The Jiggarati

Just when I thought I’d have to give the most detailed breakdown of why NO ONE should be intimidated by the ’sacred Oprah’, along comes the Washington Post to do my diryt work for me.  Not only did my lazy ass get out of having to type, thanks to the Post, I can put my battle armor away.  If ya’ll don’t like what’s being said about Oprah, send your death threats to the Post, NOT me.

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Oprahcadabra Won’t Make It Disappear

By Robin Givhan
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, November 11, 2007; M01

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At last it seems that there is a problem too big even for Oprah.

The fairy godmother to overwhelmed mothers, struggling authors, do-gooder gadflies and striving young people was brought to tears by recent allegations of abuse at her girls’ boarding school in South Africa. Winfrey, who had been elevated to mythic stature by her fans, is proved to be mortal. Even she cannot solve every problem with tough love, a big check and an empathetic hug.

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After the abuse allegations became public, the talk show host and philanthropist responded swiftly with apologies to the girls’ parents, the start of an investigation and a promise to do better. Winfrey did not hide behind the fact that she isn’t involved in the day-to-day operations of the school. That didn’t matter, she said, “the buck always stops with me.”

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There is little doubt that Winfrey will see this through. And she already has made it plain that these problems will not stall the dream that she had for the students and the hopes that the students had for themselves.

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But the intrusion of such unsavory accusations into the sparkling, anything-is-possible world of Winfrey feels like we’re just discovering the truth about Santa Claus.

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People knew Winfrey was not perfect, that not everything she touched turned to gold. Until now, there just didn’t seem to be any substantial proof of that reality.

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With the mere laying on of hands — or a little sticker that says “Oprah’s Book Club” — she could transform an unknown writer into a best-selling author. She could take the drawling psychologist Phil McGraw and build an empire in which mother wit is held up like pearls of high-priced wisdom. She has launched little-known designers into moguldom by putting a T-shirt or a tunic in front of her audience and declaring: “I love this.”

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Make no mistake about the mythology of Winfrey. She long ago ceased being simply a philanthropist. There are plenty of wealthy folks who aim to do good in this world. But none has her mystique. Consider computer billionaire Bill Gates. He’s trying to eradicate malaria . . . around the world. And that’s just one of his goals. But he doesn’t have anything close to Winfrey’s aura. He made his fortune through software, and there are few things as cold as that. Winfrey made her money by peddling empathy. She is a best girlfriend on an international scale. She will provide a sympathetic ear, but she will also give hard counsel when necessary. And she not only dispenses advice, she gives away stuff. The annual show in which she reveals her “favorite things” is like Christmas for the members of the audience who go home weighed down with swag.

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She is a celebrity who ought to give lessons in the art of being famous. She can acknowledge her stature and good fortune without alienating her less well-to-do audiences. She understands that it’s not another person’s money that puts someone off, it’s the hubris, condescension and selfishness.

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Winfrey has come to be more than just a popular talk show host, magazine editor and influential philanthropist. And it has not happened by accident. She has been quick to define herself as representative of some larger purpose, speaking about her business plan through the lens of spirituality and a core belief in the righteousness of the American dream.

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Winfrey is surrounded by projects, clubs and outreach programs that underscore her mythic stature. Her charity foundation is called Oprah’s Angel Network. She named her Montecito, Calif., estate, where she hosted a fundraiser for Barack Obama, the Promised Land. And she is quick to introduce a new recipe, a new medical test, a new book, an upcoming “Oprah” show, as something that will “change your life.” Other talk show hosts are trying to entertain or inform their audiences. Winfrey wants them to have a come-to-Jesus moment.

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Do not cross this kindly archangel. Texas cattlemen practically had a coronary when she expressed her distaste for hamburgers, thanks to mad cow disease. They sued Winfrey for defamation. They lost.

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Winfrey showed up after hours at the Hermès flagship store in Paris. She wanted to shop. An employee wouldn’t let Winfrey in and Hermès later had to apologize publicly.

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Author James Frey went on Winfrey’s talk show and lied about how much of his book “A Million Little Pieces” was fact and how much was fiction. When the truth came out, Frey returned to the scene of the crime and bore the brunt of Winfrey’s wrath. He was in her cross hairs for an hour. It was horrific. It was like witnessing Lucifer being cast out of Paradise.

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Winfrey has her detractors, people who long ago became disenchanted with or aggravated by the Oprah-centric nature of her show and magazine. But the truth is that Winfrey has managed to sustain a high level of fame and influence without the corresponding level of cynicism that typically accompanies such success.

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Winfrey constructed an adult version of a fairy tale and filled it with a cast of characters — Dr. Phil, Dr. Robin, Dr. Oz — who each teach a different life lesson. Use common sense. Be emotionally available. Eat well and exercise. It’s not so much that they’re dispensing their own advice; they’re participating in Winfrey’s story line.

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All things are possible. Good things happen to those who try hard. Evil, should it dare to intrude, is cast out by one flick of Winfrey’s hand. But abuse is complicated. Its effects endure. And perpetrators require more than a stern talking to. No one knows that better than Winfrey herself, who has talked about the abuse she endured as a child.

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If the allegations are true, it would mean that she couldn’t protect her students from an evil she knows too well — an evil she thought she had banished.

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Reality bashed in the door to Winfrey World and it’ll be hard to push it back out.