Oprah's windling Appeal Examined: NY Times outlines reasons for TV mogul's drop in popularity.

*An article in Monday's New York Times points out various signs that Oprah Winfrey's pop culture dominance is beginning to weaken. Writer Edward Wyatt notes: The average audience for “The Oprah Winfrey Show” has fallen nearly 7 percent this year, according to Nielsen Media Research — its third straight year of decline.

[just had lunch]

the obama bit REALLY put people off. in response,
white people are switching to ellen ...(who, by the way, is funnier, smarter and a lot more interesting)...THAT'S the reason for oprah's decline....

looks to me like obama is doing everything BUT bringing people together.

[x0x0x]

Of course her ratings have dropped. Like most of Hollywood, she takes a vacation every other month so what does the audience get? Re-runs. We get two weeks vacation a year and all we ask for is decent entertainment when we get home from work. Most of the shows today suck due to a much shorter season and weak writing which were destined to make for lower ratings all around.

Oprah seems to have turned her back on the white audience that made her famous. Then she touts all black guests and coincidentally, touts an 80% black audience at least once or twice a week. What's up with that?

She backs a candidate for the first time ever and not because he's good. It's because he's black.

I guess she thought that bright halo over her head would blind us to her blatant favoritism.

[Sadly Aware]

Just in case people have forgotten, Oprah is black. White people may like to think they gave her the audience ratings that put her where she is today, but why should that matter, because I'm sure that plenty of black people tuned in as much as white people, but oh I forgot, our votes don't count for anything. And her backing Obama made people tune out, what about her backing Tom Cruise over his sick love for Katie Holmes and Scientology, or her support and basic creation of Dr. Phil who is a complete horse's butt? For anyone, white or black, to say that Oprah is trailing behind in ratings because she's turned her back on whites and focused on blacks is ludicrous and sadly hilarious! It's great to see that ignorant people, white or black, still and will always exist to make dumb comments.

[lynn]

Oprah has the right to support whoever she would like. I really don't care. But she doesn't seem to be the same person that she used to be. She seems to have gotten too big of a head and ego, and that is what has turned me away from her, not who she supports.

[x0x0x]

Sadly Aware wrote:

Just in case people have forgotten, Oprah is black. White people may like to think they gave her the audience ratings that put her where she is today, but why should that matter, because I'm sure that plenty of black people tuned in as much as white people, but oh I forgot, our votes don't count for anything. And her backing Obama made people tune out, what about her backing Tom Cruise over his sick love for Katie Holmes and Scientology, or her support and basic creation of Dr. Phil who is a complete horse's butt? For anyone, white or black, to say that Oprah is trailing behind in ratings because she's turned her back on whites and focused on blacks is ludicrous and sadly hilarious! It's great to see that ignorant people, white or black, still and will always exist to make dumb comments.

Her teachers in school, white. The first job she got in Baltimore, hired by a white man.
Chicago? White man

Oprah got where she is with the help of a lot of people and now that she has changed, people have noticed. You can shoot the messenger all you want, but her ratings have fallen, and continue to fall, because she is not the same and not in a good way.

I guess we should have seen the red flags when she continually does shows on weight loss and how you have to look within to find the root of your over eating, and yet we watch her expand and balloon even to this day. How can you take her seriously? You can't.

It would be like going to a lung doctor who is telling you to stop smoking as he sports a cigar hanging out of his mouth. It's laughable.

She's just as messed up as everyone else and I guess people are just now getting that. Cest les vie.

[zookeepermo]

I have to say that when the big O started out, her honesty, humility and concern for people was a real draw for those of us lookng for a breath of fresh air in talk show genre. But unfortunately very quickly all of that began to go out the window. I'm just surprised it's taken America this long to catch on.
It soon became evident that as an interviewer her skills were greatly lacking. She enjoyed the sound of her own voice MUCH more than the responses she was attempting to illicit. The Michael Jackson interview was the point at which she lost me as an audience seeking real responsive content. The questions she asked were beyond rudimentary and the responses, or shall I say attempted responses by Jackson just frustrated the viewer because she continualy cut him off.
All this just speaks to the BASIC PREMISE her career was founded all. Subsequently she has blatantly demonstrated predjudice, arrogance, a real lack a generosity (relatively speaking) AND a true desire to become the sole influence in the lives of ALL people world wide on all subject matters and MORAL issues.
You are not the 'god' you think you are Oprah. It would behoove you to return to some level of HUMILITY. It's realy a shame that it's all gone to your head :(

[x0x0x]

zookeepermo wrote:

