In Defense of Oprah
Of late, I have taken some good natured ribbing at a few blogs for “coming out” as having a great deal of respect for Oprah Winfrey. After further exploring, it turns out that Oprah takes a fair share of hits from Christians online, the emerging variety being no exception. While I am not entirely surprised, I am somewhat disappointed by the (often) knee-jerk and shallow characterizations about Winfrey that are all too common. And so, after some coaxing I have decided to explain in detail why I like Oprah and why I think we all shouldn’t be so quick to judge or dismiss her.
Let me begin with a disclaimer. I am by no means advocating Oprah as an absolute model for all of us to follow. Nor am I trying to convince anyone that Oprah represents a Christian leader (too many people, either pro or con, try to envision Oprah as a pastor of some vast media church). I am uncomfortable with the emphasis on material wealth and “things” that are so central to the show(s), website and magazine. Her emphasis on forgiveness, while largely a positive feature, should not be equated with the forgiveness put forth by Christianity.
Oprah is by no means my central life hero, nor an icon for human perfection- nor would she ever claim anything of the sort. However, being as hugely popular as she is, it is too easy to make her a target. I do not understand the tendency for people to dislike something or someone simply because so many others like it or them, especially in the Church. I think there is much for us to respect of and learn from Oprah, the emerging church included. I will try to explore a few of the reasons here:
She Is An African American Woman: As the emerging church claims to be a more embracing community (or at least working towards it), we should be careful not to dismiss the powerful voice of Oprah Winfrey. As an African American, she has shattered assumptions, expectations and stereotypes, both overt and subtle, that our highly racialized, white culture still holds, made only that much more powerful by the fact that she is a woman. We would be wise to recognize that Oprah has the ear of tens of thousands of women, many who listen to her with unprecedented trust and loyalty. There is something in what she is saying & doing (and how she is saying & doing it) that we (the Church) would do well to consider if we hope to bridge this gap- a gap, consequently, that we are largely responsible for creating.
She Creates Community: An uncanny gift that Oprah seems to wield is her ability to make her viewers & readers feel part of something bigger. Having followed the show fairly frequently over the years, I cannot help but notice how I feel present when watching, both with Oprah and with the mass of other viewers around the world. This is further deepened by the unrivaled virtual community created through her website, which is not only a way for viewers to connect with each other, but also a treasure chest of resources that any church would envy. (Her book club is also an aspect of this community experience, but I will comment on that at the end of this post).
She Is Real: In a culture that glamourizes our stars and heroes to the point of absurdity, Oprah has been remarkably open with her own human nature. Whether it is her struggle with weight or her history of abuse and rape, she pulls back the curtain, exposing a real person. Certainly she is glamourous and no doubt a celebrity, Oprah breaks stereotypes by rooting her life experience right alongside all of ours. Even in her programming, Oprah openly acknowledges (and chastises herself for) her own mistakes in using peoples misery for sensationalism (which she has, arguably, only done once).
She Is An Agent Of Change: Some time ago, I heard a Canadian journalist/activist, who has dedicated her life to fighting AIDS in Africa, tell of meeting Oprah in Africa on one her trips there. She cynically dismissed Oprah’s “promise” to make the world aware of this 20 year problem turned pandemic. However, on returning to North America, this reporter had to swallow her words when she encountered the number of people (especially women) who were not only aware, but actively involved in the cause. This is just one example.
Perhaps most admirable is how she has brought issues, such as sexual abuse, out of the shadows and into the lives and living rooms of millions. While her own experiences obviously bias her perspective, she has given voice to such important concepts as restorative justice (a concept deeply Christian, yet widely unknown or misused in the Church). Her recent push to catch America’s most wanted child predators quickly resulted in three arrests, one caught in Belize and another in Costa Rica by local viewers. While silent about her own political affiliation, she has challenged millions to better awareness and involvement, increasing voters in demographs most noted for low turn out. And this just brushes the surface.
Again, I am not trying to convince anyone that we should all be card-carrying Oprah-phites, daily viewers, magazine subscribers and Book Club enthusiasts. Nor am I suggesting (and neither is Oprah) that she should viewed as a “Christian Leader” (though Christianity plays unveiled place of strong influence in her life). While not enough to disqualify them at all, there are even flaws that we could explore, many within the very points I have raised above. She is human, after all.
However, given the unending stream of utter drivel, blasphemous garbage and politically prostituted programming, we could do much worse than the kind of product (and let’s be clear here, it IS a product) Oprah produces. I am completely convinced that television (and even the world, on some levels) would be worse off in the absence of Oprah. In looking for role models in popular culture, we could do far worse than a woman deeply respected by people such as Desmond Tutu, Nelson Mandela and Rosa Parks. In the end, I think it behooves us to pursue a more embracing attitude toward this woman who has risen from a tragic history (to which she credits God) to become one of the most powerful and influential forces for good in popular culture.
Postscript: With the recent scandal surrounding James Frey & his “memoirs”, an Oprah Book Club selection, much attention has been paid to critiquing the quality Oprah’s golden touch on all her book club selections. While I wonder at her quick defense of Frey, she can hardly be faulted for his mistake or the publishers failure to demand integrity. However, the doors of criticism are again wide open. Many are digging up author John Franzen’s discomfort with his book, “The Corrections” being chosen by Oprah, worried that it would cast along side some of the former selections, which he called schmaltzy and one dimensional. Many people go out of their way to avoid the “Oprah Book Club” label, even if choosing the same title in a different printing.
Again, why do we attack a woman who has contributed to a significant and healthy increasing in reading in a culture to works to furiously to discourage it? When thousands of people, who would otherwise not even consider it, are reading Tolstoy and Steinbeck, we need to give credit where it is due. Certainly she also promotes books that are considered of “literary” quality, but this further reflects Oprah’s human-ness, reflecting her personal taste regardless of criticism (Besides, the snobbery in the literary world fails to acknowledge the importance of popular fiction in our culture). Consider that, demographically, most of her book club members are the main market for trashy romances.
Many of us would benefit from picking up a few of Oprah’s reading selection.
