This paper examines the wide-ranging cultural and social influence of The Oprah Winfrey Show, situating its impact within the broader context of modern mass media and television's role in shaping public perception. The paper explores the values and ideology the show projects—particularly its ethos of care, compassion, and public confession—and considers how these have extended into areas such as publishing, political awareness, and attitudes toward crime. Drawing on scholarship from media studies, sociology, and communications, the paper presents both the positive contributions of the show and the critical perspectives that warn against its outsized influence on public discourse and the search for meaning.
In order to discuss and understand the influence that The Oprah Winfrey Show has had on society — not only in America but in many other areas of the world — one must first understand the influence and effect of modern media and communications. This is especially the case with regard to television and the popularity of the modern talk show format. The following quotation from a study by Abt and Mustazza (1997) summarizes the pervasiveness of modern television:
Television captures the imagination more than anything else in people's lives. The country is somehow held together by celebrities.... Celebrity talk-show people.... You aren't anybody in America if you're not on TV. In short, you don't exist unless you're on TV. (Abt & Mustazza, 1997, p. 1)
Television has therefore become an increasingly influential medium. This aspect should be borne in mind when considering the popularity of The Oprah Winfrey Show. Time magazine has named Winfrey as one of one hundred people "Who Shape Our World" (Glynn et al., 2007, p. 227).
To shape the world can be understood to mean having the power not only to determine tastes and fashion but also to exert a profound influence on the way people perceive the world and on the actions they take. Some commentators have even gone so far as to assert that Oprah should be placed in the same group as influential leaders such as George W. Bush, Pope Benedict XVI, Hugo Chavez, and Hillary Clinton (Glynn, Huge, Reineke, Hardy & Shanahan, 2007, p. 228).
In 1986, Oprah Winfrey successfully transformed a local Chicago talk show into a hugely successful and nationally syndicated media phenomenon. The format and style she created during those years "became the standard for all such programs" (Abt & Mustazza, 1997, p. 64). Furthermore, Oprah developed a unique style that included an informal and caring approach to her topics, focusing on interaction with the values and concerns of both her audience and the broader public.
The show has received numerous Emmy and other awards. Oprah has become extremely wealthy as a result, and this wealth has been translated into forms of influence that extend beyond the borders of the United States — for example, her opening of a school for disadvantaged young girls in South Africa. As one observer notes, "People throughout the world can watch Oprah" (Lowe, 1998, p. 2).
The Oprah Winfrey Show has also surpassed the popularity of previous talk shows, such as those hosted by Phil Donahue and Johnny Carson. Her show is the most widely viewed television program among certain demographics, such as white women (Mack, 2008). Interestingly, it is also popular among adolescent viewers, rated second only to Ricki Lake in that demographic. One study found that the most frequently watched talk show among adolescents was Ricki Lake (41%), with Oprah Winfrey second (36%) (Davis & Mares, 1998, p. 78).
This television show has also been noted for its influence on many disparate sectors of society — for example, its impact on the publishing industry and on book marketing and sales. Many critics are also of the opinion that Oprah has had a significant influence on social affairs in the United States. One reason for her popularity is that her show is community-oriented and provides a form of social and public "therapy." The format and content of the show address important concerns and issues in society, including sexuality, family conflict, drug addiction, abuse, and criminal activity. The focus on family issues is especially significant in American society. Critics have also noted her influence on the political process.
Much of the popularity of the show can be attributed to her personal history. Her life story is a quintessential rags-to-riches narrative that has resonated with the general public. As one critic notes:
...she is the embodiment of the latter-day American Dream — the poor girl who worked hard, got straight A's in school, overcame the obstacles of racial prejudice, obesity, sexual abuse as a child, and crack-cocaine use as an adult, and became one of the most famous women in the world. (Abt & Mustazza, 1997, p. 64)
Part of the successful formula of her show is that she consistently attempts to maintain a connection to the community and to everyday events and concerns in society. Working-class and middle-class viewers identify with the show because of her down-to-earth persona and the "common touch" that is such a prominent part of her presentation.
Some critical assessments of the show are quite extreme. Certain commentators point out that The Oprah Winfrey Show has taken on characteristics of a religion: "Oprah is probably the greatest media influence on the adult population. She is almost a religion" (Lowe, 1998, p. 1). While this has positive aspects in terms of disseminating an ideology of care and concern for others, it is also viewed negatively by some commentators, who argue that such influence can become dangerously powerful. This more critical view will be addressed later in this paper.
