Who said something like "my only living role model is Oprah"?

Oprah.

Didn’t Coloma say that once?

Einstein…or was it Mark Twain??

Peg Bundy?

Although I so wanted to be Peg’s role model, no matter whom she chose would be to the exclusion of about 7 billion other peeps, so I guess I’m about 1/7,000,000,000th insulted.

It was Madonna who said it.

I happened to be flipping channels at the time

@drdoombot thank you. How incredible.

I don’t know. But I bet they are on the No Fly list.

Yes, Madonna.

David Duke.

I’ll take back what I stated, because even Charles Manson is a role model to some.

@Brian1946 7 billion people minus one, are not role models.

I don’t know who said it ..I’m sure many have said it over the years though.

Oprah’s journey, so far, is really quite impressive and inspiring.

Jeffrey “come on in, it’s cold out” Dahmer?

Well, it’s not Sarah Palin.

Insulting? Really? Who are your role models? I’m sure you left someone other people look up to out of that list… how insulting! ~

Oprah’s done some good things with her life. I can see how she’d be a role model.

@quiddidyquestions Lots of people have done “some good things”. And madonna said she is her only living role model. Maybe she is refering to how much money to make. That has to be. It is not even among top ten role models. Anyway, if you want drooling over movie musical stars just drooling over things most people can’t afford, plain consumerism is….She has done good things for sure.

@flo It’s not that Oprah is rich. It’s more about what she’s done with that wealth and stardom. It seems you may not know much about Oprah, other than she’s incredibly wealthy. If you want to learn a bit of why Oprah is regarded so highly ..check this out.

@PluckyDog I’m saying compared the inner self that Oprah talks about, the drooling over stuff is a blinding contrast. Most embarrasing, My favorite things shows. And the public thinks it is her who is giving all the stuff away, but it is the companies’ promotion of the things. Does she say It is not me who is giving it away? How often, how loudly? “You are all getting…”

She acts the same way the Inquirer does, (gossipy) she asks inappropriate intimate questions when she has movie stars on.

She forced one of the singers from American Idol who has she lost a lot of weight to give how many pounds she lost. The singer had made it was absolutely clear that she didn’t want to say for whatever reason and yet, Oprah twisted her arm. I can go on.

She just interviewed James Frey, it was soooooo clear his son’s death many many years ago is still like it happened yesterday, and she says to him, what?

By the way did she find that embarrasing/ridiculous to hear Madonna say what she said? She should think Madonna has lost her mind.

The people who are role models a lot of the times are people we never hear of.

@flo I agree with you on “The people who are role models a lot of the times are people we never hear of.”

I understand about the gifts. I haven’t watched her show much in this last decade because it became too hollywood for me. I guess I’m talking more about the Oprah I saw in my teens and early adulthood. The Oprah that talked about the issues that no one else in the western mainstream media would talk about.

I’m not saying that Oprah is a better role model than any other decent good willed person. I only answered your question of “why Oprah?”. I understand why so many would choose her as role model. The amount of influence she has is absolutely astounding. We live in a culture that idolizes, and envies, the rich and famous. Of course there are going to be famous role models ..we talk about these role models because they are famous. Our society is addicted to its celebrities. I get your point and your frustration.

As for twisting arms and coaxing people to reveal things ..that’s what all major talk shows are like. There have been way worse ones than Oprah. Does that make it right? No, of course not. It’s just how it is. For all her flaws, I believe she genuinely cares for people (if she doesn’t ..then she’s one heck of an actress to be able to fool us for 25 years). This genuinity is what her viewers connected with. That’s her legacy.

I have plenty of role models ..some are famous but most are “every day” people. I am in no way a huge Oprah fan; but her story is certainly inspiring. Not the fact that she started out from poverty and became extremely wealthy; the inspiring part, for me, is what she’s done with that fame and wealth that so many other celebrities have not.

All this is just my humble opinion of course.

Lots of people are capable of influencing lots of people. There are too many things I don’t like about Oprah. I cringe cringe and cringe, when she interviews people. One time instead of continuing with the interview or saying goodbye to the guest, she just went to a clip where someone was praising her. The guest was left there.

Should most women be above being fooled into exposing cleavage, (“it is the style ”)?