The Power of Oprah

I mentioned some time ago I was going to do a blog on the immeasurable sphere of influence of Oprah Winfrey. Not one of those academic pieces that illustrates all of her life achievements and the impact she has made on the life of others. More simply I want to make note of a few personal observations I have experienced of Oprah's power. More notably the recognition and awareness of Black arts and entertainment that she has instilled in her White audiences.

Remembering a conversation I had with a friend of mine that is White, that was sharing with me how much she appreciated Black entertainment. Later, after a few drinks she was sharing with me about this time she was in NY and saw Samuel Jackson and ran up to him and said, "OMG!, it's Danny Glover can I have your autograph?" To which she said he gave her a look like, "Stupid White B****, thinks all N*** look alike," and got in his car and left.

This is awareness of Black entertainment? She sees a movie with Will Smith in it and says she went to go see a Black movie.........

More recently though as I walked into a theatre to see The Great Debaters (which is a great movie and a must see) and it was semi-full, but wait all of the people in the theatre were White. Mind you I live in a neighborhood that is probably 80% (actually closer to 90%) White, but typically when their is a Black movie out (particularly if it is not a comedy) the audience is almost always completely full of Black people. I turned to my wife and said they must have talked about this movie on Oprah. Sure enough as the movie began to open flashing across the screen the movie was produced by harpo films....

My wife and I have always resigned that White people do not go and see Black Movies. Especially at the theatre, and especially if it is not a comedy. Not that this isn't a well chronicled and widely known fact, but we have always kind of took pride in the fact that Black Movies have become huge Box Office successes without support from the White mainstream. Most recent occurrence is a friend that told us he went to the theatre hoping to see a Christmas movie, but said he really couldn't find one he wanted to watch. So we were like, "This Christmas," which at the time was the #1 movie in America. He said he saw it on the marquee, but he didn't know anything about it. Hmmm, you never heard of it, but you know that you didn't want to go see it??? No big deal this is typical!

I digress though this is about Oprah. So the Oprah machine has a theatre in a White suburban neighborhood full of White people to see a movie about Black people. Where all of the main characters in the movie were Black. A racially charged movie in fact! This is the Power of Oprah! It transcends the general indifference that White People have towards Black arts and entertainment. I recall a neighbor that was at my house and on my bookshelf they saw the novel The Pursuit of Happyness. They were like we saw that movie. I was like really what made you go out to see that movie? They said we heard about on Oprah, but it wasn't a very happy movie though in spite of the title. I said, you should read the book, he is a billionaire now! The early days were even darker than what the movie shows, but there is a Happy Ending!

No way that is happening, they don't go to Black movies, no way they are reading a Black book. Obviously these are just a few colorful examples that pale in comparison to the true sphere of influence of Oprah. As I look at all of the #1 sellers that are listed as books to read in Oprah's Book Club, to the unprecedented weeks at #1 that Josh Groban's Noel album spent at #1 after appearing on Oprah. Be honest have you ever heard of him?

Now Oprah is on the Campaign Trail for Obama who pulled a major upset in Iowa and is gaining ground in New Hampshire.. Although Republicans crossing party lines to vote in the Democratic Primaries should raise as much concern as it does excitement. As this is an age old tactic to ensure that the opposition has a candidate that would galvanize your own party to go out and vote instead of being apathetic.

Oprah wants to help Obama "Change" the political landscape of America, as Obama said, he wants to make Politics "cool" again! With Oprah on his side his odds are much better!