ALL HAIL THE CHURCH OF OPRAH

ALL HAIL THE CHURCH OF OPRAH
by Timothy Rollins, Editor and Publisher

January 31, 2008

Oprah in Prayer In recent months, Oprah Winfrey (right) has gone from being merely a quintessential billionaire with a critical overdose of black guilt to outright elevating herself to the level of American deity. If ever there was a cultural icon that epitomizes hypocrisy with a double-dose of the entitlement mentality, it is Oprah, hands down.

Above all else, Oprah must be seen for the hypocrite she is, and has been for the longest time. Remember that scrape she had at the Paris Hermes store a few years back? She arrived as shop was closing up on a Saturday evening. Totally insensitive to store employees wanting to get home, Winfrey did not hesitate to play the race card, effectively bullying them into remaining open solely to pander to her whims and wants. Say what you want, but Hermes is a want, not a need. A need would be defined as hitting a 7-11 for a gallon of milk at 2:00 a.m., with a crying baby at home, and Mom and Dad at wit's end.

Oprah loves talking the talk, yet conspicuously avoids walking the walk. All talk and no hands-on, she uses underlings to do her leg work. While her grandmother was raising her, Oprah was nicknamed "The Preacher" for her ability to remember Bible verses. She apparently isn't too familiar with Matthew 6:1-2 (KJV), which says:

1 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.

(Oprah constantly boasts of her latest doings to anyone within earshot, whether spending big bucks for something she 'must have', or bragging of her self-serving philanthropic endeavors.)

2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. (King James Version)

(Oprah does not sound a trumpet as much as she uses an all-brass orchestra in blowing her own horn, as it were…)

On any given episode, Oprah can be found stroking her ego about 'what she does' for other people. Clearly, this is one of the most blatant examples of her hypocrisy, complete narcissism, and especially the insatiable need to fan the flames of her ego.

Don't get me wrong here: I do not begrudge Oprah's wealth, which she earned through hard work and exercising shrewd business acumen. What I take exception with is that for a 'believer', she plays everything for dramatic effect, and then milks it until it moos. When they say, "It's all about the O", it's all about Oprah, much the same way Hillary Clinton seeks to make everything all about her.

Oprah's latest endeavor is a boarding school for girls in South Africa. While it's commendable for her to set up a facility to empower young black girls in South Africa, the question left hanging in the air is…why isn't she setting up a similar school for young black girls in the United States? Why is Oprah not using her vast wealth to help empower young black women here at home against the disproportionate share of societal ills existing within the black community?

We know the inner-city problems all too well. Crack cocaine, drive-by shootings, illegal weapons, young men smooth-talking girls out of their panties and then leaving them high-and-dry when the girls become pregnant. Such a school for these young women in America would mark a watershed moment that would show these girls that there is indeed hope for them, and that they have other options than remaining stuck in the ghetto for the remainder of a life that is far too short, far too often.

With millions of her daily disciples not only watching her show, but also probably having lifetime subscriptions to "O" Magazine, which by Oprah decree, MUST have Oprah on each and every cover (she publishes another magazine that deigns to allow others to appear on that cover), these fanatical, and yes, in some cases, even maniacal viewers pledge their undying devotion to Oprah, their Most High Goddess.

The one person in the public eye from whom I have learned the most about remaining down-to-earth would have to be Jane Clayson Johnson (left), who shared her grandmother's wisdom, that being, "If you allow the praise of others to define you, their criticism will destroy you."

This is a lesson that Oprah and her disciples would do well to learn. ***

A veteran freelance writer, Timothy Rollins brings a wealth of political experience dating back more than three decades, and military experience going back about the same. He is a freelance writer and policy analyst living in Wisconsin who has been featured on both television and radio. He has appeared both in online publications as well as in print newspapers such as the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, USA TODAY, the Deseret Morning News in Salt Lake City and the Daily Herald in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The views expressed here by Mr. Rollins are his own and do not represent the official views of any organization or entity with which he may otherwise be affiliated. As such, Mr. Rollins alone takes full responsibility for them. He can be reached by e-mail at rollins@american-partisan.com. ***

Photo of Timothy Rollins courtesy of staff files
Photo of Oprah Winfrey courtesy of the Associated Press
Photo of Jane Clayson Johnson courtesy of Meridian Magazine