Oprah Winfrey in India: Globalization Gone Mad

Normally, I would not care about such things except that I harbor strong (read: negative) feelings about Oprah Winfrey and I was born in India.

Firstly, I have long been mystified by her huge success and popularity. Although I have rarely watched her program, she has been such an omnipresent force in media that it seems like she is everywhere round-the-clock. Thus, I know a lot about the woman without having any interest in her whatsoever (reflecting the all-consuming power of mass media).

The few times I have watched her afternoon program, I was either bored out of my skull or was deeply irritated by her shallowness, superficiality, lack of intellect and, most especially, her phony, cloying sentimentality (fake tears, etc.).

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Its indeed a clich, but Oprahs success could only happen in America. Oprah the media giant could not possibly exist anywhere in the world, not even in Western Europe.

A poor female from the most disadvantaged group in the country rises to become one of the wealthiest, most powerful people in the land. A power so huge that she has become an icon that dwarfs virtually all of her peers and puts her on an equal footing with Presidents, Prime Ministers and kings.

I have no problem with abrupt upward mobility and instant super-wealth whatsoever (that is, of course, the essence of the American dream).

My principal problem with Oprah is that. she has no talent and no skills that I can see.

I think success (even in the frivolous world of showbiz and mass media) should be based on having some asset or ability that has some value for the public.

What are Oprahs skills? What is her talent? What does she really bring to the table?

Oprahs supporters and defenders (and I realize there are millions of them around the globe) will ! say that she is a very successful businesswoman who has parlayed her talk show into planet-wide superstardom.

Others cite that she is a role model and inspiration to girls and young women. But what is she "inspiring" them to be? TV talk show hosts? How many such jobs are there available?

They also point out her generous charitable contributions -- including spending tens of millions of dollars for a girls school in South Africa (a very worthy cause indeed).

But I am talking about the source of all this incredible wealth and fame what is it based on? I realize that doing a daily talk show is not easy -- but what seperates her from all the otehr talking heads on television?

Oprah Winfrey (to me anyway) is a symbol of mediocrity and vulgarity. She has became rich and famous because the requirements of celebrity have become atrociously watered down.

Moreover, Oprahs many enterprises (TV shows, movies, magazines, etc.) seem to be designed to promote and advertise one thing: Oprah.

She has somehow created demand for a product (herself) that no one really needs or wants.

Okay, so she has perfectly exploited capitalism and given the people what they (think) they want. After all, her idiotic talk show lasted an incredible, inexplicable, agonizing 25 years. She is also, from what I have read, the only black female billionaire the world has ever seen. Obviously, many people are glued to her life and fund something inspiring in it.

But I cant see what it is.

I see no value in Oprah at all. I find her tacky, phony, vulgar, tasteless, and dull. She exemplifies narcissism, self-interest, gross materialism and a kind of extreme bourgeoisie that is truly nauseating.

She flaunts her wealth and luxurious lifestyle, while pretending to be spiritual and concerned about the problems of ordinary people.

Now, Oprah is in India! to promote something called Oprah's Next Chapter (not exactly sure what it is, but it just sounds so cloying and self-serving that I know Id be better off not finding out).

Apparently, she is well-known in India and has quite a following there.

However, what struck me about her visit is what a vastly different kind of reception she would receive if she wasnt rich and famous. Black people (whether they are from the U.S., Europe or Africa) are generally treated quite poorly in India. Speak to Nigerian traders or Kenyan students who have lived and worked in India and they will tell you sad stories of abuse, rejection, prejudice and discrimination.

Of course, Oprah is also treated better in the U.S. than she would be if she was an ordinary black woman -- but in India, the contrast and hypocrisy are even starker.

Also, I wonder if Oprah is looking at India as a huge new market for her many businesses? Reportedly, her OWN TV network is a failure, suggesting that people in the United States are finally getting sick of her. But India has a middle class of hundreds of millions of people -- does she see them, and perhaps China's newly-minted affluent, as her next target of customers for her books, magazines and what-not?

My guess is, yes, she may be looking at East Asia the same way that Coca-Cola and Apple do -- a lucrative new market. Should she succeed in expanding her empire among the teeming masses in East Asia, this dreadful phenomenon called Oprah Winfrey (or, if you prefer, Oprah Inc.) may last another few decades.

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