If Oprah Winfrey can cast a spell that turns thousands of housewives into literature critics and transformed underdog Barack Obama into the possible Democratic nominee for president, getting her followers to embrace an esoteric New Age philosophy should be a snap. Her latest endeavor, though, is going to need more bandwidth.
The talk show queen is getting into the business of enlightenment, offering a 10-week Web seminar with self-help guru Eckhart Tolle, author of "A New Earth," an amalgam of Buddhist, Christian and Islamic influences, according to USA Today. The book also happens to be the latest pick of Oprah's Book Club.
Last night's first webcast was one of the largest events in the history of the internet, attracting more than 500,000 people. "Unfortunately, some of our users experienced delays in viewing the webcast," according to a statement from Oprah's Harpo Productions. "We are working to identify the specific causes for the problems experienced and will work diligently to rectify them."
Seekers of enlightenment be forewarned, the path outlined by "A New Earth" isn't an easy one.
"After making my own way through the first chapter -- reading and rereading a number of paragraphs to make sure I grasped what Tolle was getting at -- I had to wonder what would make 700,000 people want to commit to exploring this particular brand of East-West-hybrid mysticism," writes Chicago Sun-Times religion columnist Cathleen Falsani.
Why, the power of Oprah of course. Tolle's publisher has shipped 3.5 million copies of the book since she announced its selection January 30, making it the fastest-selling title in the history of Oprah's Book Club, according to USA Today. Not bad for a book published in 2005.
To be sure, Tolle has his share of detractors. A reviewer on Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) named "Concerned Buddhist" calls the author "a salesman, and his own books are his primary product. He repeatedly congratulates readers for being `awakened' enough to read this crap, claiming that merely reading this book will take you to the next evolutionary level."
The book's rise underscores Oprah's huge influence in pop culture. In November, Tolle appeared on Winfrey's XM Satellite Radio (NASDAQ: XMSR) show three times. "But I just skimmed A New Earth," she told USA Today. "After the radio show, I sat down and read it and couldn't stop talking about it with friends and my producers."
At first, Winfrey lamented that she couldn't choose it for the book club which had been limited to novels and memoirs. "But then I started thinking, Why can't I chose it? It's my book club," Winfrey is quoted by the paper as saying. "I can choose what I want. Duh!"
Nice to see that even media demigods need to remind themselves of their power.--Freelance writer Jonathan Berr edits the blog Ketchup and Eggs.











Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
3-04-2008 @ 4:23PM
Lou said...
I am sick of seeing her face for the past 25 years,just what got her all this bs.
3-04-2008 @ 6:28PM
Dar said...
What is all the hype for? Oprah, why did you become a New Age fruit cake? When did you come upon the bright idea that you are bigger than God?
3-04-2008 @ 5:18PM
Christine said...
These negative comments only lend credence to the theory that fear and love are truly the only two emotions. The fact that half a million people are seeking light should be applauded not dismissed as if they are a bunch of sheep or lemmings without enough brains to recognize a charlatan. Anyone I know interested in Tolle's teachings is an educated and highly evolved individual who felt excited at the prospect of following "the path". They were not threatened at all by how "hard" it would be because they are so far along it anyway. Perhaps we should invite the people who nominated "Silence of the Lambs" for best picture to crack the book and begin living in the light. Maybe the rest of the world will come along.
3-04-2008 @ 5:31PM
Becca said...
We dont need your nasty comments. At least Oprah knows what she is doing with her life and even if she seems money hungry I'm sure the students in her Africa school would stongly disagree. We need more people like her. Givers not takers.
3-04-2008 @ 5:33PM
Em said...
If you are sick of her, perhaps you should do more than see her, may be actually listening to what's being said would bring you enlightenment.
3-04-2008 @ 5:57PM
Em said...
Is this new age? I think being awakened to the power within is New Thought.
3-04-2008 @ 5:55PM
chopper said...
Has anyone noticed, that Whatever Oprah does, ultimately is designed to benefit or be about her?
3-04-2008 @ 6:01PM
MCOPPOLA60 said...
poor sick lambs, and you are afraid of Hillary, being led to the slaughter and loving it, more power to OPRAH, she made the man from nowhere, oh what money can buy, now a guru, buddist, eastern religion, THIS IS THE NEW AMERICA???? TRUTHFULLY I LOVED THE OLD AMERICA, IT WAS AMERICA.
