Oprah Love

Last night I read a children's biography book about JK Rowling.  I LOVE that woman. So I started thinking maybe I could have some understanding of the way many people love Oprah.  

I'm trying.

I watched the first episode of her Australia thing and a tiny bit of the second episode.  I plan to slowly make my way through the other episodes. I can stomach only a bit at a time.

I love JK Rowling. She's my celebrity hero. But I don't think I love her in the way that Oprah fans love Oprah.  It's almost like they worship her. Or at least the show presents it that way.

The show has way too much I'm-going-to-go-and-bless-people-with-my-presence bits.

Look!  Americans having fun on an island. I'm going to add something spectacular to their experience....ME!  

It's not just Americans that Oprah has blessed with herself. She donated her presence to a taco party and to a baby shower of a Aussie fan.  And that's just the parts that I've seen so far. I'm sure there's more. 

Now I do feel bad bitching about Oprah, because I'm sure she's not a bad person. She's no Voldomort or Umbridge. I think she's relatively a good person. 

Since I'm keen on referencing Harry Potter today, maybe I'll say she reminds me of Gilderoy Lockheart.  Yeah. That's exactly it.  Oprah in Australia reminds me of the part in the second Harry Potter book where they go to Diagon Alley and Lockheart is gifting the commoners with himself. 

Okay.  Honestly. Sometimes I love myself that much. But when I have those delusions of grandeur, I TRY to keep it somewhat quiet.   

Although maybe if you're a super famous celebrity, it's not delusions of grandeur.

And maybe false modesty is worse.

Yeah.  I don't like false modesty...at least not in extremes.  But I don't know. I just feel Oprah could have toned her self-love down a bit. 

What else.....

It annoyed me that Oprah and her pals got to see a super secret Aboriginal ceremony. If it really is so secret, why are they showing it to Oprah? Why are they showing it to ALL of us?

I've heard that the Australia taxpayers paid 5 million for Oprah to come to Australia. Why? Where did that money go to? Was it to put the O on the Harbour Bridge?

Did it pay for her hotel?  Her experiences? If that's the case, WHY? She's so rich! Why couldn't she have paid for it herself?

People say it was worth the money because more American tourists will come to Australia.  It's like Australia was seen as this blah place until Oprah talked about it.

I think that's wrong.  I think Americans DO want to visit Australia....at least the ones who don't confuse it with Austria.  I have told Americans that I've visited Australia.   People seem excited for us and hopeful that they'll get to go someday too. I've never had someone look at me weird and say Why did you want to go THERE?

I think to many Americans, Australia is this wild exotic faraway place.  But it's VERY expensive to get there, and it's a big hassle to get there.

So why not use that 5 million dollars to make cheaper plane fairs for Americans? 

Now the good news is Oprah's mention of the floods have brought about a HUGE increase in flood donations.  I am very grateful to her empire for that.

So they did get the 5 million back....in a way.  How much of that money came from Americans versus Australians?   I don't know.  

I do wonder if the Oprah show will help Tourism Australia bring over more Americans. Maybe?   Hopefully.  It would be good for the economy. 

Or will Americans watch the show and think Wow.  That looks awesome. I wish we had the time and/or money to go there.  

Remember. Most Americans get only two weeks of holiday time. 

Anyway, I will be watching more of the show in the next few weeks. Who knows. Maybe something in the program will win me over, and I'll join the Love-Oprah religion.