Over the last two decades Oprah Winfrey's journey has taken her from talk show queen to-as Time Magazine has asserted-"one of the most important figures in popular culture." Through her talk show, magazine, website, seminars, charity work, and public appearances, her influence in the social, economic, and political arenas of American life is considerable and until now, largely unexamined. In The Age of Oprah, media scholar and journalist Janice Peck traces Winfrey's growing cultural impact and illustrates the fascinating parallels between her road to fame and fortune and the political-economic rise of neoliberalism in this country. While seeking to understand Oprah's ascent to the near- iconic status that she enjoys today, Peck's book provides a fascinating window into the intersection of American politics and culture over the past quarter century.

In an era of Twitter and televised therapy, it may seem that classic theatre has little place in contemporary society. Accustomed to the indulgences of a celebrity-driven culture, how can modern audiences understand and interpret classic works of drama? In Tragedy in the Age of Oprah: Essays on Five Great Plays, Louis Fantasia provides a provocative examination of the relationship between popular culture and classical tragedy. Making a persuasive argument for the lessons tragedy has to offer today's audiences, Fantasia examines five enduring works of theatre: Euripides' Medea, William Shakespeare's King Lear, Jean Racine's Ph dre, Friedrich Schiller's Mary Stuart, and Eugene O'Neill's Long Day's Journey into Night. Fantasia discusses in detail each of these plays, framing them in a contemporary context that explores the suffering, responsibility, and identity that tragedy advocates. Each play is presented as an engaging, powerful encounter for the reader, recreating as closely as possible the impact of a great performance. A unique look at the role classical theatre can and should play in contemporary society, these essays reveal the lessons great plays have to teach us about ourselves. Directed toward theatre professionals and students, Tragedy in the Age of Oprah will also resonate with anyone interested in theatre, literature, and cultural studies.

Traces Oprah Winfrey's cultural impact and illustrates the parallels between her road to fame and fortune and the political-economic rise of neoliberalism.

Her image is iconic: Oprah Winfrey has built an empire on her ability to connect with and inspire her audience. No longer just a name, "Oprah" has become a brand representing the talk show host's unique style of self-actualizing individualism. The cultural and economic power wielded by Winfrey merits critical evaluation. The contributors to The Oprah Phenomenon examine the origins of her public image and its substantial influence on politics, entertainment, and popular opinion. Contributors address praise from her many supporters and weigh criticisms from her detractors. Winfrey's ability to create a feeling of intimacy with her audience has long been cited as one of the foundations of her popularity. She has repeatedly made national headlines by engaging and informing her audience with respect to her personal relationships to race, gender, feminism, and New Age culture. The Oprah Phenomenon explores these relationships in detail. At the root of Winfrey's message to her vast audience is her assertion that anyone can be a success regardless of background or upbringing. The contributors scrutinize this message: What does this success entail? Is the motivation behind self-actualization, in fact, merely the hope of replicating Winfrey's purchasing power? Is it just a prescription to buy the products she recommends and heed the advice of people she admires, or is it a lifestyle change of meaningful spiritual benefit? The Oprah Phenomenon asks these and many other difficult questions to promote a greater understanding of Winfrey's influence on the American consciousness.

“Reveals the Oprah story no other dares to tell—and with a two-edged sword that rightly divides the truth from the lies.” —Star Parker, nationally syndicated columnist and media commentator New York Times bestselling author Stephen Mansfield traces the fascinating and influential life of Oprah Winfrey, profiling her quest for spiritual enlightenment—a well-publicized journey featuring a caravan of experts, mystics, and gurus—all claiming to have a prescription for inner peace and personal well-being. Mansfield shows how Oprah’s story fits into our larger cultural experience and reveals why her spiritual discoveries have resonated so loudly in today’s popular culture. In so doing, he sheds needed light on the dangers of a spiritual journey fueled solely by a desire for self-actualization. In the end, we find that the story of Oprah is, in fact, the story of us—of a generation searching desperately for something meaningful to believe in. “Stephen Mansfield offers us an unvarnished account of Winfrey’s life (and our own spiritual wandering) told graciously and irresistibly. You will be thrilled, disturbed, and astounded, but ultimately inspired and uplifted.” —Rabbi Daniel Lapin, American Alliance of Jews and Christians

"Today on Oprah," intoned the TV announcer, and all over America viewers tuned in to learn, empathize, and celebrate. In this book, Kathryn Lofton investigates the Oprah phenomenon and finds in Winfrey’s empire—Harpo Productions, O Magazine, and her new television network—an uncanny reflection of religion in modern society. Lofton shows that when Oprah liked, needed, or believed something, she offered her audience nothing less than spiritual revolution, reinforced by practices that fuse consumer behavior, celebrity ambition, and religious idiom. In short, Oprah Winfrey is a media messiah for a secular age. Lofton’s unique approach also situates the Oprah enterprise culturally, illuminating how Winfrey reflects and continues historical patterns of American religions.

