The End of an Era or the Beginning of the Take-Over?

Oprah Winfrey is on the move; are you prepared?

Editors note: Due to the magnitude of Oprah Winfrey’s grasp on seemingly every facet of the media as well as her influence in the personal lives of millions of people, she will be referred to as “The Oprah” throughout this article. A title, rather than just her name, better conveys her ominous presence.
On Nov. 19, rumors that Oprah Winfrey was stepping down as talk show host were confirmed by her production company, Harpo.

The Oprah, who has played the role of TV show host in some form or another for over 25 years is calling it quits in 2011.

Besides ABC freaking out about the announcement and already scouring the entertainment community for a suitable filler for her time slot, I can imagine that middle-aged women everywhere are in a tizzy.

What will the middle-aged women of America do now that they have no one to tell them which books to read and which political candidates to vote for?

No need to fear, The Oprah is set to launch her own cable network in partnership with Disney called OWN (The Oprah Winfrey Network). According to the Los Angeles Times online, OWN is set to start up, not surprisingly, in 2011.

The Oprah has long been a force to be reckoned with. She conquered and revolutionized day-time television, driving Phil Donahue in to comparative obscurity. She has two magazines, a presence in the film industry as both an actress and a producer, and an XM Satellite radio show. Winfrey has also coauthored five books and she has her name on countless others via the Oprah Book Club.

I suppose that The Oprah Winfrey Show going off the air is a little bit of a big deal. The Oprah is arguably the most powerful woman in the world. I mean, she was named “One of the most influential people” of 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 by Time. The article in the 2008 edition was written by the now first lady, Michelle Obama, for crying out loud.

Considering all of this, fans of The Oprah have little to fear. I doubt that some manifestation of her show will not eventually resurface on OWN.

So, for the period of time between the show’s end and when some version of it shows up on OWN, I have a recommendation for fanatics of The Oprah: run!

Run like your individuality, capacity for independent reason and the ability to form your own opinions depend on it, because they do! Don’t let The Oprah’s massive take-over include any portion of your brain. You don’t need The Oprah to tell you where your interests should lie and how you should feel.

Take this “tragedy” and turn it into opportunity. Instead of wasting an hour in front of a screen listening to The Oprah discuss the intricacies of everyday life, go out and experience them.

You may find that spending that hour with your family, at the gym or reading a book not marketed for the masses more fulfilling than listening to The Oprah complain about her weight again.