Bored? I'll proudly go where others won't by asking if anyone else caught Oprah's political push towards Obama with that ridiculous rise & fall (using Marthin Luther King's famous voice inflection as in his, I've Got A Dream?) Why does that woman switch personalities like a chameleon depending on her audience? On her show she sounds white, yet when she's supporting a black president to her black audience she sounds like a Louisiana preacher?

No, this isn't a racist statement, it's an observation. Word to Oprah: Decide who you are and be proud, not fickle.

I think this is my first post. I have been lurking for months.

I did not read most of this thread, so I don't know if this point has already been made.

When Oprah talks to her audience on her show, she treats the audience as if they are guests in her home. She is very casual in her speech, very welcoming.

Speaking at a political rally is quite a different thing, she needed to persuade her audience that Barak Obama is the best choice for president. She could not do this acting as if everyone is a guest in her living room. If you look at any political rally, the candidates, no matter their race, sound like old time Southern preachers speaking from the pulpit. They do this to persuade the audience to believe in the same things they do.

I do agree that a person needs to speak in different ways to different audiences. That person also needs to speak in different ways depending on location.

I do not think that Oprah speaks any differently to her white friends then to her black friends. I had really thought that she was helping to bridge the racial divide in this country, but I guess I was wrong.

Kathryn Rose, You should post more often. You sound very intellegent and understanding. There are some very bitter people on this forum. Just take the good stuff and let the rest go. Sharon

I think I heard Oprah once say of herself that when she is with people who have an accent she adopts it from them. I think that is because she is a true listener, and she has proved to be an excelent actress. I don't think that her verbal inflections of any kind and anything else than hear art of fitting in to her situation. A few years ago her them song was "I'm every woman". I'm sure if she was visiting me up in Canada she would be saying "eh!" in no time. She's a smart gal, cut her some slack. It's all good.

I found this forum to be very entertaining. There isn't anything wrong with what Opera does. She's an entertainer!!! If you dont like the way she talks, then stop watching her show. I dont watch her show, because I have a JOB. So unfortunately everthing I hear about her is through the media.

I know that most people on here don't understand why some of us were offended by the post, but if you were "BLACK" you would. Yes we've come a long way with "racism" and "prejudice", but whether we like it or not, it's still prevalent. If you consider yourself not to be either of the words I mentioned in my previus sentence you would understand why some African Americans get offended when people say we talk "BLACK." Like one poster said, lets not act like this is a new thing that's going on. We all know that when people say you talk BLACK that means that your not articulate, you speak with slang, and you sound ignorant sometimes. If you dont want us to be offended by your comments and post statements defending such things, then dont post on a public thread.

Hope everyone has a nice day!!!

What's wrong with altering your manner of speech depending on the audience you are speaking to? IMHO all these Oprah haters is just green. I don't know her personally so saying I love or hate her would be as ignorant as saying she "talks white"

I found this forum to be very entertaining. There isn't anything wrong with what Opera does. She's an entertainer!!! If you dont like the way she talks, then stop watching her show. I dont watch her show, because I have a JOB. So unfortunately everthing I hear about her is through the media.

I know that most people on here don't understand why some of us were offended by the post, but if you were "BLACK" you would. Yes we've come a long way with "racism" and "prejudice", but whether we like it or not, it's still prevalent. If you consider yourself not to be either of the words I mentioned in my previus sentence you would understand why some African Americans get offended when people say we talk "BLACK." Like one poster said, lets not act like this is a new thing that's going on. We all know that when people say you talk BLACK that means that your not articulate, you speak with slang, and you sound ignorant sometimes. If you dont want us to be offended by your comments and post statements defending such things, then dont post on a public thread.

Hope everyone has a nice day!!!

I think that you will find that many of the individuals who posted here are very much pro-Oprah. I personally am pleased that you have posted here; by choosing to post you have chosen to open up an area which is painful for further discussion. This is always a good thing in my book. The only way that people can come to understand and respect each other is by talking to each other. Closed doors are never a good thing, are they? It is my understanding that Oprah herself is all about opening doors....

I dont know if this is true or not but I heard on the news that Oprah is planning to have Hilary Clinton on her show. I don't watch Oprah because I work but if I happen to be off of work and she is on I will watch if her topic of the day is of interest to me. I don't go out and buy a book just because she said it was good and I certainly don't plan to vote for someone just because Oprah or any other celebrity have endorsed a candidate.

JDBU I'm not black and I agree with you. Glad you posted.

JDBU I'm not black and I agree with you. Glad you posted.

Thank you.

Green, I agree with you. It's been talked about since for ever, that's why I get frustrated when people act as if they dont understand why we get so offended by it.

On her show she sounds white, yet when she's supporting a black president to her black audience she sounds like a Louisiana preacher?

Its not racist at all-- in fact I think its racist of her to try and play her people that way. Good post.

I think I would be offended if someone did that to me.

I hope you are joking... if not, you need to study interpersonal communication. :biggrin:

Okay, it's been a while since I posted on this thread. I went back and read every post and I feel a little bit differently about it now. I posted that it irritated me that Oprah, or any celebrity, changed their accent when around a certain group of people. I understand more now that it is necessary for Oprah to adapt to her audience in that way. I've never really been in a circumstance where I had to change my dialect. I'm a SAHM and the only job I've ever had was at a small town bank where everyone was just country folk and we all talked pretty much the same. Well, I'm taking some online courses and Interpersonal Communication is one of them. I learned that, as a professional, how effectively you communicate with people often determines the level of your success. It really has changed my opinion on this topic. I realize that Oprah does that to relate to her audience, so I stand corrected.

As for the opening post, I can see why people were offended. I didn't see it as being a prejudice or racist comment and I'm not sure whether or not it was intended to be. It just makes me see that we all really need to consider other peoples feelings before we make blanket statements, even if it's unintentional.

Why do people think that Oprah influence black people at all, most of Oprah veiwers are white woman.

georgia girl, you are one hell of a lady! I say that because not many of us are willing to re-examine our past actions and admit if/when we make a mistake. As someone who was not born in this country I do speak with an accent so I do find it necessary to alter my speech pattern depending on my audience. When I am with my friends and family my speech is totally different than when I am at school or work, I am not pretending I am adapting.

georgia girl, you are one hell of a lady! I say that because not many of us are willing to re-examine our past actions and admit if/when we make a mistake. As someone who was not born in this country I do speak with an accent so I do find it necessary to alter my speech pattern depending on my audience. When I am with my friends and family my speech is totally different than when I am at school or work, I am not pretending I am adapting.

Thank you Teal! I have no problem admitting when I am wrong and sometimes I have to put myself in someone else's shoes to really see all sides of a situation. Thanks for the kind words!