Oprah Winfrey is an American media executive, actress, talk show host, television producer, and philanthropist. She was born on January 29, 1954, in Kosciusko, Mississippi. Oprah is best known for her long-running and highly successful talk show 'The Oprah Winfrey Show', which aired from 1986 to 2011. Throughout her career, Oprah has been a powerful force in the entertainment industry and a trailblazer for women and African Americans. She has won numerous awards for her contributions to television and media, including a Primetime Emmy Award and 18 Daytime Emmy Awards. In addition to her work television, Oprah is a successful actress having appeared in several films and television shows. She is also a philanthropist and has donated millions of dollars to various charitable causes through her Oprah Winfrey Foundation. In this captivating biography, readers will discover how Oprah's fierce determination, unyielding work ethic, and unwavering faith propelled her from poverty and trauma to global success. Oprah's life is a testament to the power of resilience, self-belief and the pursuit of excellence, and this book will leave readers feeling motivated, Oprah Winfrey: A Complete Biography by Kumar, Abhishek: In this non-fiction book, Abhishek Kumar provides readers with a comprehensive biography of Oprah Winfrey. With its in-depth insights and analysis, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in the life and work of Oprah Winfrey. Key Aspects of the Book "Oprah Winfrey: A Complete Biography": Comprehensive Biography: The book provides a comprehensive biography of Oprah Winfrey. In-Depth Insights: The book provides in-depth insights and analysis of the life and work of Oprah Winfrey. Useful for Biography Enthusiasts: The book is useful for people who are interested in biographies and the life story of Oprah Winfrey. Abhishek Kumar is a writer and biographer who specializes in creating in-depth insights and analysis based on thorough research. His book, Oprah Winfrey: A Complete Biography, is highly regarded for its comprehensive coverage and insightful analysis of the life and work of Oprah Winfrey.

Stories of Oprah is a collection of essays that explores Oprah Winfrey's broad reach as an industry and media brand. Contributors analyze a number of topics touching on the ways in which her cultural output shapes contemporary America. The volume examines how Oprah has fashioned a persona—which emphasizes her rural, poverty-stricken roots over other factors—that helps her popularize her unique blend of New Age spirituality, neoliberal politics, and African American preaching. She packages New Age spirituality through the rhetoric of race, gender, and the black preacher tradition. Oprah's Book Club has reshaped literary publishing, bringing Toni Morrison, William Faulkner, and Cormac McCarthy to a broad number of readers. Her brand extends worldwide through the internet. In this volume writers analyze her positions on teen sexuality, gender, race, and politics, and the impact of Winfrey's confessional mode on mainstream television news. The book also addresses twenty-first-century issues, showing Winfrey's influence on how Americans and Europeans responded to 9/11, and how Harpo Productions created a deracialized film adaptation of Zora Neale Hurston's classic novel Their Eyes Were Watching God in 2005. Throughout, Stories of Oprah challenges readers to reflect on how Oprah the Industry has reshaped America's culture, history, and politics.

Oprah Winfrey is one the most influential people of our time. Her extraordinary gift for connecting with people, combined with her ever-expanding empire, is extending her sphere of influence significantly. For millions, Oprah is perceived as the most credible source of information concerning just about anything. However, more than anything else, Oprah uses her elevated celebrity status to expound upon her deep-rooted spiritual beliefs to millions of unsuspecting viewers, many who claim to be Christian. In Oprah Theology, author George B. Davis tells how the media maven aggressively and effectively integrates and sells her brand of New Spirituality through her speaking engagements, her book club, her magazine, her radio network, her television show, and now, her television network. Davis takes an exhaustive look at Winfrey’s claim that the core principles of her New Spirituality are based in biblical principles. Oprah Theology gives readers insight into the woman who overcame extraordinary adversity to become a media mogul. Oprah Theology also offers a unique look at how she has influenced modern-day religion—a look that suggests things may not be as they seem.

"A biography of American media personality Oprah Winfrey"--Provided by publisher.