Ten Good Reasons to Hate Oprah

ten-real-reasons-to-hate-oprah

I hate Oprah. There, I admitted it. What kind of curmudgeon hates the loveable, exuberant Oprah Winfrey? After all, there are plenty of valid reasons to like Oprah. Her triumph over her tragic childhood is inspiring. She tackles taboo topics. And her philanthropy is unrivaled by any other celebrity

Yet — at the risk of offending her mob of followers — there are also plenty of reasons to criticize, mistrust, disapprove of, and, dare I say, hate the most powerful woman in the world. Here are ten.

1) Her idea of happiness involves a lot of spending

Oprah supports her image as a modern enlightened everywoman with a lot of self-aware, self-help, positive-thinking rhetoric. But at the end of the day, her biggest contribution to the self-improvement landscape is her promotion of retail therapy — the idea that you can spend your way to happiness and fulfillment. oprah-favorite-things Her "Favorite Things" can turn a company like Carol's Daughter into an overnight success, and so retailers beg for her approval. Her Oprah store in Chicago sells the items she endorses, to go along with paraphernalia bearing her logo and even clothing she has worn. Go for your dreams! Buy an "O" notebook to write them in! Somehow, with a straight face, she makes the contradictory claims that happiness is available for everyone and that $25 pairs of socks are the way to get it. She's an awfully expensive person to emulate.

2) At heart, her show is a gawk-fest

Oprah has worked hard to distinguish her program as more sophisticated than Jerry Springer's, Maury Povich's, Ricki Lake's, et al. And although she presents it as an empathetic platform for discussing serious issues, at heart, it's still a freak show. She knows her audience will react to the pregnant man and the woman whose face was ripped off by the chimpanzee. But there's no great truth she's seeking from these people, merely audience gasps and higher ratings. The only difference between her show and the low-rent versions is that Oprah gets the A-list freaks.

3) She fat-shames

As an overweight black woman, Oprah's never looked like a typical mogul. The most powerful outsider ever to become an insider, she has the unique opportunity to show women that it's okay to be overweight. But instead of leading by example, she's punished herself with years of yo-yo diets, celebrating her low-weight victories by running a marathon, endorsing her chef, and famously bringing a wagon of fat onto her program. When she peaked at over two-hundred pounds a year ago, she declared herself "embarrassed" by how much weight she had gained. That may be so, but her self-hate and fat-shaming are a missed opportunity for her to show oprah-and-dr-phil American women that they can accept themselves no matter what size they are.

4) She created the monster that is Dr. Phil

Among the army of experts that Oprah has launched into syndicated stardom, Dr. Phil's fame is the least deserved. Why? He counsels strangers on their most important decisions in folksy catchphrases — perfect for sound bites, but nearly impossible to apply in real life. He's given airtime to notorious anti-gay activists, legitimizing their bigoted views. And he used his celebrity to extend his brand into the lucrative weight-loss field, writing a diet book and releasing his own line of shakes, energy bars, and supplements. Oprah gave him his start, and his perceived authority relies on her endorsement.

5) Her perceived infallibility

Oprah's been lauded as the world's most powerful and most influential woman due to her millions of viewers, readers, and listeners, and no other talk-show host, celebrity, or world leader has the aura of authority that Oprah has. But while celebrity worship is nothing new, the "cult of Oprah" is on an entirely new level. Her most devout admirers watch her religiously, quote her as an expert, and scramble for every product she endorses or even mentions. The idea that Oprah expresses anything more valuable than her own opinions gives her a level of misplaced trust she doesn't deserve. Anyone perceived as infallible is dangerous.

Comments ( 58 )

Thank you, Jennifer, for finally speaking out against the cultural hegemony of Oprah. Normally I can just happily ignore the grotesqueries of daytime television, but the fact that Oprah is one of the world's most influential cultural figures means that she MUST be addressed as a topic of discussion. Also, I very much agree about the essentially anti-feminist/infantilizing character of "vajayjay" (and to a lesser extent, "vaj/vag") What if men started calling their penises "pee-pees" ? That would be bad, but not as bad as "vajayjay," which, IMHO, inherently expresses a bit of antisexual and misgoynistic shame.

