What Would Oprah Do? The price of 365 days of discipleship.
‘œFollow then the shining ones, the wise, the awakened, the loving, for they know how to work and forbear.’ ‘“ Buddha
On Sunday, The New York Times pointed readers to Robyn Okrant, a 35 year old writer, performer and artist living in Chicago. She’s living Oprah for a year. What does that mean exactly? She’s spending a year following the advice Oprah dishes out on her television show, in O magazine, on the airwaves and website. Of course, she’s blogging about the experience. The experiment is reminiscent of the Julie/Julia Project so it’s likely she has a book deal coming her way:
But Ms. Okrant says she won’t cash a check from any deal that materializes before the end of year, so as not to skew her year as everywoman with an infusion of money.
After all, it requires cashola to be an Oprah devotee. She estimates she has spent over $2,000 on her Living Oprah project:
There’s almost nothing Ms. Okrant doesn’t consult Oprah about. If she has a fight with her husband, she looks up ‘œconflict management’ on the Oprah Web site. When she needs to cover the gray in her now glossy curls, she uses the hair dye that was recommended in the August 2008 issue of Ms. Winfrey’s magazine.
A representative for Ms. Winfrey’s company, Harpo Inc., said Ms. Okrant ‘œcertainly takes brand dedication to new heights.’
Ms. Okrant says she embarked on the project because she saw many women believing that every word of Ms. Winfrey’s was gospel. She hoped to learn why her words carried such weight, even when they were contradictory at times. In the show’s celebrated ‘œFavorite Things’ episodes, the audience is showered with stainless steel refrigerators and flat screen television sets. Yet, against these displays of materialism, Ms. Winfrey also freely dispenses spiritual advice.
The Guardian also noted how Okrant is putting Oprah’s lifestyle tips to the ultimate test:
‘œI am not attempting to prove Oprah wrong or right but I am trying to encourage women, highly susceptible to the media’s influence, to question the sources,’ says Okrant, who posts her thoughts at livingoprah.com.
Celebrities don’t come more influential than Oprah. Sales of whatever she blesses with her approval soar, from the novels of Toni Morrison to Blue Planet DVDs. Unfortunately she has expensive tastes (currently she is advocating a $1,500 biophysical and an $850 grill) and Okrant is already $2,000 poorer.
Money well spent? What will be the return on investment? I would love your thoughts on if it pays to channel Oprah.
——–
I emailed Robyn this morning asking if she could point us to some specific money posts. These are her suggestions:
Nina, I read this over the weekend too. Felt like I was reading a thriller. The reason: Oprah presents a lot of misinformation and pop psychology. I like her overall message of “make your life better,” but when someone produces as much content as Oprah does, the facts aren’t always right or the most credible. To follow all of Oprah’s suggestions assumes that she is perfect.
I think Okrant’s idea is crazy, but that’s what makes the story compelling I guess.
OK Nina, my productivity went down tenfold today, reading up on the Oprah Project.
You just know this chick is getting a book deal, will be invited to be on the Oprah Show and will likely receive all the swag from Oprah herself on the winter “Must Have” show before the holidays.
If only I could find a way to do an “Extreme Home Makeover” year- culminating with ABC showing up on my doorstep to really do it!
John: If you read some Robyn’s entries, you’ll see that she is somewhat skeptical too. I think it’s an interesting experiment…
DivaJean: Sorry for setting you up with a distraction yesterday. And yes, I bet you’re right about Robyn getting invited on the show. You definitely should work your “Extreme Home Makeover” idea… but that means you need to start a blog!