# Can somebody explain Oprah Winfrey to non US-Americans? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** talk-variety-show\ **Created:** [December 18, 2023, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-somebody-explain-oprah-winfrey-to-non-us-americans/994778 "2023-12-18T15:36:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2023, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-somebody-explain-oprah-winfrey-to-non-us-americans/994778/41 "2023-12-18T17:52:45Z")
Yeah this thread is creeping me out. She’s Oprah. People really like her (apparently only in America though). On the list of Really Rich & Really Famous Entertainment Industry People in America, she’s towards the top. On the list of Actually Terrible Rich Americans, I’d venture to guess she’s near the bottom. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2023, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-somebody-explain-oprah-winfrey-to-non-us-americans/994778/42 "2023-12-18T17:55:23Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > Not to nitpick on a detail\*, but the 🌍 is bigger than the 🇺🇸, which was the point of this thread. She is on TV in other countries. Wikipedia mentions record numbers of viewers in Saudi Arabia, for instance. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2023, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-somebody-explain-oprah-winfrey-to-non-us-americans/994778/43 "2023-12-18T17:58:31Z")
It helps that she’s an overweight woman of color. Three oppressed minorities rolled into one kinda tugs at the hearts of some people. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2023, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-somebody-explain-oprah-winfrey-to-non-us-americans/994778/44 "2023-12-18T17:59:16Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > You two are being extremely naughty. Trying to avoid dwelling on the grim details of what Saville actually did, while acknowledging that if he’d applied his energies (and his sucking up to the great and good) to business instead, the way Oprah Winfrey has, he might have developed a similar status. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2023, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-somebody-explain-oprah-winfrey-to-non-us-americans/994778/45 "2023-12-18T18:06:20Z")
Thanks for that and reminding me how much I miss Roger Ebert. I really liked reading his columns. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2023, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-somebody-explain-oprah-winfrey-to-non-us-americans/994778/46 "2023-12-18T18:08:07Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > …a large part of her success is her knack for making people _feel_ like she’s in touch with them. > [@terentii](#): > > She’s one of those people who are famous for being famous. She got rich by pandering to the lowest common denominator with her feel-good-about-yourself bullshit. There was also a recent thread about how a lot of contemporary pop music (including some produced by undeniably talented musicians) does not use enough exotic chords and modulations. Maybe one could accuse her of squandering her talent, but nobody is being forced to watch her show (or turn on the idiot box at all). ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2023, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-somebody-explain-oprah-winfrey-to-non-us-americans/994778/47 "2023-12-18T18:10:01Z")
Wow. I didn’t think anyone still used the term “idiot box.” Guess I was wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2023, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-somebody-explain-oprah-winfrey-to-non-us-americans/994778/48 "2023-12-18T18:29:01Z")
Here is an excellent summary of her career and beliefs. > **[Oprah Winfrey](https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Oprah_Winfrey)** > > Oprah Winfrey (1954–) is one of America's most popular and influential talk show hosts on one hand, a near-total asshole who pushes a variety of woo and bullshit on the other. And a less flippant one: > **[Oprah’s long history with junk science](https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2018/1/9/16868216/oprah-winfrey-pseudoscience)** > > She may be the most powerful crank enabler on the planet. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2023, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-somebody-explain-oprah-winfrey-to-non-us-americans/994778/49 "2023-12-18T18:35:17Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > She got rich by pandering to the lowest common denominator with her feel-good-about-yourself bullshit. Huh? What’s wrong with feeling good about yourself? ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2023, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-somebody-explain-oprah-winfrey-to-non-us-americans/994778/50 "2023-12-18T18:44:46Z")
Gee, it’s surprising that a bunch of white men can’t understand the appeal of a black woman who is the closest thing to being a “self-made” billionaire that I can think of! She’s allowed quacks to promote dubious or downright dangerous ideas about health on her show, but at the same time, she did do a lot towards normalizing talking about mental health problems, eating disorders, and sexual assault. When the quick weight-loss gimmick she’d promoted (and used herself) ended up not working long-term, she talked about it on her show and promoted healthier options instead. Oprah grew up in horrendous conditions and suffered a lot of abuse as a child and teenager. She’s also dealt with the sexism and racism that comes along with being a prominent black woman. When she talked about that on daytime TV, that struck a chord with a lot of women. If those women’s experiences don’t resonate with a lot of us, well, we should probably count our blessings. So, yeah, she’s filthy rich, she hasn’t always chosen her protégés well, and she’s been living in a wealth-insulated bubble for so long that she’s probably out of touch with the same audience that made her the money. At the same time, she’s held onto her liberal principles, she promotes reading for pleasure, and she gives money to education. If there have to be billionaires, I wouldn’t mind them being more like Oprah than Elon. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2023, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-somebody-explain-oprah-winfrey-to-non-us-americans/994778/51 "2023-12-18T18:50:10Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > Huh? What’s wrong with feeling good about yourself? For one thing, she’s come to the conclusion that feeling good about yourself is all that you actually need to be successful. Apparently she doesn’t entirely understand how she got to be so successful, either, so she thinks that it was just because she wanted it really hard. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2023, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-somebody-explain-oprah-winfrey-to-non-us-americans/994778/52 "2023-12-18T18:50:21Z")
