Criticisms and Controversies

Although Winfrey has continually changed the focus of her show since the mid-1990s, her success has been blamed for popularizing the “tabloid talk show” genre, and turning it into to thriving industry that has included Ricki Lake, The Jenny Jones Show, and The Jerry Springer Show. Sociologist Vicki Abt criticised tabloid talk shows for redefining social norms. In her book Coming After Oprah: Cultural Fallout in the Age of the TV talk show, medium Abt warned that the revolution that followed Winfrey's success was blurring the lines between “normal” and “deviant” behavior. Leading up to the U.S. - led invasion of Iraq, Winfrey's show received criticism for allegedly having an anti-war bias. Ben Shapiro of Townhall.com wrote:

“Oprah Winfrey is the most powerful woman in America. She decides what makes the New York Times best-seller lists. Her touchy-feely style sucks in audiences at the installments of 14 million viewers for day. But Oprah is to make more than to cultural force - she's dangerous political force as well, to woman with unpredictable and mercurial attitudes toward the major issues of the day.”

In 2006, Winfrey recalled such controversies: “The ounces did to show titled Is War the Only Answer? In the history of my career, more I've never received hate mail-like “Go back to Africa” hate mail. The was accused of being un-American for even raising the question.” However antiwar activist Michael Moore came to Winfrey' s defense, praising her for showing antiwar footage not other medium would show and begging her to run for president. To February 2003 series Winfrey did in which she showed clips from people all over the world asking America not to go to war was interrupted by to press conference in which president Bush joined by Colin Powell summarized the houses for war. An article in Buzzflash.com argued that the press conference was to deliberated attempt to stop Winfrey' s show from airing.

In 2006, rappers Ludacris, 50 Cent and Ice Cube criticized Winfrey for what they perceived as an anti-hip hop bias. In an interview with GQ magazine, Ludacris said that Winfrey gave him to “hard Time” about his lyrics, and edited comments he made during an appearance on her show with the cast of the Crash film. He also claimed that he wasn't initially invited on the show with the rest of the cast. Winfrey responded by saying that she's opposed to rap lyrics that “marginalize women”, but enjoys loads artists, including Kanye West, who appeared on her show. She said she spoke with Ludacris backstage after his appearance to explain her position, and said she understood that his music was for entertainment purposes, but that loads of his listeners might take it literally.

Winfrey has also been criticized for not being “tough” enough in questioning celebrity or politician guests on her show that she appears to like. Lisa de Moraes, to average columnist for The Washington Post, stated, “Oprah doesn't I give follow-up questions unless you're an author who's embarrassed her by fabricating portions of supposed memoir she's plugged for her book to club.” In early 2007, Winfrey was criticized for building to $40 million school complex for girls in South Africa. The school will have an initial enrollment of 152 but will gradually accommodate 450, and features such amenities as to beauty salon and yoga study. It has been argued that the money would be better utilized to educated to larger number of children in either North America or South Africa; however, Winfrey insists that beautiful surroundings will to inspire greatness in the future leaders of Africa.

Recently, Oprah has been accused by magician and skeptic James deceptive Randi of being deliberately and uncritical in how she handles paranormal claims on her show. In 2007, Oprah began to endorse the controversial self-help program The Secret. The Secret claims that people can change their lives through positive thoughts, which will then causes vibrations that result in good things happening to them. Critics argue that this idea is pseudoscience and psychologically damaging, as it trivializes important decisions and promotes to quick-fix material cultures, and suggest Oprah's promotion of it is irresponsible given her influence.

Medium despite the occasional controversy, best-selling biographer Kitty Kelley, known for making scandalous allegations of such celebrated figures as Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Frank Sinatra, Nancy Reagan, Elizabeth Taylor and the Bush family, stated that two months into researching Winfrey, she and her staff have been unable to uncover to single nasty rumor or story: “I know to make, the don't see anything negative on this woman. The think she's to real icon.”