Oprah Gail Winfrey, anAfrican-American talk show host has grown to the status of a cult celebrity entering the emotional and material spheres of the lives of her audience. She has been successful in creating a unique form of loyalty with her audience, coupled with strong and intense levels of commitment, allegiance, passion, emotional attachment, enthusiasm and involvement. Fans adore her, breathe her words and follow her to feel her physical presence. They experience a distinction and uniqueness from being her followers. They tune in their television sets to hear from their great guru on everything and themselves break up into groups to read the books she suggests to live her doctrine. Her influence in the market and purchase decision of consumers is as high as to be termed "Oprah effect". Realizing her clout in the minds of people, media has prophezied "Oprahism" as the religion of future. She retains her place in the list of "the most influential people of 20th century" prepared by Time magazine for three consecutive years, since 2004. Her talk show has withstood the test of time and even today dominates the minds of the viewers. Reigning supreme on the minds of the audience for more than two decades, is unheard of in the television history. Oprah has built her brand, reaching out to people through different means like talk show, book club, magazine, movies, and Harpo Company. Being born of an unwed teenage mother, and with a childhood burdened with miseries and hardships, the rise of Oprah to the status of a cult celebrity discloses her charismatic ability to impart a living experience into the hearts of the people.
Oprah was born in Kosciusko, Mississippi, to a Baptist family in 1954. Since her parents separated soon after her birth, she had to spend her childhood with her maternal grandmother in the midst of rural poverty. She recited Bible stories in the local church learning them from her uneducated grandmother, and was nick-named as "the Preacher" for her ability to preach at the tender age of three. She started living with her mother at the age of six and had to face several bitter experiences, which she often shared with her audience in later years, till she was left under the care of her father when she was 14. The life with her strict and encouraging father really changed her. He discerned the orator in her and supplied her with books to develop her oratory skills. Her success in an oratory contest secured her full scholarship to Tennessee State University. Being a college sophomore, on the advice of her speech teacher, Oprah started her career as a co-anchor of the evening news at Nashville CBS affiliate. In 1976, she graduated with a degree in speech communications and theater from the University. |