I have to say that when the big O started out, her honesty, humility and concern for people was a real draw for those of us lookng for a breath of fresh air in talk show genre. But unfortunately very quickly all of that began to go out the window. I'm just surprised it's taken America this long to catch on.
It soon became evident that as an interviewer her skills were greatly lacking. She enjoyed the sound of her own voice MUCH more than the responses she was attempting to illicit. The Michael Jackson interview was the point at which she lost me as an audience seeking real responsive content. The questions she asked were beyond rudimentary and the responses, or shall I say attempted responses by Jackson just frustrated the viewer because she continualy cut him off.
All this just speaks to the BASIC PREMISE her career was founded all. Subsequently she has blatantly demonstrated predjudice, arrogance, a real lack a generosity (relatively speaking) AND a true desire to become the sole influence in the lives of ALL people world wide on all subject matters and MORAL issues.
You are not the 'god' you think you are Oprah. It would behoove you to return to some level of HUMILITY. It's realy a shame that it's all gone to your head :(

She does have a big head. It's like a size 16 or something.

I think this is what happens when you become larger than life. Everyone says what you want to hear which is usually not the truth.

Her ratings however, are a nice, cold dose of "TRUTH" and I'm sure Oprah will listen to her falling numbers and adjust accordingly. If there is one thing she's not, it's stupid. Arrogant maybe, but not stupid.

[sakara18235]

more people are watching ellen because she is more hetrosexual than closet-case oprah.

[Man_witta_Plan]

She's just one big walking Ego, I say good riddance to her!

[laure]

after i herd her commemts about the Lord and witnessing her style of worship, i still love her, but i refuse to watch her show, and i check myself before purchasing anything that she endources. I am very disappointed in her role with the New Age Chuch and i only pray that she sees the error of her ways. A women with so much influence could steer a lot of people the wrong way. That is if the peopel are her sheep. By reading this article, it gives me reason to hope that maybe they arent'.

[April IL]

I don't know, here we are all saying we are over the black and white thing and it's the first thing that comes up. Blacks are predjudice against whites and white are predjudice against blacks it will never change the seed has been planted long ago and it keeps going, some have learned to surpass it or supress it for the most part.
The other point I would like to make is how long has oprah been on...10 or plus years...are you trying to tell me that no one has changed in ten years your outlooks are all the same your likes and dislikes are all the same? I don't think so...I think Oprah is trying to make the world better the way she thinks is correct, she lost me when she stopped talking about GOD and started saying higher power.
Then this nut she has that she has the classes on the internet with have you watched that she has to answer her own questions he looks like he doesn't even know what he has written. I am worried about the ones who follow her, she has a great following and these people are learning about a higher power???? What happened to GOD in her life? GOD is the one who has brought her through this life and she can't say his name? I now see oprah as a false teacher....read your bibles good deeds and good thoughts are not getting you into GOD's grace or the kingdom of heaven.
At the same time though I am not going to bash Oprah or say good I am glad her ratings are going down. I am going to pray for Oprah that God will Love her and take her down the path he has planned out for her. After all she has helped alot of people, and if we are christians we should be building someone up and praying for them not saying "I am glad you are failing"
As for the part about GOD you can ask a black preacher or a white preacher and I am pretty sure they will both agree. God is the only way to heaven....watching Oprah won't get you there.

[April IL]

Onan wrote:

I started a BOYCOTT OPRAH for racist comments she made(see you tube: Oprah racist) then we re-started the Boycott when she failed to give equal time to other candidates and she pumped just Obama and opened a school in Africa instead of South Carolina..
If You are White, Latin or Asian, we urge you to avoid all Oprah stations and her program. I also pointed out that the NBA, NFL and others are racist and have become almost all black institutions just like the State Department. We must boycott them too.
We must teach blacks that we give but we must also take. Life a 2 way street.

Excuse me!!!!!! Teach blacks!!! what is wrong with you???? maybe we should get the whip and chains out too!!!!!!!!! I can't believe you, do you think the blacks are the only ones who hate whites? What about the Nazi's??? they are white you don't want to TEACH them something too???? This is the kind of speech that brings hate. When I worked at AT&T we were told to reply to people " Let me educate you" that ended real quick it made it sound like we assumed they were idiots.
"If You are White, Latin or Asian, we urge you to avoid all Oprah stations and her program." So what if the latins start taking over hey carlos is moving up too better watch out or we may have to TEACH the latins pretty soon too!!!!!
You really need to calm down before you reply to something because it is this kind of haste that starts riots!!!
I will definately Pray for you too!

[George]

Some blacks take every opportunety to hammer the white people,even like Obama is doing with the Frence Moslims, somewhere they hate white people for wath they have done to them, its tru, bud America wash and is a country made and build by the whites, its a pity they dont know to keep their place, and build further on that, they are nice and some are very inteligent, look to Miss Rice, brilliant, but an black or half black cant be the president of the USA.

[Diablo069]

Onan wrote:

I started a BOYCOTT OPRAH for racist comments she made(see you tube: Oprah racist) then we re-started the Boycott when she failed to give equal time to other candidates and she pumped just Obama and opened a school in Africa instead of South Carolina..

