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Oprah's Fall from Grace
by Barry Artiste | May 28, 2008 at 09:58 am | 388 views | 12 comments
Opinion
Barry Artiste, Now Public Contributor
There are two cardinal rules in entertainment, never discuss Politics or Religion, unless you know your audience. Guess Oprah, missed that "Memo" !
Oprah, an Industry Brand Name, perhaps has reached a pinnacle in her recommending everything from soup to nuts, books and people. Advertisers and Politicians know all too well an endorsement from Oprah will have her audience the world over scrambling to either emulate her or buy whatever she's selling. Perhaps her endorsement, selling and fawning over Obama, has some audience members at the checkout counter, switching to more neutral entertainment talk shows. As Oprah may have found some are not buying what she is selling.
Entertainers, entertaining thoughts of Political aspirations in endorsing Political Candidates, should remember one thing, not all your audience will agree with you. And after all, you are an entertainer, and should keep your political beliefs to yourself and stick to entertaining.
Tremors in Oprah’s empire
By Chloe Tse
2008-05-27
Winfrey takes on politics and new-age spiritualism and jeopardizes status
Winfrey, for so long revered at as a saint, reigned over all media and received very little criticism for anything said and done. But lately, her choices are gaining scepticism and audiences are tuning out, reports the New York Times.
According to Nielson Media Research, it’s the third straight year of the average audience decline for the Oprah Winfrey Show. This year alone, the show has gone down seven per cent in average viewers.
Also, Winfrey’s reality show Oprah’s Big Give debuted this winter with a huge audience and beat every program on television except for American Idol, but has too experienced the loss of almost a third of its audience.
Even Winfrey’s readership has been bruised. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, the circulation of O, The Oprah Magazine, has taken a loss of 10 per cent in the last three years.
While she’s still suggesting books from her book club, even her picks are gaining criticism. It seems Winfrey is gravitating towards books of the new-age spiritualism variety and long-time fans are starting to raise their brows.
But what really has her teetering at the top of her empire may be her endorsement of Senator Barack Obama – perhaps causing a divide in her audience; considering that some of her television audience are middle-aged white women whom support Senator Hillary Clinton. Angry criticism and political disputes are becoming common message threads on the message board from her site, Oprah.com.
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May 28, 2008 at 09:58 am by Barry Artiste, 388 views, 12 comments
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Barry Artiste
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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Comments (12)
at 17:32 on May 28th, 2008
Delicious.
The Oprah is falling on her butt. Well, I'm guessing she's still kicking everyone else's butt, but this is something that is important. And she should have known better than to bring politics into the equation.
Like Michael Jordan said: "republicans buy shoes too."
at 18:11 on May 28th, 2008
Let me start by saying that I, like most men, do not pay any attention to Oprah. I do however give her some credit for taking a position. Oprah does not need any more money, fame or pats on the back. It is time that she came out from behind her persona and gave her legions of fans some idea of who Oprah really is - not what her fans see on TV but the real Oprah...the one that votes, debates, makes mistakes and maybe has regrets.
I say good on her to put chasing the all-mighty buck in second chair for more important pursuits - being a real person, a real citizen. Maybe her revealing a little more of herself will cost her money but what good is money if you have to live your life by scripts and market research reports.
at 18:32 on May 28th, 2008
Like I said EastVan, Entertainers in the public life should stick to Entertaining. Ya have to remember Oprah has a large workforce for her show and unless Oprah is willing to part with her bucks to support that show if ratings fall, then good for her. Just like the Dixie Chicks said they are ashamed of Bush, and look what happened to them, were the Dixie Chicks right, hell yeah! But I have always been brought up, you do not have to respect the man, but you really should respect the Position as President, after all he was voted in by the majority, and when you slam a commander in chief on a personal level you also slam the voting public who voted him in. The Dixie Chicks also slammed the office of the President, a big No. No. Micheal Moore on the other hand, I do not think ever said Bush personally was a Boob, but certainly displayed Bush's Republicans and their policies as Boob, not in so many words, but filming their mistakes for the audience to make up their own mind. It has now come to light some of Moore's inaccuracies on Bush, such as Health Care, Being Beautiful and perfect in Cuba was a lie!
Not Moores fault when you have a dictatorship who limits your travel and only shows you what you want to see.
Time will tell is this will have ramifications with Oprah. And like you say, It is nice a Celeb throws caution to the wind and express their political leanings in public, but you have to ask yourself, would Oprah have done this if she were a struggling talk show host instead of a Gazillionaire Talk show host? I doubt it.
As always Ray, thanks for the comments
at 18:19 on May 28th, 2008
Thanks BigT, Michael Jordan is one smart Lad!
Oprah should have known better, but when you have a billion dollars, that God Complex sometimes sneaks in, making one think whatever they say People will blindly follow,
Again thanks for the comments and the GS flag
at 18:24 on May 28th, 2008
If Obama wins she will be able to lay claim to King Maker at least.
at 18:33 on May 28th, 2008
True, but let others make that claim, not her, nothing like shoving it into the face of her viewers a smugness of I told ya so!
at 21:06 on May 28th, 2008
I see your point about putting your neck out there when it comes to something like this. But I am throughly behind Ray's sentiments here. It is really refreshing to see someone say "damn the torpedoes" and then say what they mean.
In an era where what it right is all-too-often equated with what makes money it's nice to see someone go for what they know.
at 00:56 on May 29th, 2008
To each is own Guys, I am just saying if she were a struggling Talk show host, do you really, really think she would have done this, if not without a Billion dollars to tide her over, in case?
at 01:41 on May 29th, 2008
No Barry, that is exactly my point. Once you have enough money you are free to tell the world what you really think. I appreciate people who are willing to say what they think at their own expense. That way you know you aren't getting sunshine blown up you ass.
at 02:01 on May 29th, 2008
But do you not think one should stand for their principles regardless of wealth?
But you are right in one respect, it is nice to have the cash to back up your convictions.
I guess we are all in the same boat, there are times I have to bite my tongue and holster my temper when dealing with some I interact during the day. I go home unwind, and fry bacon naked, and hand feed it to Grandma when she is taking her bath.
at 13:43 on May 29th, 2008
I believe it is called f*ck you money. And by the way my grandma likes bacon. Do you make house calls?
at 14:24 on May 29th, 2008
HAHAHAHA, Well depends is she Buxom? I likes em Buxom, but then, that "Depends"