and marriage, especially successful black women, and
I know how sacred female friendships are in black culture (i.e. Color
Purple). I also know the statistics about sex drive decreasing as women
pass the age of 50 and thus need non-sexual relationships.
I also know that when famous baby boomers turn out to be gay, you can
usually find rumours going all the way back to the 1970s. In Oprah's
case the rumours did not start until the late 1990s with the Ellen
show.
Also keep in mind that 90% of the population is straight. Just because
the other top Emmy winning women hosts (ellen, rosie) were gay doesn't
mean Oprah is. 3 in a row is too big a coincedence.
54 - sixpackmax
Also keep in mind how wealthy Oprah is and it also makes sense that she wouldn't want to get married. Divorce can be extremely expensive.
Dawn, accusing Oprah of hiding her sexuality implies that being gay is something to be ashamed of. It's very important for Oprah to set the record straight that being gay is not something she would ever feel compelled to hide.
Keep in mind that Gayle is one of the few people Oprah knew long before she was rich and famous. Gayle was also there for Oprah when she was fat and didn't feel sexy enough for a sexual relationship. As one's sex drive goes down with age, and people reach an age where they're no longer sexually attracted to each other. Non-sexual relationships become more important.
55 - man of higher thinking
What I want to know is how old is Oprah and how old is King? I was reading that Oprah had a child at age 14. Is this true? What is the difference in age between Oprah and King?
56 - Carey
I'm new to this whole 'blogging' thing & usually do not comment on the comments of others. BUT, I too have had issues with Oprah & how she presents herself to the world. It has nothing to do with the gay debate. In her early days, I thought Oprah was brilliant & watched her show daily. I liked that she talked honestly about her own issues & seemed able to relate to the common person/woman. I realized this was a farce when she had Roseanne on her show. They laughed about the simplicity of the kitchen on the Rosanne show & made fun of having plastic glasses in the cupboards. I was offened !!! I had plastic glasses. Was I not as good as them? It made me realize that Oprah was no longer like the rest of us & in fact thought she was a step above. She is self centered & self absorbed.(watch her "Favorite Things" shows) It's all about her! She has experts on her show but talks more then they do. She seems to think she knows everything & is so enlightened. BULL ... She speaks strongly on the issue of racism but never misses the opportunity to call caucasians 'white'. If she does not want to be called black, why would she think I want to called white. It's totally racist. I think Oprah has been changed by her money & success. Sad for her. Money seems to allow people to believe they are something they are not by glorifying their very existance.
57 - Ms. Pelly
I have always liked Oprah, and I can understant why Oprah has never been married but I don't understand why Oprah has gone the way she has gone. Oprah used to have great subjects on her show and I love to watch it daily. For a women who says she is so focused on empowering women she confuses me on this.
Oprah has had the women from Desprate Housewives on so many times I have stopped counting, and what do es this show promotes adultry killing and being a useless drunk. I know Oprah is a media tycoon but with all the power she has she isn't promoting true values, self preservation and respect for others.
As women we all should know by now the implications of getting married with so much wealth, look at how many men never get married because they don't want to marry the wrong women and then have half of his fortune stolen because of the stupid laws that are in place. (Paul McCartney) I feel bad for Oprah, just amagine how many people could you trust to be around you when you are that wealthy and you woner why she only has a couple friends. By all the things Oprah has told her audience and Dawn for you to know so much about Oprah you are in that audience too, you should know she will never trust any man to make that huge jump and put everything she has worked so hard for in her life.
58 - sixpackmax
The difference in age between Oprah and King is about 1 year.
Dawn may not be jealous of Oprah but most women I know are. After most women hit 40, sex drive goes down, they don't feel sexy enough to be in a sexual relationship, nor are they sexually attracted to the limp old penis of their middle aged grey haired prostate dysfunctional husbands who by the way are fantasizing about other women anyway whether you realize it or not. Most women would kill to have the kind of female bond with another woman that trancends sexuality, but sadly marriage and family gets in the way and by then its too late. Oprah has her Godkids through Gayle, a stepdaughter through Stedman, and adopted orphans in Africa, and if she's still interested in a little sex she has Steadman-but to be honest, after all the sex she had in her teens and twenties, I really think she's moved on. Not to mention that since the divorrce settlement of BET founder Bob Johnson, Oprah's the only black billionaire in the world, twice as rich as any black man on Earth. She's also the most influential woman on Earth. I would love to be Oprah.