KAL commented on Jan 11 10 at 5:39 am

I do not say this often. I think that as much as possible one should strive to express themselves in a clear and personal way without resorting to social cliches, but the word 'vajayjay' makes my brain _hurt_.

CW commented on Jan 11 10 at 8:20 am

"Negative thinking isn’t responsible for poverty, illness, abuse, or misfortune." Perhaps, but it can certainly make them worse.

QX commented on Jan 11 10 at 9:42 am

I feel like this is one of those stories written just to cause a spark.Yeah, a lot of her stuff sucks aka The Secret but the fact of the matter is Oprah sells. Why should we fault her for that?

Amg commented on Jan 11 10 at 12:06 pm

"No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public." - H.L. Mencken, who foretold Oprah's life.

PM commented on Jan 11 10 at 12:48 pm

I enjoy her magazine, but yeah putting herself on the cover every month is annoying. What really bothers me is her preoccupation with her weight above all else. She has this huge microphone that speaks to millions of women and her message to them is "I hate that I'm fat, you should too, lets lose weight together"

Holly commented on Jan 11 10 at 3:00 pm

@Amg -- We should fault her because she gives a platform to people who have no business having one. I can forgive The Secret--its a little insulting, but probably doesn't hurt anyone. But there are lots of people who really believe that vaccines cause autism, and Oprah is probably responsible for some of them holding that belief or reinforcing the belief in others. I hope none of them are among the thousands that have died of h1n1. Not that Oprah cares. Her pockets are well-lined.

trokenmatt commented on Jan 11 10 at 3:10 pm

i just hate how smug the woman is. I LOVE annie liebowitz's photo of her--it's perfect, because it encapsulates that smug smile of OW's.

allen commented on Jan 11 10 at 3:41 pm

I ignored Oprah when she got her start, I've ignored her at the height of her popularity, and I'll ignore her after she's gone. Oprah doesn't rise to the level of being important enough (except in her own mind) to deserve my hatred. She's "bread and circuses". Just ignore.

SG commented on Jan 11 10 at 4:40 pm

as someone who occasionally likes dirty talk, the vajajay thing drives me nuts. Nothing sexy about saying that during the throes of passion.

eurrapanzy commented on Jan 11 10 at 4:43 pm

THANK YOU! I often mention several of these reasons when discussing why I don't like Oprah and am constantly told that I'm hypersensitive. I agree with all of this and my main issue is that she is constantly going on these rediculous fad diets and dragging the entire country along with her. What she chooses to do with her body is her business, but the fact that she promotes what seems to be a different "diet" every year is completely insane.

sara commented on Jan 11 10 at 5:36 pm

I think it's good that she shames fat. Americans have become too complacent and accepting of it. Aside from the health effects, fat makes us ugly. It's unpleasant to live in a country where 60% of the people are ugly merely because of their weight. We must maintain social pressure on ourselves and our countrymen to keep a healthy weight; we must maintain pressure on the government, politicians, civil servants, etc, to make our environment less toxic, such as improving food quality, lowering the concentration of calories in our food, and lessoning the car-culture convenience that prevents people from burning calories.

Bob commented on Jan 11 10 at 6:03 pm

1. Her disgusting self promotion. "Here is my charity, isn't it great I gave .001% of my money to these losers? Why don't I do a show on how wonderful I am!" 2. Taking credit everywhere for everything. "I got Obama elected!" 3. False generosity. "Here are free things for my audience! (of course it cost the sponsor less money to give this stuff away than a 30 sec spot costs.) Aren't I great! 3. Her closeted lifestyle so middle America won't realize that she is nothing like them (childless, lesbian, black, billionaire).

mark commented on Jan 12 10 at 12:02 am

Thank you, Bob, for speaking the truth. This whole "love yourself for who you are" business is great, as long as who you are is healthy. If you're not, have enough guts to realize it and do something about it, instead of pretending like nothing's wrong.

ori commented on Jan 12 10 at 12:27 am

I don't think it can be stressed enough how dangerous she is - she's got unbelievable wealth and influence. People listen to her. A while ago I remember seeing a piece on the woman "who lived Oprah" some writer blogged about her life as dictated by Oprah and was featured on MSNBC. The fact that she promotes pseudoscience and quackery gives completely undeserved legitimacy to con artists that dupe people or make it ok to back into unhealthy magical and wishful thinking. She is utterly irresponsible and reprehensible.

