Skip to main content

The Oprah Winfrey Effect



I have heard quite enough from the sobbing sloppy sniffling Oprah fans depressed about Winfrey's announcement to finish her talk show September 9 2011. Her focus group is the exact opposite of her main fan base.

If her goal is to enpower women with confidence, independence, and financial freedom, while having a happy family and fulfilled mate, she missed the target. The fans that aspire to her perfection, will be cut off with a simple slice on September 9 2011. This is Winfrey's key way of collection her millions. If Oprah says read this, watch this, buy this, eat this - her followers read, watch, buy, and eat in formation. This, in turn, creates instant authors, movie stars, entrepeneurs, and chefs.

If Oprah leaves her flock, it will not only affect those needy followers but also herself. How will Oprah gather her piles and piles of gold? In turn, how will she react to cutting off her Mother Teresa type life, albeit a richer version - perhaps more Robin Hood-like?

Her creation of a black President and ideal Royal 1st Family, or rather support of the Obamas, pave the yellow brick road to the White House. Now her trek down the road will take some time to allow the Obama effect to set in. I guess 2012 is too early as she will not want to go up against Obama. 2016 is more likely and I wouldn't be surprised if she doesn't try for some other political title to add to her resume.

Now if you think this all sounds familiar, it does, but the relation is more from a negative incubus. Of course, perhaps negative is a term used here in relation to success. Cult leaders are considered by society as evil people, leading their followers to bad actions. Religious leaders do the same, leading their flock to goodness and light, while collecting money for the Church. Is Winfrey a cult or religious leader? In my eyes, she is. These viewers say they will be lost without her. They have not learned independence if they cannot stop following Winfrey. Has Oprah slowly created her own society or religion of followers?

You decide......

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Adults and Toys - Do Adults Ever Really Grow Up?

Every morning I drag myself out of my warm bed and prepare for another work day, as everyone else does in numerous routines and rituals. I pop in my earbuds and tune out the nearby noise, listen to the news while doing my daily puzzles on my mobile phone on the bus, and mentally prepare my "To Do" list. Looking around the crowded bus I always look at the similarities students wear to university, checking the popular brands and styles. At one point during my employment at the university, I created a "style" Bingo game, matching brands and styles students wear, and I always tried to figure out how these younger "starving" young adults could afford Nike Air Force One sneakers, Canada Goose parkas, Blundstone boots and the like. I do this today, sneaking a quick snap of the style and Google Lens the style (no faces of course), sometimes outwardly scrunching my face at the price of the item on my screen. No wonder these kids are starving, they can't afford ...

And Just Like That ...

  Like a cozy sweater, I wrapped myself in the past, took a deep breath and pushed play. I knew what was coming, and I was already familiar with the first episode of its release, but knowing I had full access to every episode made the experience more personal. There was no familiar theme song as it wasn't a reboot, but it had the feeling of something you know like the back of your hand, like that smell that brings you back to your grandmother's home or the taste that transports you to another time in your life. It was almost like the feeling returning to a numb limb, with which I have had recent experience, two carpal tunnel surgeries later. My brain, or rather my soul, was awakened from the fog bathed in for what seemed like forever.  I decided to use my time back in New York with ladies from my past. Although fictional, they definitely were part of my life, playing out storylines side by side with my life on the tube weekly. Having them back, 20 years later, aged and lived i...

Christmas Dinner 2023

Christmas dinner is not a challenge for me, unlike most people all over the world. Depending on your main dish selection and the corresponding side dishes, the difficulty level can differ for anyone, but I always suggest keeping it on the simple side so you can spend more time enjoying yourself than living in your kitchen. It was just my partner and me this year, keeping it a bit low-key and quiet. He just started a new job and didn't want to go too crazy, doing a little extra studying during the festive days off. His decision was leg of lamb, which I was happy with as turkey for two is either too much trouble or not special enough if using turkey thighs for your main dish. Using my kitchen and cooking tools (and skills) was a great decision, making our neighbourhood festivities available while also having time to cook. After visiting the local pub and enjoying a few rye and cokes (beer for him) we tried to gather an appetite, filling up on Christmas brunch with my family earlier i...