She is popular because she claims to have come from poverty so she is the bootstrap queen. Also she very publicly struggled and won against obesity, credit where credit is due.

The dark things on her show come from a woo mindset. Her audience wants easy answers like seeing Drs Phil and Oz talk complete shit easy solutions to complex problems. So she ends up with murderous cult leaders on sometimes when they're getting started, because they offer the same bullshit.

[–] keepcarrot@hexbear.net 3 points 3 days ago (2 children)

She is popular because she claims to have come from poverty so she is the bootstrap queen. Also she very publicly struggled and won against obesity, credit where credit is due.

I feel like this isn't a total explanation. I know many people who are poor and have lost weight, but they don't have a giant audience for it.

[–] Belly_Beanis@hexbear.net 7 points 3 days ago (1 children)

She was the first black woman to host (and eventually produce) a nationally syndicated talkshow. Not only that, it was one of the first talkshows not focused on celebrity gossip and entertainment promotion. Oprah zeroed in on social issues and problems faced by everyday people, something no one else was doing outside of dedicated news programs. And it was being done on daytime TV when cable was still new.

Unfortunately, she lacks material analysis and her class interests became aligned with capital. Because of this, Oprah can't identify problems and solutions the way socialists can. This always leads to woo-woo shit, just like how liberalism always decays into fascism.

[–] Flocklesscrow@lemm.ee 1 points 1 day ago

Succinct, accurate answer

[–] MutilationWave@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Are they incredibly charismatic? Do they make you feel like you've always been best friends when you met them? She's a talented entertainer, she's just unleashed a lot of dogshit into humanity. She probably means well. Eh.

[–] keepcarrot@hexbear.net 4 points 3 days ago

I've never watched the show and such qualities were not included in the list of why she was popular. The clips I've seen make my skin crawl.