Given the foregoing discussion, it is clear that the values and ideology projected by a television host can be highly influential owing to the power of the medium. In her talk show, Oprah tends to project a caring and compassionate ideology and view of life and society. This ethos of concern for others has been a dominant and differentiating feature of her show. Critics emphasize this aspect when comparing her program to others in the same format: "her treatment of guests is far gentler than that of her competition. Although she is occasionally sarcastic, her offhand remarks are less biting than teasing, and she rarely makes fun of her guests or uses them as objects of ridicule" (Abt & Mustazza, 1997, p. 65); and "she again often sits with the guests and even touches them encouragingly" (Abt & Mustazza, 1997, p. 65).
The central ethos and ideological orientation of the show focus on care, concern, and advice, and it has developed a "confessional" tone in which people feel free to reveal and discuss personal and private issues. In fact, the word Oprah has achieved its own independent status in the lexicon of many younger people, carrying the following meaning: "to engage in persistent, intimate questioning with the intention of obtaining a confession; usually used by men of women, as in 'I wasn't going to tell her, but after a few drinks, she Oprah'd it out of me'" (Lowe, 1998, p. 3). The show has also been linked to the concept of social therapy through the process of public confession.
Some reviews go even further. The National Review has written that "Oprahfication has become the routine designation for nothing less than the wholesale makeover of the nation, and then the world" (Steyn). Furthermore, one of the positive aspects of this ideology of care and concern has been that "Winfrey has helped thousands of women — and men — come to grips with a variety of health and social problems" ("Television," 1991). As Dr. Jannette Dates of Howard University's School of Communication states, "I think she's made America more open about their problems and more willing to seek help" ("Television," 1991).
Another perspective holds that the show has developed beyond casual entertainment. Some critics maintain that it even provides an existential and philosophical function in modern popular culture — that it goes beyond mere entertainment and offers a sense of life meaning for the viewer. This is expressed by one commentator as follows: "Oprah surpasses other talk shows, and the limits of television in general, by engaging the viewer in an interactive quest: nothing short of the search for meaning amidst seemingly senseless suffering" (Jacobs, 2005, p. 375).
This view may seem extreme, but it is taken seriously by many media analysts and sociologists. The central point is that The Oprah Winfrey Show has taken on a new dimension in recent years. It combines and integrates with the general influence and proliferation of other communications media, such as the internet and social networking, to become a social force that extends beyond its original role of entertainment. In this sense, viewers take their life meaning and direction from the media — and from populist talk shows like Oprah's. As Jacobs (2005) states:
Viewers share their pain through a "metatext" ... or the overlapping network of Oprah's magazine, website, book club, and direct contributions to the show. Illouz argues that the language of suffering in which Oprah, her guests, and audience respondents frame their contributions resonates with "the Puritan tradition, the reigning ethos of economic liberalism, the psychotherapeutic worldview, and the New Age..." (Jacobs, 2005, p. 376)
If we accept this view, The Oprah Winfrey Show has become a cultural phenomenon that assimilates and incorporates other areas of culture and society — such as the New Age movement — and creates a focal point in the talk show for the expression of many issues and perspectives.
This has both positive and negative dimensions. It can reveal and make public many of the underlying issues and problems in society. On the other hand, as will be discussed in relation to crime, it can also shift attitudes and perceptions in ways that certain analysts do not consider entirely beneficial.
"Sympathy for offenders and leniency debate"
"Book sales, authors, and political visibility"
"Critiques of influence and superficiality"
A critique with perhaps more substance is that the show is also susceptible to some of the worst excesses of popular culture, which can lead to a certain superficiality in content and depth when it is taken to be more than a talk show. The central negative aspect of the show lies in its intense popularity, which runs the risk of replacing theology and philosophy in the search for meaning with a well-intentioned but necessarily superficial entertainment format. In other words, the chief danger of the show is that it may become reductionist and overreach itself — substituting other, more established ways of understanding society and human existence with the common currency of a talk show.
The influence of a media and personality phenomenon like The Oprah Winfrey Show is difficult to summarize briefly. As has been stressed throughout this paper, the success of this talk show is linked to the general growth of mass media communications. However, that alone would not be sufficient to explain the way Oprah has influenced society and popular culture. To explain this more fully, one must also take into account her personal background and the distinctive style of talk show she has created.
The ideology of care and compassion, as well as the confessional and therapeutic aspects of the show, help to explain Oprah's influence. This influence has been and continues to be extensive. Many people view the show as a resource for living, an idea linked to the concept of therapy through public confession. Oprah's views have also influenced markets, as the example of book sales clearly demonstrates.
On the other hand, many critics warn against the negative aspects of a show that has become too popular and influential. This refers to the possibility that attitudes and views expressed on the show can override more rational perspectives, with potentially negative social consequences — as is the case with regard to how criminals are perceived.
In the final analysis, The Oprah Winfrey Show, as a creation of popular mass-media culture, has helped many people. It has been instrumental in improving the lives of many viewers and participants. The show's projection and encouragement of a caring and concerned image is one that cannot be too harshly criticized in a world that is becoming increasingly more violent and indifferent.
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