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O : The Oprah Magazine
Avg. Customer Review: 
 Out of touch
What has gotten Oprah to where she is now, is now not serving her well. Oprah's strength has been to listen to her own counsel and her own mind and heart. She's been a role model in this regard. Even relatively late in her career, when her ratings were dipping, and everyone said that negativity and scandal were the best ways to improve ratings, she promised to go "positive" in her show, and she's kept to it. But that trait of listening only to herself is now not serving her well. For a couple of years now it's pretty obvious that she brings experts onto her show only to tell them what they should think about the topic. But worse, she has lost touch with how insanely materialistic she has become. In the July 2004 issue of "O," Oprah tells us that a woman can put together a nice outfit for $248. ("Can you believe it?") In the interests of telling us women can dress inexpensively, she tells us we can buy a T-shirt for $21 up to $119. Most of the content of the magazine revolves around buying and shopping, with an emphasis on a millionaire's condescending perspective. How to make a $15,000 wedding look like a $50,000 wedding. On some level, all of this would be acceptable if it weren't so out of touch. I can tell Oprah where to get designer t-shirts for $11 on sale. I can show her how to put together a power business suit outfit for $100. So having articles which tell me how I can do it for two or three times the price, I just wonder what the editors are thinking. Other features include such things as "What Julianna Margolies is reading." Apparently a few self help books and Dante's Inferno, because that's a classic. Then there's the large spread on an expensive lunch she hosted for some friends. We get mouthwatering pictures of "crab cakes with baby beets and two sauces" (Gail loved these) and chocolate cake with buttercream ganache. I suppose that, again, this is directed for those who either worship the woman and need to know everything she can afford to buy, or those who want to try to copy Oprah's expensive tastes at their planned $50,000 wedding. If you simply admire (not worship) Oprah, as I do, then the magazine just leaves me cold and bewildered. Life is not just about shopping. I thought Oprah used to stand for that. Apparently that's all changed.
Fear the naysayers for their ignorance
Don't listen to a "magazine reader" from New York, NY; she reviewed the magazine for all the wrong reasons and made an ad feminam attack on Oprah Winfrey instead of reviewing the content of the magazine. Reviewers like her are an embarrassment when their jealousy belies their flawed criticism. Oprah Winfrey is a pretty smart business woman, and to say she has no talent is utterly untruthful to her success in television. The magazine is a reflection of many people, including a staff of professionally trained editors, so to imply that these people have no talent like Oprah is just disgusting and petty. To add insult to injury, Ms. Magazine Reader from New York, what do looks have anything to do with anything? Maybe you're the type who relies on looks to get by, but there are more important things in life, and you need to grow up immensely and learn to stick to the real issue.
 Waiting by my mailbox!
Not really. I have a child and a full-time job. But I love this magazine and look forward to receiving it this month. It has a well balance of the things we want to know and the things we need to know. Meaning, the magazine balances fun articles with serious issues we should be aware of. I don't watch her show - remember the full-time job thing. But at 10:00 at night, after the kids and the husband go to sleep, I just love to get into a hot bath and read this magazine from cover to cover. MY TIME! I think Oprah would be proud!
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