I’m sure many people enjoy being delusional. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2023, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-somebody-explain-oprah-winfrey-to-non-us-americans/994778/53 "2023-12-18T18:56:22Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > > [@Pleonast](#): > > > > Huh? What’s wrong with feeling good about yourself? > > For one thing, she’s come to the conclusion that feeling good about yourself is all that you actually need to be successful. Apparently she doesn’t entirely understand how she got to be so successful, either, so she thinks that it was just because she wanted it really hard. But that’s not a problem with feeling good about yourself; it’s a problem about how to be successful. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2023, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-somebody-explain-oprah-winfrey-to-non-us-americans/994778/54 "2023-12-18T18:59:42Z")
Just do whatever Oprah tells you to do. [![](https://www.freevector.com/uploads/vector/preview/11622/FreeVector-Stewie-Griffin.jpg) ](https://www.freevector.com/uploads/vector/preview/11622/FreeVector-Stewie-Griffin.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2023, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-somebody-explain-oprah-winfrey-to-non-us-americans/994778/55 "2023-12-18T19:05:16Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > For one thing, she’s come to the conclusion that feeling good about yourself is all that you actually need to be successful. Apparently she doesn’t entirely understand how she got to be so successful, either, so she thinks that it was just because she wanted it really hard. I don’t think it’s all that apparent but that she well understands how much work it took for her to get where she is. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2023, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-somebody-explain-oprah-winfrey-to-non-us-americans/994778/56 "2023-12-18T20:06:20Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > There is an implication that if you’re an intellectual, well-educated, highbrow you’ll automatically dismiss her and regard her with utter disdain. I don’t understand exactly why she triggers such a wide range of reactions from people. \<_scratches head_\> I don’t quite get the hate, but I think she peddled enough woo over the years that it likely did some damage. That doesn’t change all the good she did over the years, but I do think pushing a morally bankrupt system like The Secret onto her audience was wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2023, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-somebody-explain-oprah-winfrey-to-non-us-americans/994778/57 "2023-12-18T20:10:56Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > I don’t quite get the hate, … I don’t get the hate either. But nor do I get the adoration. In certain circles she is basically sanctified. To me, she’s a very successful celebrity. I don’t understand why Americans so idolize their celebs. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2023, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-somebody-explain-oprah-winfrey-to-non-us-americans/994778/58 "2023-12-18T20:22:46Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > I don’t understand why Americans so idolize their celebs. Same here. They have more money and resources than most people will ever know - I don’t get why people take advice or give credence to celebs’ ideas on how to be (…happy, healthy, married, a parent, etc.). Oprah in particular, has used her influence as a sort of Midas touch - that’s probably why the throwing of shade here, specifically the recent kerfuffle over her dieting endorsements and advice regarding dieting drugs. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2023, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-somebody-explain-oprah-winfrey-to-non-us-americans/994778/59 "2023-12-18T20:27:30Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > On the list of Actually Terrible Rich Americans, I’d venture to guess she’s near the bottom. Yeah this. Additionally she’s pretty much unique amongst well known billionaires in that she is actually self-made. She did start from nothing. Given how much society stacks the deck is against people with her upbringing, even those that do find themselves coming into money, what she achieved is particularly impressive. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2023, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-somebody-explain-oprah-winfrey-to-non-us-americans/994778/60 "2023-12-18T20:36:10Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > There is an implication that if you’re an intellectual, well-educated, highbrow you’ll automatically dismiss her and regard her with utter disdain. I don’t understand exactly why she triggers such a wide range of reactions from people. \<_scratches head_\> As well as the obvious race and gender reasons for this there is a big class issue at work with Oprah. The fact the most successful, culturally important figure of the era was not a movie star or a musician, or a director, or a sports star or even a prime time TV star, but a daytime TV presenter! That really irked some people [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-somebody-explain-oprah-winfrey-to-non-us-americans/994778.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-somebody-explain-oprah-winfrey-to-non-us-americans/994778.md?page=4)