KN commented on Jan 12 10 at 1:39 am

A few solid points, but it goes without saying that a lot of Oprah-endorsed products, people, or platforms, are just based on her singular view and agenda. Blind acceptance of something merely because Oprah suggests it, is for idiots. Larger than Oprah's completely predictable use of her celebrity and empire for both good and frivolous, ought to be the concern that people would conclude from her success that she is god. However, just because the woman is a megalomaniac, does not make her always wrong. She's not "perceived" as infallible, either. When I talk to women about Oprah, they almost invariably say something like "I [like or hate] Oprah for the most part, but she [said, did, loves, hates] THIS..." And most importantly, let's stop getting hung up on semantics with our bodies. A true, intelligent feminist ought to be able to call her vagina whatever the hell she wants. Ditto for Oprah's body issues. If she prefers to be healthy, active, and fit, that is her prerogative. It is her body to do with and perceive how she pleases. Telling a celebrity how and what she should do with her own celebrity is silly. Not only that, but incidentally, Oprah has given ample attention to the problems and deeper issues of body image and eating disorders. But if you want fat love and fat acceptance to have a giant platform, then become a voice yourself, and go for it.

Natalie commented on Jan 12 10 at 3:37 am

A Rebuttal: Ten Reasons NOT to Hate Oprah 1) Oprah endorses material goods. So does every professional athlete. Air Jordans? Now THERE’S a waste of money! 2) Oprah provides a gawk-fest. She knows that most of us take a secret pleasure in witnessing someone else’s tragedy from a position of security. 3) Oprah lost weight. It is not shameful to weigh 100 or 200 or 300, but it is shameful to weigh 20 pounds more than you would like to weigh and do nothing about it. When Oprah felt ‘overweight,’ she did something about it. Kudos! 4) Oprah created the cretin that is Dr. Phil, but anyone who pays attention to Dr. Phil deserves the advice she gets. 5) Oprah is influential because millions of women view, read, or listen to her by choice. Word! 6) Oprah has her own magazine. So does Harvard University. Both are published in the hopes that readers will send lots of money. What’s the big deal? 7) Oprah treats celebrities as medical experts, but that’s no more deplorable than treating medical experts as celebrities. [Are you paying attention, Nancy Snyderman?] 8) Oprah endorses pseudoscience. Tom Cruise endorses Scientology. Now there’s someone you could hate! 9) Oprah popularized a word for a body part that many women found unmentionable. Maybe even a cloying coinage like vajayjay will help women speak about that part of their bodies. 10) Oprah’s retiring. Love her for that!

Omunene commented on Jan 12 10 at 5:56 am

10 reasons to find her smug and annoying perhaps, but hate her? Alas people are sheep. They will listen to and follow somebody. I find it far less worrying that they follow the word of Oprah than potentially anybody else. She is like a shiny bauble that transfixes the crowd. Understand yourself. Don't hate her.

David commented on Jan 12 10 at 7:14 am

Retail therapy, however shallow, works. It works. But yes, it is still bad for you. I personally have no problem with Oprah making up cute words for her vagina. I don't think she is setting back women's lib twenty years because she likes to call her vagina something snappy.

lpC commented on Jan 12 10 at 11:10 am

I was taught at an early age to loathe hypocrisy & pretense -- O. is no worse than rove or cheney when it comes to manipulating the public from a faux moral pulpit. It's creepy & sad.

Viv commented on Jan 12 10 at 11:28 am

Wait, is Oprah really a lesbian? Is Gale her lover?

zebra outlet commented on Jan 12 10 at 6:23 pm

I think I watched part of her show once and that's all it took to make sure it didn't happen again...please be gone soon...

