Oprah Does Not Influence

Look who's not talking

When Winfrey's publicist finally did call Kelley to reject her interview request, the author says on her website that she had learned that the superstar had stopped doing interviews, allowing only the occasional canned Q&A.

Oprah: A Biography then is based mostly on published interviews and articles about the diva's rags-to-riches rise, as well as interviews with those close to the star who were willing to go on the record about her.

Kelley is widely known for her "poison pen", having published controversial and damning biographies on the likes of Frank Sinatra, Nancy Reagan and Elizabeth Taylor.

Her portrait of Oprah is just as unflattering. The talk show diva is portrayed as a control freak who manipulated and connived her way to the top and now uses her vast wealth and influence in the higher echelons of society.

But there are no revelations to be found in the 500-plus page tome.

One of the book's most controversial subjects centres on Winfrey's father, who the book suggests is not Vernon Winfrey, the man who raised her.

According to the book, Winfrey desperately wants her family to tell her the identity of her biological father.

Kelley claims that Oprah's first cousin, 80-year-old Katherine Carr Esters, provided her with this information. But the author opts for an uncharacteristic show of discretion in not revealing what would have been the book's sole revelation.

Kelley also claimed that Ms Esters said that while Oprah offers her mother a great deal of financial support, she offers little in the way of love or emotional support.

Ms Esters has since denied telling Kelley that she knew the real identity of Oprah's father and claimed that Kelley misrepresented their conversation in her book.

Kelley is highly critical of Oprah's rise to prominence, claiming she boosted ratings by fabricating traumas from her youth and shedding crocodile tears to captivate her largely female, largely white audience.

Oprah starts with Winfrey's ascent from what she claims was grinding poverty in rural Mississippi _ claims Kelley says were greatly exaggerated _ to the international superstar status she enjoys today. It's a biting but interesting read despite the subject's refusal to cooperate.

Kelley writes that despite Oprah's refusal to talk to her, the talk show host was still the chief source of information. Oprah, she writes, draws on 25 years of interviews with the talk queen in magazines, newspapers and on radio and TV.

Twitter and Facebook does not an Oprah Dethrone | JoCool's Blog

Today celebrity headlines were bubbling with excitement, it was all about the names creeping up on Oprah Winfrey as most the influential among the famous. The two that stood out where Lady Gaga and Justin Beiber. And somehow, the number of followers they have on Twitter and Facebook… was party to the outcome.

I happen to be fans of both, and tend to admire these celebrated people not only for their music or acting careers, but also their use of time while in the spotlight.

But to lump them in with Oprah, is a colossal mistake.

While they may have a lot of Twitter Followers and Facebook fans, the question in reality is “ who are they influencing” and if you look at the answers, Oprah Winfrey wields more power and influence than the two combined.

Justin Beiber has HUGE influence on kids and teens. So… he can for sure influence what cell phone is hot this year or what hoodie is best worn by cool guys, I’ll bet he can even move some perfume. And Lady Gaga is a massive influence on the music industry, which can dictate iTunes downloads, record sales, even fashion… even meat …maybe.

Winfrey, on the other hand, influences who people vote for, how they treat their loved ones, what books they read,  not just a book, but .. peoples entire libraries. Her contribution, what she did with her time in the spotlight, has vindicated the accused, supplemented the poor and given voice to the unheard for decades. Along the way she has created dozens of millionaires, effective spin off shows and literary successes.

Perhaps a new category of influence need be added, it will otherwise be a very long time before Justin and Gaga qualify as “that” kind of influential.

Along with the above flurry of new age celebrity ass kissing (and giving Twitter more credit than it’s due as a category of influence) came speculation about what a woman who’s so powerful will do all day when her show is over.

“What does retired Oprah do” one reporter asked another.

What makes anyone think this woman of insane international social power.. is retiring?

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