So as my American Studies class has probably noticed by now, I am not the biggest fan of Oprah. I appreciate how much charity work she has done, but thats about it. Oprah has accomplished many things in her lifetime and what makes her special and respectable is how she is the perfect example of the self-made (wo)man. In this month's edition of the Chicago Magazine, she is featured on the front with an article titled "Oprah Unbound" and the article questioned if all the fame and fortune has changed her. The answer: it has. So my question is, has that change affected people's opinions of her?
It is only natural that such success would change a person, having millions of people determine what they read next based off of your opinion can be stressful but also complimentary. The article explains how in the beginning when she was the talk show host of A.M. Chicago (later named The Oprah Winfrey Show) she could be seen taking the public bus to work every morning, taking jogs on the lake side, and stopping into her then restaurant, The Eccentric, to say hi. Now a days, things are a bit different.
Originally on the show she would get her own water, but now she has people to do that for her. She has shut down the restaurant she used to frequently go to to visit her fans, and her neighbors claim that now the only way they know she's home is because her jet is in the driveway. She even withdrew buying a Chicago duplex because, "she realized that residents from nearby apartments could see into her windows." This seems a bit extreme, but it's true. She definitely has gained an ego throughout the years, and though she may need some of one, has it gotten to be too much?
Now, I understand Oprah has done amazing things with charity, and she has created an empire which she still owns herself, it really is incredible. But in the beginning she was humble and modest, in fact, those words were popping up everywhere when explaining her background, but now a days the same cannot be said. In my opinion, it doesnt take away from what she has physically done, but it does take away from her persona. I wouldnt necessarily want to meet Oprah (would I decline the offer? No... but I wouldnt make an effort to meet her), and I have no desire to sit and watch a show that I feel is her naming her favorite things and people drooling over it. 30 Rock did an excellent episode with her starring in it. Sitting on a plane, she tells Liz Lemon all the things on her list of her new favorite things... it was quite humorous (Liz was also loopy off of travel pills at the time, but thats besides the point). My point is that someone who is self-made like Oprah definitely has more respect than someone who is born into riches, but with the persona that Oprah has changed into, liking her becomes a different story.
2 comments:
Great post Bari!
While writing my Maxim's assignment, I started thinking about fame and celebrities, and I thought it really connected with what you were talking about. My quote was from Emerson's Self Reliance:
“My life is for itself and not for a spectacle. I much prefer that it should be of a lower strain, so it be genuine and equal, than that is should be glittering and unsteady.”
I believe that perhaps this may explain why Oprah has changed so much and why you don't like her. While her self-made woman-ness certainly fufilled Emerson's beliefs, her new celebrity icon does not. However, just to play devil's advocate, I would question whether it is Oprah's fault that she has changed so much, or perhaps the fault of the media and people who watch her, which make not be a "spectacle" impossible.
It is always interesting to see how people change when they become famous/powerful. We not only see many celebrities with huge egos (because of fame and power), but we also see many political figures who are abusing their power in order to gain something for themselves.
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