Too bad the girls in that school were abused as they were - if THAT had happened in SC instead of the savage land - Oprah would still be stuck in lawsuits. Instead she probably gave them a cookie and a hug.

I've boycotted her garbage for years and can honestly say I've NEVER watched her wicked propoganda.

Maybe she's preparing for a cabinet position under BHussein's possible rule. Her & Jeremiah Wright would make great additions...to the looney liberal's gang of theives.

[bydesign001]

zookeepermo wrote:

I have to say that when the big O started out, her honesty, humility and concern for people was a real draw for those of us lookng for a breath of fresh air in talk show genre. But unfortunately very quickly all of that began to go out the window. I'm just surprised it's taken America this long to catch on.
It soon became evident that as an interviewer her skills were greatly lacking. She enjoyed the sound of her own voice MUCH more than the responses she was attempting to illicit. The Michael Jackson interview was the point at which she lost me as an audience seeking real responsive content. The questions she asked were beyond rudimentary and the responses, or shall I say attempted responses by Jackson just frustrated the viewer because she continualy cut him off.
All this just speaks to the BASIC PREMISE her career was founded all. Subsequently she has blatantly demonstrated predjudice, arrogance, a real lack a generosity (relatively speaking) AND a true desire to become the sole influence in the lives of ALL people world wide on all subject matters and MORAL issues.
You are not the 'god' you think you are Oprah. It would behoove you to return to some level of HUMILITY. It's realy a shame that it's all gone to your head :(

I must say that I full heartedly agree with you. Not that I think I'm some sort of scientist, but Oprah fell out of my good graces many years ago when she did a show live in NYC's Madison Square Garden. She went up into the audience and a young woman confessed with her mother sitting there that the father or mother's boyfriend had raped her. Unfortunately, it was on live television at that moment that the mother first heard about it and they were both caught off guard and re-acted accordingly. For a moment, Oprah realizing "whoa, what a scoop" dropped her guard and the excitement and joy for a fleeting second showed in her face and she quickly grabbed a hold of herself and cleaned her act up consoling mother and daughter. But for a fleeting two or three seconds, I sitting in my livingroom saw the real Oprah. That was it for me. For years, I tried to tell people and they thought I was the crazy one. So thank you America for finally opening your eyes.

[Abcd]

just had lunch wrote:

the obama bit REALLY put people off. in response,
white people are switching to ellen ...(who, by the way, is funnier, smarter and a lot more interesting)...THAT'S the reason for oprah's decline....
looks to me like obama is doing everything BUT bringing people together.

You are so right about Ellen Show she is stealing Oprah's thunder. People want entertainment not a lot of whiny, crying , maudlin guest, the real world is depressing enough.
Oprah's losing ratings have nothing to do with Obama...I'm a White heterosexual female Republican that plans to vote for Obama and not because Oprah supported him.
So the Media has it all wrong with their labels and second guessing.
It is time for Oprah to throw in the towel, and instead of giving "Gas Guzzling SUVs" away start giving free subway tokens or train tickets for the middle class that can't afford their transportation to work.

[gerri-berri]

I don't know about her "windling" appeal, but her dwindling appeal could be due to over-exposure and the results of some of her questionable endorsements.

Two prime examples:
Dr. Phil
The author of whatever book it was that turned out to be false.

Hopefully, her wide-eyed Oprah as gospel audience has grown up.

[gerri-berri]

Onan wrote:

I started a BOYCOTT OPRAH for racist comments she made(see you tube: Oprah racist) then we re-started the Boycott when she failed to give equal time to other candidates and she pumped just Obama and opened a school in Africa instead of South Carolina..

The school in Africa made much more sense if you would read her comments (she was roundly criticized already). Many kids in the inner-cities (where WE think SHE should spend HER money) wanted things (the latest shoe, game, whatever). These kids in Africa want an EDUCATION, that no matter the quality is still FREE in the United states, they don't want things.

I don't really care for Oprah, but it's her money. For girls who are subject to being violated by a man with AIDS because his culture tells him that being with a virgin will cure him, school will provide them with a life-saving education.

Here, kids just want a damn x-box. Not all, but enough to discourage her from investing her money here.

[Tuck]

Like several others have noted, Oprah can endorse and support anyone she chooses. Thankfully, that is within every American's right.

What I personally have grown tired of is the exposure (never ending, it seems) and she appears to have gotten quite the ego. I work during the day and catching her show is of little value to me when I am able to view it. Who needs one more celebrity interview or hair-do makeover? Ughhh...

[Rebecca Goodwin]

People read to much into Oprah. She's a talk show host who has made it big. I watch her very rarely, and I care not if she stays or goes. Kudo's to her for her charm and her success.