Tuesday, November 15, 2011

EDITORIAL: OWN: Oprah's Biggest Problem

I am not a television watcher because it's mostly crap but after reading about Gayle King's departure from OWN (the Oprah Winfrey network), I decided to do a little research about the OWN network which I am a fan of, only in theory, since I've never watched it.

I learned that Oprah is now the CEO- smart move! She says she now has time to devote to its programming and evolution after ending The Oprah Winfrey Show's 25 year reign over the airwaves.

As I perused the list of shows airing on OWN I shook my head. The reason why OWN has not gotten the ratings that it needs to stay on the air is simple: Oprah's vision is way too evolved for the masses.

Think about Oprah's own career. Her show was the biggest, bestest talk show that ever existed but it went through its own transition. After beginning as a television version of those disgusting tabloids, Oprah's popularity and power blossomed. She grew to heights even she never imagined. Once you reach the type of power and influence that Oprah did you can't help but stand back and wonder, "How did this happen?" and "Where do I go from here?"
Check Spelling
Oprah set out to do the inner work that many of us don't do until we stand face to face with our mortality. As a result of this soul searching, The Oprah Winfrey show evolved and she took her international audience with her. Millions of women grew with her as she battled her weight issues, sought answers on spirituality and decided that romantic love wasn't the ultimate love.

What do you do when you reach the top of Mount Everest? You take some pictures, plant a flag and go back down the mountain. You don't find other mountains to climb because you've conquered the biggest and baddest. You go home and find another way to experience the high you felt as you prepared for your biggest journey and set out to reach your destination. Oprah is at the point where she wants to share a message of hope and enlightenment to mankind yet the issue is; mankind isn't ready to receive it.

What passes for television these days? Reality shows that celebrate debauchery and bad decisions. Bad news is the standard for any "hot" news channel or website. The majority of America hasn't woken up to their divinity yet and that is the population that Oprah's network serves.

It worked the same way for me. I could not find anything on the Internet that gave me the information, inspiration and resources I needed to be the best woman I could be so I created what I wanted to see by creating this website. Every woman won't appreciate my mission simply because only women with my specific mentality will understand its value.

Oprah's biggest problem isn't that the shows she airs aren't good. Her biggest problem is the fact that we still live in a dumbed down society that celebrates stupidity and the majority of people want to hear bad news and watch the world tear itself down. The majority of people are walking around unaware of their real powers and their entertainment choices reflect that.

Does Oprah want ratings or does she want a network with content that reflects the culmination of her most powerful epiphanies?

If she wants ratings she should:

  • Hire Kim Kardashian as a talk show host
  • Run re runs of In Living Color
  • Air a reality show about South Florida night life
  • Create a Celebrity Wrestling Match Show
  • Create a Soap Opera

If Oprah wants to continue on her path she should:

  • Ignore the ratings and reviews
  • Make her network- FUTURE FOCUSED
  • Seek out new leaders in art, politics and spirituality and give them a platform
  • Find ways to integrate exploring the latest technology in the presentation of her shows
  • Create a distinct model of movies that will help brand her network
  • Partner with Google Plus and showcase the diversity of its users
  • Hire writers to develop sitcoms and dramas that reflect the future she wants to see
  • Host a late night talk show with a host that challenges mainstream ideas and invites popular music artists to perform

I am confident that Oprah can do this. Don't discount her efforts just yet. Humanity does not know that it needs what Oprah is offering, not yet anyway. We are still awakening.

Give her some time to focus and hear her intuition as she makes her transition from the face in front of the camera to the force that molds the way we entertain ourselves as a society.

All my best!

Te-Erika

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