3-04-2008 @ 6:06PM
MCOPPOLA60 said...
poor lambs and you are afraid of Hillary. Look at all the wonderful things Oprah is doing with her money, created Obama, now she is going to teach you about the Eastern religion, I seem to remember that John Lennon did this many years ago. Oprah is like Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, everyone wants to go there. I hope you are not too disappointed, me, I don't like the woman, nor the fact that she believes she is the Pied Piper and we all follow. Whatever happened to the leaders, does she bury them all.??????
3-05-2008 @ 7:55AM
media wiz said...
Being a celebrity, having tons of money and being charitable alone do not qualify a person as spiritually enlightened (although they probably have a great publicist, financial advisor and tax accountant.) Sadly, it just confirms that there's an extremely large group of borderline personalities giving that person or the 'cult of personality' their money so that they can feel validated. If you want to witness a true spectacle of avarice just watch Oprah's Favorite Things Show. How many spiritual gurus has Oprah endorsed over the years???.... Ivanla VanZant, Deepak Chopra, Gary Zukav... It's just a repackaging of product that brought in ratings for her years ago to bring in ratings now. Just wait until the Pope gets here this month. Free your mind and your ass will follow..jeez!
3-04-2008 @ 6:38PM
g said...
black holes, dark matter and oprah all have something in common
in theory they will potentially swallow us whole and all matter in the universe if they continue to grow
3-04-2008 @ 6:39PM
Liz said...
I can not believe that Ophra would be lured into this cult, now they will have more money.
Why cant people see that God is the most powerful and when you trusthim you are on solid ground. From bible times things have not changed much!!
3-04-2008 @ 6:35PM
kinneylamb007 said...
New Age has a bad stigma
buddhism, christianity and islam all stem from the same source and teachings
so it makes sense, that the course 'a new earth' makes sense, and resonates with so many people, even if they found out about it through oprah
it's not baseless, substance-lacking hoo haa.
and if religion succeeded in answering life's deepest questions for people, they wouldn't be flocking so readily to A New Earth or anything else like it.
so be still, and open up to the idea, that you don't know it all. skepticism is good, but not to the point where you are close minded!
3-04-2008 @ 6:38PM
Jane said...
Can't quite get the phrase "beware of false prophets" out of my thoughts.
3-04-2008 @ 7:26PM
Velda Rucker said...
I met Ophrey in 1972cc. She has always been a down to earth person. There will always be those who dislike those who make it to the top and still help those who are less fortune. I have not always agreed with her philosophy; however, she is free to her beliefs. I never heard her say that she was bigger than God. That was the Beatles who said they were more popular than Jesus Christ. Ms. Winfrey says she is a follower of Christ not bigger. to understand her is to love her; to envy her is to hate her.
God loves us all in spite of ourselves.
3-04-2008 @ 7:26PM
el said...
Lou, I will keep this short--but sweet. You "sound" like the idiot that you are. This would be a much better world without your kind.
3-05-2008 @ 4:02PM
el said...
Lou, I will keep this short--but sweet. You "sound" like the idiot that you are. This would be a much better world without your kind.
3-04-2008 @ 10:22PM
dee said...
It's so sad to see someone with everything, have understanding about hardly anything. From her Hermes boycott to her give-away she has yet to bow down to the name above all names - and that name is NOT Oprah - it is Jesus Christ. My prayer is that she will humble herself under the might hand of God and receive Jesus Christ, the true light of the World into her heart and life. Then she will really have something priceless to 'give' that has the power to 'help' all those people who are looking for help.
3-04-2008 @ 10:37PM
DEA said...
wow, the fact is, everyone is talking about it. Good or bad, its all about the ratings or the internet hits or the books sold. Good or bad its out there and the more we talk about it the bigger it gets. I'm just glad its Oprah. Because if it turns out to be something bad, well you know she will have a great show about it!
3-04-2008 @ 10:48PM
toogroovy2day said...
Are all of these people so lost as to follow Oprah because she says so? Where is this world if we follow that? I think that Oprah is wonderful, but she is not the new age leader of the world or the universe. She's following like the rest of us. You tell her which way to go....