Oprah is Over! The End of an Era

It’s official. Oprah Winfrey will end her reign in daytime talk in 2011. Oprah revolutionized the daytime talk genre by going beyond the bounds of the average chat show and re-focused the mission from providing simple entertainment to empowering people (mainly women) to live their best lives.

“Oprah” began in 1984 and was a typical talk show featuring the same topics as her then contemporaries, Phil Donahue and Sally Jessy Raphael. It slowly developed into a vehicle that at least attempted to transform the consciousness of its viewers (and giveaway cars!)

As we have watched Oprah’s show transform we have also witnessed a woman who has grown into her own divine personal power, creating a life in which she determines her own destiny; a destination many of us are still searching for. Say what you will about Oprah, and many, myself included, have been critical.

One of the most common complaints is that it appears as if Oprah has pandered to a White middle class audience and seemingly has only propelled the careers of White experts such as Dr. Phil, Dr. Oz, and interior designer Nate Burkus. Well, facts are facts and the make-up of Oprah’s studio audience does appear to be middle class White women, though her overall viewership might be a bit more diverse. And yes the most notable spin-off personalities have been White. And yes, there hasn’t been a lot of diversity in terms of guests. However, the topics Oprah has covered I believe have been largely universal. In the past Oprah has even been compared to a Mammy figure who coddles White people and their White problems. (Remember how “In Living Color” used to portray her showing her literally letting White people sit on her lap as she rocked their cares away?) But here’s the thing: point blank, if you want to be successful in the game, as a person of color, more often than not, you have to align yourself with the winning team. And that’s just grown folks real talk. Bottom line, business is business.

Oprah has not only played the game but re-defined the game and arguably, owes no one any explanations for doing what she felt she needed to do to create her best life. We can probably all take a page from the Big O’s book and put something in motion to get closer to our own ideal existence.

Oprah Winfrey will go down in history as one of the most influential women who ever lived. She even helped get us a Black President. (And if you don’t believe that, you’re in denial.) In her success in revamping an entire media genre, indirectly challenging her counterparts to think deeper and reach higher, she is one of the most pervasive examples of the power of a woman; a Black woman.

Whatever your personal opinions of Oprah might be, no one can deny her irrefutable contribution to media and American culture. All good things come to an end, and it is better to end things on your own terms. And when “Oprah” goes off the air, there will be a very noticeable void in daytime talk. There will be no successor because Oprah created her own shoes that no one can fill. Anyone who comes behind Ms. Winfrey who wants to be a dominant force in television will have to create a whole new blueprint and take command in her/his own way as Ms. Oprah has done so well.

How do you feel about Oprah ending her show?