Don't get me wrong. Oprah Winfrey is a very remarkable woman. She's the perfect role model for millions of women - and men - around the world. And why shouldn't she be? She rose from obscurity — a painful childhood characterized by rape, physical abuse, and drugs — to become one of the most powerful women of all time. Her achievements are too numerous to mention. My favorite is that she is the world's richest woman, an entrepreneur par excellence, a philanthropist with a heart of gold (well, that's if all her public giving and charity are not just PR stunts), and a sage.
I actually think she's wise. I admire Oprah Winfrey. You should too. It has taken a lot of determination, guts, and will to be where she is today. We all can emulate that. And for that reason, I doff my hat in respect for Oprah Winfrey. That's right, Oprah — I actually respect and admire you.
I've watched The Oprah Winfrey Show for many years. I really didn't have a choice. Growing up, we only had one television in the house, and my mum was always on Oprah. If we wanted to watch television, there was only Oprah. And so, growing up, I've had an opportunity to follow her life closely. I've also grown to love the show. At first, it was resentment, because my mother would never allow me to watch the show, but as time went on, I actually began to enjoy the show. I love the money-saving tips, investment tips, and her whole "Live Your Best Life Now" campaign.
To be frank, some of her shows have actually changed my life. I guess they've changed yours, too. But I get upset, sometimes disgusted, by the enormous influence and control she wields in our lives. I hate "the Oprah effect." A lady comes up on television and tells us about a book she read, and how much she loved it. She tells us to buy the book and suddenly, we all rush to the nearest bookstores and give away our credit card numbers in online bookstores to purchase the book. She endorses a candidate, and the next thing, we all want to vote the candidate in. She gets on television and tells us how to lose weight, how to eat, how to live our lives, when to divorce and all that.
Article comments
1 - Joanne Huspek
I can't stomach Oprah the TV show. I used to subscribe to her magazine, in the years after 9-11. There was good stuff in there, well-written emotional stuff, but not in the last few years, so I let the subscription go.
People who base their lives on another (famous) person's must do so because their own lives are less than satisfying.
2 - Life
OK........
Isn't media, in general, and advertisement the same thing?
This is really no different. Maybe you should attack the media at large and all the different advertisement companies that sells their products.
Oprah does not make these people do anything---they see it and because she like it-they want it....that's no different than seeing something on a commercial, then going out and buying it.