Oprah Winfrey

[Julia]

I don't think anyone will be unaware of the fact that Oprah is presently visiting Australia, along with a planeload or so of her fans.

Even the 7.30 Report had an account of her visit this evening.

What is it about this woman which seems to inspire such hysterical adoration amongst her fans?

Obviously, she deserves every credit for overcoming her disadvantaged background to become one of the most powerful women in the world.

She seems very open and likeable, but so are millions of other people.

Is it her self-disclosure that endears her to so many? i.e. her confessions of her struggle with her weight, early insecurities etc?

I'd be interested to know how ASF members see the Oprah phenomenon.

This isn't meant at all as an Opra-bashing thread. Quite the contrary. She seems to be overall pretty much a force for good, but I'm just a bit puzzled about where all the hysteria comes from.

 

[pixel]

The Americans don't have Royals (wish we didn't have either, but that's a different story.)
That's intricately linked to their belief in equality - as in "equal to everyone and better than most". Somewhere in the depth of their hearts, however, it must occur to them that the "better than most" can't apply to everybody - and a little doubt and insecurity must sneak in "what if I'm one of those other ones?"

Enter Oprah: Background about as dark and "other ones" as they come, yet she's worked the system in her favour and is now clearly recognised as "the most influential woman in the world" - according to a press poll anyway, and who would dare doubt a press poll, right?

So, if they can't have someone, who sits on the throne by dint of birth, they'll put (someone of) themselves up there.

It may be a fallacy - like all of the hero worship beat-up by the press: She is just an ordinary girl next-door, only that she can {swim, run, play tennis, sing, act, dance... - pick any - ...better than us} - so she MUST have that superior knowledge that can bring world peace, end hunger, and tell all of us how we must live (... in blissful ignorance. I made that last bit up myself.)

Please note, I didn't bash Oprah. She is indeed like most of us - especially us traders: She saw an opportunity, grabbed it with both hands, and "let the profit run." Good on her. But let myself be whipped-up into hysterics over every word or opinion she utters? Nah!

 

[pedalofogus]

IMO the oprah phenomenon stems from the time slot her original show is on. By being on daytime tv and being a more honest person than most day time tv, she was able to capture the minds and imaginations of the portion of the population who are crying out for something to occupy their mind (day time tv watchers....retirees, unemployed, stay at home parents, uni students etc). Once she had those people eating out of her hand, everyone else followed.

Very good strategy IMO, because her overweight, honest and self confessed flawed personality was lapped up by those daytime tv classes of viewers. Just as say Alan Cooler wouldn't be as popular as a daytime tv host, oprah wouldn't have been as successful in prime time tv slots (in the early days anyway)

 

[Sdajii]

Oprah's success is pretty easy to understand. A mixture of the above, a fair bit of luck, and a similar strategy to shows like Today Tonight, A Current Affair, 60 Minutes, etc. She appeals to the common moron, and that's often a recipe for success. She has a very effective and well paid crew behind her, but isn't really all that bright herself, and the common moron relates to a person with great success, so in a way it makes them feel empowered.

Oprah's success is another reflection of how much stupidity is out there.

I'm not bashing Oprah or going out of my way to bash the average person (that would be redundant anyway; we all know most people are stupid), I'm just telling it as it is.

 

[jonojpsg]

Alright, I'll put my in...only to say that the $5m or whatever the gov put in to get her over here was well worth it...from the hysteria that is whipped up in the US by her shows they must be getting significant multiples of that outlay in advertising!!

 

[Calliope]

I'd be interested to know how ASF members see the Oprah phenomenon.
This isn't meant at all as an Opra-bashing thread. Quite the contrary. She seems to be overall pretty much a force for good, but I'm just a bit puzzled about where all the hysteria comes from.

It is ironic that a black woman should be exploring Australia and handing out trinkets to the natives.

Oprah then gave her fans a pink diamond argyle necklace with a pendant in the shape of an 'O' . The diamonds are from Western Australia at a Rio Tinto mine. They are worth $450 each.

Each audience member is being given survival packs containing water, sunscreen, a blow up bum cushion and a poncho in case the weather dares to turn bad

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/thouands-descend-on-the-oprah-house/story-fn6b3v4f-1225970719604

 

[Gringotts Bank]

Julia I think you nailed it with the self-disclosure bit. Some upper-middle class women (her audience) are so insecure that to have a wealthy powerful woman like Oprah tell them how she also has struggled with weight loss is a cheap way to feel good.

An even cheaper way to feel good is to talk about spirituality and spiritual stuff as a way of boosting the ego "look at me! I'm a spiritual person!" - that type of thing.

Oprah herself seems like a nice enough person on camera, but really she is just a massive ego pandering to lost souls and offering them false hope.

I have nothing against her at all. Great achiever that's for sure.

 

[sails]

Here's my ...

I rarely watch daytime TV so I'm only vaguely familiar with occasional Oprah shows that I have watched. In those few times, she would usually give her audience surprise gifts - often quite expensive. Such as the hysterical but lucky audience that got the trip to Oz and now diamonds while in Oz. I feel her generosity is one of the things that has made Oprah so popular. I believe she has been active in third world countries setting up schools especially for girls which would also earn her a certain respect.

