Born January 29, 1954 in Kosciusko, MI, Oprah Winfrey turns 50 today.
All that touchy-feely stuff gets old with me in a hurry. I'm not particularly a fan of her work, but then I'm nowhere near her target market.
However, I greatly admire her drive, ambition, and entrepreneurial spirit. [I think approximately the same way about Martha Stewart.] She doesn't merely host a popular tv show, but has made herself into a major brand name in a dozen different directions. The tv show, the book club, the magazine.
Oprah has a strong force of personality. She has been obviously highly dedicated to her work. She has actualized that personnae into many strong, highly marketable products.
She makes it happen.
Happy birthday, Oprah.
Article comments
1 - antfreeze
Crickey Al, I'm gonna have to read that again. I didn't see anything in there that's gonna stir the masses into a frothy tither at all. That's gotta be a first. Please return to your previous muckraking incarnation. thanks.
2 - Eric Olsen
Oprah annoys the hell out of me too, but she deserves respect and credit for what she has accomplished.
3 - Al Barger
Antfreeze- I apologize. I'll try to be more combative and contentious in the future.
4 - Mac Diva
To understand just how extraordinary Ms. Winfrey's accomplishments are, one needs to understand the society she achieved them in. When she was born:
*Segregation was still legal in more than a third of the United States.
*The income of the average black family in Mississippi was lower than that of a coal miner in the Ukraine.
*Her father, sent away to fight for his country when she was a baby, would not have been able to buy a house with a veteran's loan because of restrictive covenants or attend his state university, Ole Miss.
*No television show anywhere in the United States would have hired a person of color (any color other than white) as anything that might have her appear temporarily on camera.
I've been too busy to browse extensively, but I have seen the usual characterizations of Ms. Winfrey as uppity and ignorant by white conservatives because her name is in the news. The telling thing is that many of these people were born with the one thing that saved them from the many indignities she was subjected to, a white skin -- yet, they have no achievements that are remotely similar.
I suppose remarks that applaud Ms. Winfrey for the wrong reason (money, money, money!) are better than the sort so many white conservatives make. But, they miss the point. She deserves much better.
5 - Eric Olsen
I did not mean to imply that all she has accomplished is make money - she has an absolutely central role in the culture, upon which she has had a refining and edifying impact. AND she has made a shitload of money.
6 - Dwaine AKA Scooter AKA D.J.
And she's a billionare!
And she's sexy. You'd know what I'd do to her...
HOLY SHIT!!!! I can't believe I just typed that!!!! It was the liquor! THE LIQUOR!!!
7 - Angels of Hope Centre
Hi 'Mother Oprah',
How wonderfulit sounds to hear your concern for orphans, including those in Africa. May God richly bless you, not only in your benevolent pursuits but in all areas as well.
Thanks
Your friends,
Angels of Hope Centre
8 - dlinebarger
I am sitting here watching your program on hurricane Katrina and heard the comment made by Lisa Ling stating that this dely in help was due to the population of New Orleans being mostly black and low income. I am outraged by this comment and all others made by black entertainers that this was a race issue and that the people would have been rescued had they been white. I am from Louisiana and if you are not from there you do not get it. There are no racial lines in New Orleans. One street is doctors, lawyers and indian chiefs and two street over will be black and on welfare. For all of my years, blacks and whites in New Orleans have lived together. People that are not from there create the racial lines. I want to know why on the program is it not addressed that the head od FEMA has no background experience to do his job. Even people in government are asking that question. I want to know why the program NOW, recently shown on television stated by the head of Tulane law and the gentleman who is the person in charge of the levee program in New Orleans stated that in 2000, monies were appropriated in amounts of 80 million dollars just for one program and several millions for two other programs were approved by the government to fix the levees and shot down by Bush. The government according to this program went back to the approval committies and some monies were approved. But, not enough to fix the problem. The monies initially approved would have been enough but Bush denied the amounts. Why are we not looking at the people in charge as at fault. Is is because no one wants to challenge the people in charge? Do I think that we showed more compassion for the 9/11 victims? Absolutely! We always provide where the power and the money is. My relatives are not wealthy, they are refinery workers and shrimpers and they mean as much to me as all the widows shown on television and given magazine coverage as to how they were doing a year after 9/11. Probably no one will care what the status is of my people in Louisiana a year from now because they are not the pretty people and the well to do people. But the bottom line is the blame should be placed on the people who are responsible for protecting this country. Can you imagine what would have happened had Iraq or some other country decided that this was a prime time to bring a terrorist attack on the US? If we cannot protect our people in one state, how can the powers that be protect us in a war? The was a bureaucratic screw up and as with so much that goes on, this too will be swept under the carpet and again the blame will be placed on anyone other than government. And while we are on this, while Bush is going on national television asking for the people of the United States to open their wallets to help the Katrina victims (which we all have), my question is how much money did HE personally shell out? If I sound angry, I am. I am with Nagin when he said they should get off their asses and get something done, but I was disappointed in him when after Bush showed up in New Orleans, he softened his tone. Why can't people express the outrage they feel without being concerned about offending Bush? I truly hope you answer this. I really want to know if you, Oprah, feel this screw up was all really racial? If you do, then I am disappointed in you as well.
9 - Bob A. Booey
MacDiva liked Oprah?
That is all.
10 - KMS
I watched Oprah's show today regarding the Hurricane Katrina disaster. Oprah's remark about the "blatent disregard" for the rescuers not rescuing a man's 80-year old mother. Could be she was one of those people who refused to go with authorities. I cannot believe that they would have rescued the son and not her without a good reason.
11 - Lamar Cole
Oprah Winfrey is one of the best examples of being born into humble circumstances and pulling oneself up by the bootstraps and going on to become one of the most confident, powerful, and successful persons in the world.
12 - Lynsee
Oprah is my Hero=)
13 - Lynsee
it was my birthday on tuesday. Oprahs my hero. i want her children. that will be all. love you big "O"