BY KAREN YOUNG
The Oprah Winfrey Show was one of the most successful talk shows in television history with Winfrey inspiring and informing her viewers on a daily basis. The show ran for 25 seasons and won 47 Emmy Awards until Winfrey withdrew her show from the competition in 2000.
The lessons Oprah offered on her show were at times trivial (finding the perfect bra), and other times transformative (the power of forgiveness and the concept of passing it forward). Any way you look at it (and whether you followed her or not), her impact on culture is undeniable. She single handedly drove a nation to read books in unprecedented numbers. Being listed as one of “O’s Favorite Things” could catapult a company. Indeed, an Oprah appearance could change a career.
However, since her show itself ended two years ago, there seems to be a void of that “Oprah magic” because Winfrey’s OWN Network hasn’t lived up to the expectations (even with the Lance Armstrong interview).
So, the question remains — do people still consider the Oprah legacy relevant?
Two San Fernando Valley residents believe she does. Authors Nancy Mehagian and Judith Proffer have shared their perspectives about how Oprah touched lives in their book, The Oprah Effect — an insightful volume of twenty-five life lessons the authors consider to be the most significant “takeaways” from The Oprah Winfrey Show. It’s a simple, yet valuable book that targets the essence of that Oprah magic.
Now, to commemorate the two year mark since Oprah left her daytime show, amazon.com is giving away FREE copies ($4.99 value) of The Oprah Effect (Kindle version)for five days only, May 20-24.
Authors Judith Proffer (L) and Nanchy Mehagian (R).
Mehagian and Proffer themselves are an intriguing combination as authors because they come from opposite perspectives regarding the Oprah phenomenon. Moreover, they also come from different life experiences and have formed an unlikely friendship over the past decade.
In The Oprah Effect, they share their own personal stories, emphasizing how the lessons learned from Oprah impact every day life experiences. Mehagian (the author of the award-winning “Siren’s Feast” and “The Supernatural Kids Cookbook,” as well as a healer and teacher) was a frequent viewer, while Proffer (writer, media producer, book publisher and former newspaper publisher/owner) was a skeptic until she watched the final season.
“The real void in Oprah not being on the air daily is not lacking another couch for a celebrity to sit on – or leap atop – for promotional chats,” says Proffer. “Oprah is a student and a teacher at heart and she often presented lessons at lightning speed. She is still serving up her bountiful offerings on her network, but the Oprah community has yet to be replicated there. The lessons Oprah offered over the years were significant and life altering. Sometimes seismic movements, other times gentle shifts. We wrote the book to capsulate some of the teachings we embrace, as a reminder for Oprah fans and as an introduction to those who may never seen the Oprah show.”
To get your free Kindle e-book (May 20-24), click here to visit Amazon.
