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The power of Oprah is hard to deny — but is she really her own religion now?
A Yale professor who claims to have studied nearly every episode of her show from the last 12 years says the talk show queen’s success is due to one thing — she has transformed herself into the equivalent of a religious icon.
By using the techniques of a preacher, Oprah has been able to create a new “gospel” that goes beyond just being a simple daytime TV show, Yale religion professor Kathryn Lofton writes in her new book.
“Gospel is a word that means ‘good news,’ ” Lofton says. “Oprah says that the good news is ‘you.’ ”
The idea that Oprah’s fans follow her with the fervor of a religion is not new. What is new about Lofton’s book (“Oprah: The Gospel of an Icon”) is the theory that Oprah, herself, built that following by using the language and trappings of traditional religion to get her message across.
After poring over 1,560 show transcripts, 105 issues of O magazine, 17 issues of O at Home, 68 Book Club selections and 52 Spirit Newsletters, Lofton believes she can pinpoint the moment Oprah went from being a successful talk-show host to a religious icon in 1994.
“The time has come for this genre of talk shows to move on from dysfunctional whining and complaining and blaming,” Oprah said at the time. ” I have had enough of people’s dysfunction.”
“Her spiritual revelation was converted into a corporate makeover,” Lofton told The Post. “Her show became ‘Change Your Life TV.’
“As a part of this new look and focus for the show, she began to develop her brand, including, eventually, the book club, the magazine, the Web site, and her Angel Network.”
By mixing a southern preacher’s rhythmic speech patterns with a sermon-like structure for each show, Oprah could tackle subjects ranging from spousal abuse to the best pair of Ugg boots.
The message of her shows became what Lofton calls a consistent gospel, The Gospel of You.
“It is your discovery of yourself as the source for change — in yourself and in the world,” she says.
The gospel of Oprah was perfectly suited for the beginning of a new century, the professor says.
“Women are asked to be perfect in many roles,” Lofton says. “Oprah says, first, you don’t have to be perfect; and second, she gives endless advice so you might try to be [perfect].”
And that, in a nutshell, says the professor, is the formula for a working religion.
The double whammy of being forgiven for your shortcomings and simultaneously being shown what you ought to be doing — reading books, giving to charity, etc. — is the secret of Oprah’s success, she says.