Finkster commented on Jan 13 10 at 1:40 pm

What Oprah sells and espouses with great monetary success is typical of what enamors the majority of the US population today. Most is like the proverbial 'three dollar bill'. As 'genuine' as artificial sweeteners!

KeleHawaii commented on Jan 13 10 at 2:11 pm

I thought she was a lesbian. I knew gale was gay.

PAULO2020 commented on Jan 13 10 at 3:45 pm

You make good points. However, I am disturbed by your use of the word "hate." We have enough hate in the world without you adding to it. One last thing. The word "vajayjay" was popularized on the show "Grey's Anatomy" when the lovely short black doctor yelled at one of her lower-level doctors to stop looking at her "vajayjay" when she was giving birth. Oprah just copied it and used it to ad nauseum. Other than those things - good points.

Trying to Help commented on Jan 13 10 at 3:55 pm

Wow, Bob, what an ugly comment. If you think we don't have enough societal shame about being overweight, you must be living under a rock somewhere, not noticing the constant barrage of stick-thin models on magazine covers and the countless advertisements dedicated to weight-loss products of all shapes and forms, among others. If shame were the answer, we'd be an extremely healthy society. Promoting healthy habits is all well and good, but there are plenty of people out there who are perfectly healthy yet would be considered "fat" by the standards you would seem to be pushing, not to mention the countless other sources of shame within our culture profiting off of making women (and men) feel bad about themselves. At least you're honest in acknowledging how shallow you are, wishing you didn't have to look at fat people. Nonetheless, because of people like you and the attitude you are espousing, we have bullimia, anorexia, and countless other miseries (not just, but it's a part). Shame on you.

Ziggy commented on Jan 13 10 at 4:00 pm

Being fat or skinny or healthy or unhealthy isn't the issue. It's how you treat yourself as you're trying to change. Shaming yourself is a bad move, whether you're trying to lose weight or not, or whether you believe being fat is a problem or not. If you want to lose weight, go for it, but do it with an accepting, non-punishing attitude. Can I shameless self-promote my blog? http://www.AskEdahn.com <--one reason to hate me ;)

Edahn commented on Jan 13 10 at 4:51 pm

Amen to the Mencken quote posted by Amg. Ms Winfrey can do whatever she wants - it's her life. But the adulation she garners drives me crazy. IMHO she is a shallow, obsessive ego maniac and what does it say about our country that we put such a freak on a pedastal.

Gray C Kat commented on Jan 13 10 at 5:31 pm

I'm not much of a positive thinker but I have heard this theory presented in spiritual circles. There was Norman Vincent Peale's power of positive thinking and every yogi I have ever read or listened to has said the thing. The world is a reflection of our own thoughts, our own mind. They say it again and again. I'm not a big Oprah fan so I don't know if this is her source. Without the yogis, for me, the expression is just a bunch of shit. Oprah is no spiritual master. Give me one of them speaking about thought, not Oprah.

Eddie Bryan commented on Jan 13 10 at 7:01 pm

This was the most ridiculous BLOG that I have ever encountered. I bet you that most of you commenting are FAT, unhappy and like Sarah Palin. As one of the BLoggers stated, we have enough self hatred and HATE in the world. WHY HATE on someone who is living their life in a positive manner. And, for the most part, sharing positive information with the World. And, information that may have never reached the masses of Women and People that really needed to be aware of a particular subject matter. Okay, and to start a rumor and have some of you buy into immediately is just plain stupid. Just because she chooses to not marry the Man she loves and has been with longer than the majority of you writing the outrageous comments and to have a BEST friend and her family to share your good fortune with should not be considered a Lesbian act. She does not have any siblings, so what is wrong with sharing with a family that you adore. Many of you befriend the wrong person day in and day out. From lover to best friend and probably get used... So, tuck away your envy, jealousy and racism. Oprah has not asked a single person to follow her. She promotes her favorite things, her ideas, her style...and if the world chooses to follow something that she has passed along in some manner, then Hooray. It is better than not believing in anything but ridiculous conversations as the ones shared on this BLOG. Oh, and Men have nicknamed their body parts for years on end. So, what if we choose to use a cute work here and there. Check out music industry over the years and find out how many terms have been secretly used for the vajayjay over the years. It's cute, fun television speak. SHUT UP and GET a LIFE!!!

