Oprah+Winfrey+-+SP09

== =Oprah Winfrey =

by Gayle King
Oprah Winfrey, my best friend, was born on January 29th, 1954. Throughout her career, she has had many different occupations ranging from talk show host to actress, from magazine producer to philanthropist. Over time, Oprah has become one of the most influential African American talk show hosts. She began this journey by growing up in a poor home, and was raised by a single mother. As a child, she was abused and raped, and eventually became pregnant and gave birth, but the baby died. She was sent to live with her father in Tennessee. While in high school, she landed a job as a local radio talk show host, then moved to host the local evening news. She was very good at these jobs and her audience was always captivated by her emotions. Because she stayed strong and didn't give up hope, she was soon moved to host a day time talk show.

Oprah's career is defined by her success. Her first talk show was half and hour and named //AM Chicago//. Only months later, the show became the top rated show in Chicago. The show was renamed to //The Oprah Winfrey Show// and expanded to a full hour. Many talk shows in that time were hosted by white males, but Oprah rose up and became the first African American female to have a successful talk show. The live audience that comes to the show treats the show as a group therapy session, often telling Oprah things that they would never tell anyone else. The show consists of Oprah talking to people and celebrities about issues, and also is very fond of gift giving. In 2004, each member (276) of the live audience recieved a G6 sedan. Cars are not the only thing she gives away; it ranges from books to food to clothes, and anything else you can imagine. In 1985, she co-starred in the movie "The Color Purple," which is based on the best selling novel "The Color Purple" by Alice Walker. For her role in the movie, she was nominated for Oscar and Golden Globe awards. She has been called the "world's most powerful women" by CNN and Time.com. Life named her the most influential black person of her generation.

Happiness is a quality that every talk show host needs to posses. Oprah expresses this by her frequent laughter and joke telling. At times when we are just hanging out, she always jokes and is full of laughter. Even though her past is filled with hardships and challenges, she still finds a way to be happy. She loves to give, and many members of her audience have been lucky enough to receive some of her extravagant gifts. I personally love being a guest on her show because of the happy atmosphere. Oprah has not only given herself freedom, but many others as well. In 1998, she began the "Oprah's Angel Network," which encourages others to help people who are less fortunate than they are. Oprah, myself, and Stedman traveled to South Africa in 2004 to help the underprivileged children there. Most of them were affected by poverty and AIDS, and it was a very humbling experience. Overall, she is a fantastic person and I am very priveledged to have her as my best friend.

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