Oprah Winfrey is the woman, the legend, but certainly not the myth. Her influence, philanthropy and all-around generosity have been staples of daytime television for years, and it’s not hard to see why. Although we could talk about her most groundbreaking interviews and philosophic moments for hours, let’s narrow it down to the best Oprah moments of the show.
Something that Oprah is renowned for is her massive generosity towards those in need. In September of 2010, Oprah brought single mother Denni onto the show to hear her story of how she raised her three children on her own. To reward her for her dedication and hard work, Oprah gifted Denni the vacation to Italy she had always dreamed of, paid off her 78,000 dollars worth of loans and gave her a year off work with the salary covered.
On the highest rated episode of the Oprah Show ever aired, Oprah revealed that she had lost 67 pounds. To show the audience just how much this really was, she wheeled a red radio flyer wagon full of fat obtained from restaurant Moo & Oink on stage. She also stated that how she lost so much weight in such a short amount of time was simply by fasting for six weeks.
In 1992, Oprah separated her audience members into groups depending on whether they were blue-eyed or brown-eyed. Those with blue eyes were told to put on green collars, and were put in a cramped room and treated poorly by the show staff for the two hours, while those with brown eyes enjoyed coffee and refreshments and were seated first. Once the show started, outrage and debate sparked between the two groups, until special guest and schoolteacher Jane Elliott revealed to everyone that the experiment was really a commentary on racism.
In February of 1987, Oprah visited Forsyth, Georgia. At the time, Forsyth had a reputation of being one of the most racist places in the world. It was home to many Ku Klux Klan members, and its residents actively campaigned for a perpetual all-white community. With admirable composure, she interviewed many residents of the town, who revealed to her why they held their certain beliefs and why they seemed to be so inherently racist.
In 2005, Oprah chose James Frey’s “memoir” “A Million Little Pieces” to be featured with her famous book club. After this, the novel shot to the top of bestseller lists everywhere. However, when it was revealed that large amounts of the memoir had been fabricated, Oprah invited James Frey back on the show to confront him about his lies, practically harshly cross-examining him. Hell hath no fury like Oprah scorned.
Even though the “Oprah Winfrey Show” isn’t running anymore, the queen of daytime television will always be in our hearts. Let her kick-ass legacy live on.