PrissandSass commented on Jan 13 10 at 7:48 pm

In addition to the very good reasons this article outlines, I also hate Oprah because she's so goddamn egotistical that she won't do ANY act of charity without getting PR to plaster her name all over it [both figuratively and literally]. That all-girl school in Africa? It's OPRAH'S school for girls. When she gave 250+ audience members new cars, it wasn't the manufacturer who gave them, it was OPRAH [like she freakin' paid for them or something! As if!]. And worst of all, when she had that "reality show" where she gave money to people, it wasn't "the Big Give with a Secret Benefactor to be Named at the End", it was "OPRAH'S Big Give". WTF!!!

The Truth Fairy commented on Jan 13 10 at 10:20 pm

9 reasons to hate Oprah.... "vajayjay" became popular after it's use on grey's anatomy, which was prior to it's use by Oprah.

MissyM commented on Jan 14 10 at 12:16 am

Your envy is unhealthy.

Analyst commented on Jan 14 10 at 11:38 am

Why would you waste your time hating anyone? Do you feel that writing material like this is the only way to generate buzz regarding your writings? The reality is that Ophrah (whom I have barely watched in her career) has contributed more to the social platform than most human beings will in their lifetime combined. Her charity work alone would enshrine her in the hearts of many. I think perhaps women should spend less time trying to nit pick at one another with their claws out and more time encouraging one another. This sort of writing only makes you look shallow, unthoughtful, uninsightful, and without depth of character. Cheers.

Mick Montalto commented on Jan 14 10 at 12:18 pm

Most of these things are reasons people ENVY Oprah and call it hate. Hate is a very strong term and used too lightly. I don't know too many people who would not want Oprah's life, or at least the money part of it. She works hard for what she gets and when she does supposed 'pr' for her charitable works it is not to say look at me, it is to bring awareness to that charity, She uses her popularity to encourage people to giveto charity...shame on her. The reality is most people who claim to hate her are jealous. I would love to have her financial life but it appears to me she works her ass off to get it.

Shenna commented on Jan 14 10 at 4:12 pm

Hate is typically the result of jealousy. Why don't you try getting off your ass, working hard and being successful and tell me that you would not enjoy the fruits of your labor as Oprah does. And to bash the good that she does for others... how many of you are actually getting out there to volunteer or donate your money? Sadly, those that are successful will always have some jealous person to try and bring them down.

JC commented on Jan 14 10 at 4:26 pm

Oprah is wonderful! Yes, she is wealthy and very famous--so what. She isn't the only female who is wealthy, popular and successful. Just stop hating, okay!

murmurphy commented on Jan 14 10 at 6:52 pm

On the psuedoscience issue, anyone who makes health decisions based on what Jenny McCarthy says is probably someone we're better off without anyway.

TheExpatriate commented on Jan 15 10 at 4:39 am

I was right up there with this because I also think the same about Oprah and her stupid Magazine... right up until the point where this idiot writer called the secret 'junk science' - thats y you're writing about Oprah and not actually have any chance of becoming anything remotely close to Oprah -

something commented on Jan 15 10 at 5:44 pm

Oprah is a great example of how our culture, especially the media, makes a celebrity out of someone who really shouldn't be a celebrity at all. And it's frightening to think of her wealth and influence. The kind of wealth and influence that can, for example, wreck the beef industry should she decide that beef is to be shunned. Or the power to put a very left-wing, inexperienced junior Congressman from Chicago in the White House!

Ryan commented on Jan 16 10 at 3:18 pm

fat shaming is a good thing. Women have to stop blaming others for their weight and do something about it. Also, vajayjay is much better word than vagina which sounds disgusting.

