# Oprah Winfrey **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 14, 2004, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oprah-winfrey/264389 "2004-09-14T08:58:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Metacom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecae2f/32.png) [@Metacom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Metacom)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2004, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oprah-winfrey/264389/41 "2004-09-15T23:17:05Z")
> [@trublmakr](#): > > I’ve been thinking of Oprah lately- who, by the way, still looks scary without makeup- and I’ve come to this conclusion: > > Oprah for President 2020. I think it would fly. One of Michael Moore’s books devotes an entire chapter to urging Opra to run for President (now, not in 2020). ---
**Author:** ![TeaElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@TeaElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaElle)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2004, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oprah-winfrey/264389/42 "2004-09-16T00:04:27Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > That’s quite a grand deontic claim. By definition. Your point? > [@](#): > > Suppose I thought you should be handing out sandwiches under the bridge instead of wasting your time and resources posting here. You’d be so entitled. Of course, it’d only be relevant if you were unaware that I already engage in a great deal of philanthropy, both of the quiet check-writing and in-the-streets “under the bridge” sorts. And the homeless don’t need cheese sandwiches, cheese is too binding. Something you learn when you actually undertake trying to feed the hungry in the modern world. > [@](#): > > Oh, and let me guess — you think that the son who stayed behind was shafted by the King, right? Good grief. Do a favor, Lib. Before you try snarking using Biblical references, get them straight, huh? > [@shamrock227](#): > > So what, though? Why is it less of a nice thing because it possibly did not come out of her personal pocketbook? It’s not less of a nice thing. It’s just not a _personally_ nice thing, and it’s not something undertaken from a place of purely altruistic motives. That’s all. I’m asking simply that people recognize this for what it is, call a spade a spade and give credit where it’s due. > [@](#): > > Personally, I believe that she earned that money and if she never did a thing for anyone that would be her right. (I’m not saying it would be nice, but it would be her right). Yes, it would be her right. But that’s **not** the point. ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2004, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oprah-winfrey/264389/43 "2004-09-16T04:04:41Z")
> [@Mithril](#): > > Either Oprah is a fantastic actress, or she genuinely wants to help people. The look on her face when she is giving something to a family who needs it is pure joy. She worked very hard for a long time to build up her image so that companies like Pontiac would make such donations. While donations may come from the industries, it’s her hard work that has made it happen. From what I know of Oprah’s upbringing, she wants to help people. She’s a billionaire now - she used to be, I think, more in tune with poverty than my family’s ever been, and cheese used to be a luxury for us. ---
**Author:** ![smartini](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/22d042/32.png) [@smartini](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smartini)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2004, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oprah-winfrey/264389/44 "2004-09-16T05:10:06Z")
I admire Oprah Winfrey. I don’t get to watch her show very often and I am somewhat disappointed by _O Magazine_ although I always read her comments near the back of the mag, _What I Know for Sure_, and usually either relate personally to what she is saying or find a new way of looking at things. I think she is very personally committed to using her vast resources, be it her money or her voice to help as many people as she can. Her trip to Africa to focus attention on the children orphaned by the HIV/AIDS epidemic was a perfect example. I agree with the previous posters who stated that her money is her money to use as she wants. I think she does a pretty good job of using it to help others. More importantly I think she is one of the few celebrities who use their voice to make some change for the good. My favorite Oprah quote was to a woman experiencing guilt after making a life altering mistake of judgement: _When you learn the lesson…it’s over._ She’s a keeper. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2004, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oprah-winfrey/264389/45 "2004-09-16T09:11:57Z")
> [@TeaElle](#): > > By definition. Your point? That it’s grand. Who are you to tell people what they ought to do and ought not to do with their property? > [@](#): > > You’d be so entitled. Of course, it’d only be relevant if you were unaware that I already engage in a great deal of philanthropy, both of the quiet check-writing and in-the-streets “under the bridge” sorts. And the homeless don’t need cheese sandwiches, cheese is too binding. Something you learn when you actually undertake trying to feed the hungry in the modern world. So then, what is the nature of your envy? That Oprah gives more than you? Or that your alleged philanthropy is less recognized than hers? > [@](#): > > Good grief. Do a favor, Lib. Before you try snarking using Biblical references, get them straight, huh? It’s straight. I think now would be a good time for you to demand your cigarettes from Nurse Ratched. ---
**Author:** ![gouda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c77e96/32.png) [@gouda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gouda)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2004, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oprah-winfrey/264389/46 "2004-09-16T11:28:26Z")
> [@TeaElle](#): > > It’s not less of a nice thing. It’s just not a _personally_ nice thing, and it’s not something undertaken from a place of purely altruistic motives. That’s all. I’m asking simply that people recognize this for what it is, call a spade a spade and give credit where it’s due. So where, in your opinion, is the credit due? And if she’s using her influence to get these things done, why is it not a _personally_ nice thing? Lastly, why does it matter whether or not her motives are purely altruistic in nature or not? SHe’s doing good. Period. ---
**Author:** ![Kitchen\_Wench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f08c70/32.png) [@Kitchen\_Wench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kitchen_Wench)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2004, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oprah-winfrey/264389/47 "2004-09-16T12:23:20Z")
I just watched the video linked by Liberal. WOW!!! I wish I had the means to do something big like that for people. It just looks like so much… FUN! I’d have a blast if I won the Powerball. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oprah-winfrey/264389/48 "2004-09-23T03:47:15Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > See the link above. Pontiac is paying all taxes plus all customizations. They paid the state taxes and registration fees. But the recipients still have to [declare](http://money.cnn.com/2004/09/22/news/newsmakers/oprah_car_tax/index.htm?cnn=yes) the cars as gifts. > [@](#): > > For a brand new Pontiac G-Six, the model given away on the show, the sticker price is $28,500. The $28,500 would need to be claimed as income so, depending on the individuals tax bracket, the tax could be as high as $7,000. And that was after Pontiac agreed to pay most of the local charges, including state sales tax and licensing fees. > > The Harpo spokeswoman said winners had three choices. They could keep the car and pay the tax, sell the car and pay the tax with the profits or forfeit the car. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oprah-winfrey/264389/49 "2004-09-23T20:52:29Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > What’s the tax burden from gifts like these? Don’t you have to pay taxes on the car as income? How about the house and renovations? They’ll probably have to take a home equity loan just to pay the taxes on the 30K. It turns out that there is, in fact, a considerable tax burden incurred. [http://www.clickondetroit.com/entertainment/3751675/detail.html](http://www.clickondetroit.com/entertainment/3751675/detail.html) "Pontiac agreed to pay most of the local charges, including state sales tax and licensing fees. But the hitch is that each winner must report the car’s $28,500 value as income and pay taxes on it – which could add up to more than $7,000." I’m guessing, in fact, that the sales tax and licensing fees \* also \* count as income. So, although as one recipient pointed out, getting a car for $7K is pretty nice, at least a few of the recipients are probably going to immediately have to sell their cars or take out loans in order to pay the tax man. I would hope that there isn’t a double whammy where you have to pay the car as income \* and \* the capital gains on selling a car that you got for nothing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oprah-winfrey/264389.md?page=2)