Julia, I agree it is a possibility that her self-disclosure has also made her popular. It is likely that other women going through the same struggles would be heartened to see that wealthy, famous people are still human. Although, even with her self-disclosure comes a definite air of confidence. Not cockiness by any means but she seems to normalise the struggles she has had in her own life.

While I'm not one of her hysterical fans by any means, I do acknowledge the enormous achievement in her life especially given her difficult childhood and wish her all the best as she endeavours to bring others some happiness.

 

[Twiddle]

I am not a fan of the way she credulously peddles new age/pop psychology crap. For example she was one of the reasons why "the secret" became such a large phenomenon.

 

[awg]

my word associations are: female, marketing, cult, lowest common denominator.

I have little interest in what she sells

however, whoever is responsible for investing $3m to get her here must be well pleased.

Return on Investment like that would be rare.

Minister for Tourism, Ferguson, is smiling like a Cheshire cat

 

[Boognish]

Rugby League has received some nice exposure from this thing thanks to Russell Crowe.

 

[wayneL]

I get a lot of things about Oprah.

I get the admiration, I get the respect etc etc. As someone above said, she is generally a force for good.

I just don't get the fawning hysteria.

We are a weird species.

 

[nomore4s]

I get a lot of things about Oprah.

I get the admiration, I get the respect etc etc. As someone above said, she is generally a force for good.

I just don't get the fawning hysteria.

We are a weird species.

I'm with you Wayne, some of the carry on is over the top.

Was flicking between channels the other night and I had to laugh at the OTT expressions of the audience when Oprah was giving all that cr@p away, everyone was trying to put on the best act just to get their ugly mugs on TV.

 

[Happy]

Tossing between Larah and Oprah I would pick Lara any day for next 10 years, then will have another look .

Must say Oprah looked better pulling trailer with 30 kg of fat than having it on her now.

Giving expensive gifts irks me a bit and being suspicious I suspect her audience is much less genuine than Oprah.

 

[nunthewiser]

Oprah winfrey annoys me

her audience annoys me

the circus show entourage annoys me

but hey im not the general public.

they annoy me also

 

[jersey10]

I get a lot of things about Oprah.

I just don't get the fawning hysteria.

It is sickening and embarrassing the way some of those pathetic audience members carry on. I don't get it either.

 

[Julia]

I am not a fan of the way she credulously peddles new age/pop psychology crap. For example she was one of the reasons why "the secret" became such a large phenomenon.

Yep, I'm with you on this, Twiddle. But then, if I try to be objective and quite fair, perhaps it's a good thing if she can get people to believe that if they can just believe in themselves and their capacity to achieve, then their lives will be more fulfilling and productive.

Don't know. I guess as a species we come in an extraordinary variety of sub-types.

The whole concept of being a fan of anyone or anything is beyond me. I hear presenters even on ABC Radio who are almost middle aged raving about how excited they are to meet X, Y or Z. They absolutely giggle in their adoration.
Are their own lives so unsatisfying that they so easily cast themselves into such a pathetic role?

I just don't get it at all.

 

[Muschu]

Could be totally wrong and often am:

It may be that Winfrey is a conduit for allowing people to be comfortable with their own insecurities. [I have mine but don't use Winfrey to help out..]

Her affinity with the intellects of Cruise and Travolta, let alone her placement of self-appointed spiritual guide Eckhart Tolle on a pedestal, says something of where she's at imo.

Hardly needs to trade the ASX to preserve her super tho...

 

[Tink]

Here's my ...

I rarely watch daytime TV so I'm only vaguely familiar with occasional Oprah shows that I have watched. In those few times, she would usually give her audience surprise gifts - often quite expensive. Such as the hysterical but lucky audience that got the trip to Oz and now diamonds while in Oz. I feel her generosity is one of the things that has made Oprah so popular. I believe she has been active in third world countries setting up schools especially for girls which would also earn her a certain respect.

Julia, I agree it is a possibility that her self-disclosure has also made her popular. It is likely that other women going through the same struggles would be heartened to see that wealthy, famous people are still human. Although, even with her self-disclosure comes a definite air of confidence. Not cockiness by any means but she seems to normalise the struggles she has had in her own life.

While I'm not one of her hysterical fans by any means, I do acknowledge the enormous achievement in her life especially given her difficult childhood and wish her all the best as she endeavours to bring others some happiness.

Yep I agree Sails. I am not a fan but I do acknowledge the things she does, and good on her.

I think its great for Australia that she has come down : )

 

[prawn_86]

The whole concept of being a fan of anyone or anything is beyond me. I hear presenters even on ABC Radio who are almost middle aged raving about how excited they are to meet X, Y or Z. They absolutely giggle in their adoration.
Are their own lives so unsatisfying that they so easily cast themselves into such a pathetic role?

Personally if there is someone you look up to, or wish to emulate, be they sports stars through to business people, it is always good to actually meet them and find out what they are like in person.

Of course they are no different to anyone else, but the fact that they have done something that you also wish to acheive, or done something you like, means you may be able to pick up some useful information from them.