59 - Ms. Pelly
Now we are starting to see some intelligent input, and for those who think people who put comments in on these blog are silly maybe its time for you to have some fun to.
60 - DJRadiohead
Dawn never accused Oprah of hiding her sexuality. Read the last line of the article. Sexuality aside, the woman is full of crap. She's not accusing Oprah of being a self-loathing homosexual.
61 - Victor Plenty
The real reason Oprah won't marry Stedman is to keep alive the hope she may someday marry Deepak Chopra.
You know it's true.
We all know that it's true.
62 - Ms. Pelly
Or the Dalai Lama.
63 - Dawn
These most recent comments are very gratifying to read. It's not that I hate Oprah or think she's a vile person, I just don't subscribe to the whole "Cult of Oprah" phenomenon that's sweeped the nation for some time now.
I like to think for myself - I have no issue with people offering their views, but their views should not replace your own views. She's just some lady - she's not the freaking messiah.
64 - MCH
Yes, and it's nice to see no derogatory remarks about Oprah's eyebrows...yet.
65 - Dawn
Hmmm, MCH, I had better go in for a closer inspection.
66 - Ms. Pelly
Dawn.... To have so much dislike for someone yet know so much about this person and then proclaim you are in an Elite Minority that doesn't like what this person stands for is very very hypocritical. To imply you are better then people who you have never met because of a talk show you supposedly don't watch. You are just as bad as what you accuse Oprah of being.
67 - Donna
I agree with Sherry (Comment #43)…Your use of vulgarity in your writing proves that you have no respect…and affirms your “tackiness” as in your PHOTO…
By the way, a person does not have to be demeaning and outrageous to be HONEST and interesting.
68 - Dawn
Really Donna, I had no idea. Thanks for your insightful comment.
69 - Silas Kain
I'm more concerned with Studman, I mean Stedman. Is he gay? If so, I want a date. Moreover, I want an engagement ring. He's hot.
70 - Ms. OK
Where and how did this rumor start? Has anybody seen Oprah and Gayle in a compromising position, or is it just because they are so close? Finally, is it unusual for two women to be that close without being gay, or am I the only crazy person in America? Please help!
71 - Anna Creech
You know who I'm the most jealous of? Eric. That photo of Dawn is hot!
72 - Bonbagaye
Whether Oprah is gay or not is nobody's business.This is still America,isn't it ?,where you can be what you want and screw who you want,especially when you are the only black female billionnaire in the whole wide world.
Deep down,people are just jealous and out for blood.
73 - Jack of Sydney Australia
Person who wrote this slanderous article, regarding Oprah, froths-off again with her deluded & deranged comments towards yet another good human being. Look-out if you are a good sort...you could be the next target of attack.
Interesting how there's a "Personal attacks are not allowed" listed in the "Please read our comment policy" here...yet it's OKAY for D.O. to personally attack whom pleases..."Oprah."
74 - Jack of Sydney Australia
Full-stop...from Dawn Olsen's BEHAVIOR=tone/slanderous 'Oprah' remarks...obviously just reflects D.O. has deep personal unresolved own issues, whereby anytime her attacking of other's... really IS all about herself.
Peace & Love,
Jack
75 - shawn
I live in South Africa, and over here people are crazy about Oprah and Dr. Phil.
I personally also do not like her and think she is very arrogant and self-centered.
Just look at her "Favourite Things" show?!?! You have to be extremely rich to own all that stuff.
But what irritates me the most is when she tries to speak in this southern accent trying to connect with the little people.
Dawn, i am part of the minority and I am proud of it. Thanks for writing this, people need to read this.