Ryan commented on Jan 16 10 at 7:06 pm

do. not. care. STILL LOVER HER!

sybil commented on Jan 16 10 at 11:33 pm

Ziggy, I completely agree with you and with the writer of the article. Oprah, with limitless funds at her disposal and enough determination and drive to become a billionaire, can't keep the pounds off keep herself at an "acceptable" weight. She probably has a private chef and one of the best personal trainers in the world, so the problem is neither lack of will nor lack of opportunity. She, like many people, is probably genetically predisposed to weigh more than is considered acceptable in our society (and who decides what's acceptable, anyway?). Several studies have shown that extreme dieting causes most people to return to their original weight or gain MORE in the end. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/08/health/08iht-snfat.5614611.html?_r=1 I don't hate Oprah, but I think it's sad that she, along with so many others, is stuck in this cycle of body-hatred.

SM commented on Jan 17 10 at 8:49 pm

One another fact, is that Oprah thinks she is the most powerful women in the world (as you said at the beginning), but, well... nobody knows her outside US... or almost nobody, so... I don't think she is that famous, or that powerful... as she thinks...

Revoredo commented on Jan 18 10 at 1:05 pm

Why don't you haters and loathers do your own show/magazine and focus on what YOU deem important and let's see how good you do. Dumb ass sour-grapes losers, the whole lot of you whingers.

Kevin commented on Jan 19 10 at 7:49 pm

Thankfully, we live in a country where every American citizen can follow his or her dreams, which Oprah has successfully done. There are some countries in this world that would execute women in their country if they even thought about doing half of what Oprah has done. Women have come a long way. No other woman has accomplished what Oprah has. We can thank her for staying true to herself. There was a time when black women were only viewed as being only good enough to be slaves. She has kicked the door of media opportunity wide open for women especially black women. How can I allow the spirit of hatred to live deep down in my soul? All of you who are "haters" of Oprah should really question your inner hatred for yourself. Are you really so unhappy, unsatisfied, unfullfilled, unimpressed, and uncontent with your own life that you need to blame your overwhelming, time consuming, and waste of precious life feeling hatred toward a woman who has done nothing to harm you, your family, your friends, and your pets. Life is too short to be twisted up, tangled up, and tied up into hatred, which leads you nowhere in life but straight into darkness. Save yourself because hatred requires a lot of energy and effort to keep it alive - stupid choice. Oprah is where she is because people including her viewers and readers have helped take her to where she is. Don't watch her on her show. Don't buy or read her magazines. Pretend like she doesn't exist. And just maybe that will be the key ingredients to heal your soul, because I know you must be living in Hell being that Hell is living in you when you decide to hate people rather you have a legitimate reason or not. Hatred is associated with sickness and disease. So, if you end up dying from a disease, you can blame yourself. Is hatred worth your health and your life? I hope and pray to God that you are not teaching your children or any other child that resulting to hatred toward others is one of the most powerful and rewarding thing one can do for him or herself. Have a little mercy on your own soul. Release yourself from hatred; I promise you hatred only kills, steals, and destroys your life. What will you be thinking about on your death bed? I guarantee it won't be how much you hate Oprah. God bless you all. I pray for you to be released from the spirit of death (hatred) and live life to the fullest and pursue what you have been created to do. Follow your path in life and stop following the path of hating others who have successfully followed their paths.

WOW commented on Jan 20 10 at 1:55 am

Jennifer, you and the other haters can hate anyone you want, but ask yourself, what is the REAL basis for you to so hate a self-made extremely intelligent, successful black woman that anyone suggesting this outcome at her birth would have been declared certifiable! How dare this black woman be considered the most powerful woman in the world? By the way, how do you haters stack up? What are your accomplishments given the fact that you are considered to be "superior"?

Vida Gaynor commented on Jan 20 10 at 8:35 pm

Why did so many of you "hate" this blog so much that you had to comment on it? If it bothers you, then don't read any further...morons

marleysmom commented on Jan 21 10 at 11:10 pm

Here, here! Perfect! Alas, you're a racist because you don't like a black woman. How dare you! Thanks for pointing out that Oprah is as full of shit as anybody.

Horatio Eckler commented on Jan 22 10 at 11:55 am

you guys are focusing so much on her but don't forget about all the good things she does for other people

mina commented on Jan 25 10 at 1:32 pm

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