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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.
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Reader Comments (Page 3 of 3)
3-05-2008 @ 12:08PM
angeldark205 said...
Oprah tried to buy herself a president, but ohio knows better. I used to like her, but the true colors do come out. Since she's backing Obamamama where is Steadman? I think in a long run she just hurt herself. You can fool some of the people some of the time, but you can't fool all of the people all of the time.
3-06-2008 @ 9:17AM
Florence Iverson said...
I too dislike Oprah. She is an authority on all subjects--so she thinks. She has no business in politics or is she vieing for Sec. fo State?
3-05-2008 @ 5:42PM
el said...
Florence, sounds like you have plenty of personal problems. Don't you have enough to do beside "hating" on people for no apparent reason other then your ignorace. Oprah is an expert on more issues than you ever will be. She's a billionaire, (and you're jealous) and have been in many circles. She has done a lot for many people---some of it known, some not known. Frankly I rarely watch her show, it's sometimes quite boring. She may have said some things that I sometimes don't agree with. But I respect the lady. You I don't respect. What have you done for mankind, but bitch. How much have you "ever" donated to charity. I already know. "HE /SHE WHO IS FREE FROM SIN, LET HIM/HER CAST THE FIRST STONE" Get a life!!!!! And she can do Politics if she likes. Just remember to cast your vote.
3-06-2008 @ 7:14AM
NA said...
She's a weird one...
Oprah's got a warped sense of reality and an overlooked, racist disposition. If anyone can get away with remarks such as the following, the world I live in has already grown crooked:
"[Oprah's grandmother] used to say, 'I hope you get some good white folks that are kind to you.'"
"And I regret that she didn't live past 1963 to see that I did grow up and get some really good white folks working for me."
3-07-2008 @ 11:16PM
Nancy said...
443-07-2008 @ 10:20 SOMEONE said...
Why don't we ask BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA why he lies in his campaign? On National
TV he is lying and the News Media is letting him.
Edmund3:21PMFeb 28th 2008
On February 27th, Barack Hussein Obama said the Muslim call to prayer
is "one of the prettiest sounds on Earth."
In an interview with The New York Times, Obama recited, "with a
first-class [Arabic] accent," the opening lines of this prayer:
"Allah is Supreme! Allah is Supreme!
Allah is Supreme! Allah is Supreme!
I witness that there is no god but Allah
I witness that there is no god but Allah
I witness that Muhammad is his prophet... "......................IS THIS FOR REAL????????
3-07-2008 @ 10:53PM
Nancy said...
Eli said...
Jealousy is murder,all the bad thoughts about Oprah Winfrey is jealousy of her money and fame.I am proud of her as a woman and her accomplishments. We all should not criticize her for what she want to do with her money.If she was not doing anything with the money then we would complain about that.Be happy don't hate.................................I DON'T HATE OPRAH....BUT WHITE PEOPLE HELPED HER GET WHERE SHE IS TODAY, AND SHE DOESN'T DO ANYTHING FOR WHITE PEOPLE...SHE GAVE MONEY TO BLACK PEOPLE IN N.O WHEN KATRINA DESTROYED THAT CITY BUT NO WHITE PEOPLE WAS EVER MENTIONED...SHE STARTED A SCHOOL IN AFRICA FOR BLACKS BUT NOT FOR WHITES....I COULD GO ON AND ON ABOUT HER GIVING TO BLACKS AND NOT WHITES....SO DOES THAT MEAN SHE'S RACIST? LOOKS LIKE IT TO ME.....
3-07-2008 @ 10:36PM
Nancy said...
33-04-2008 @ 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......................if not for the white folk oprah would be nothing...but she hasn't given back to the white community for her success.....and just how did she get where she is???????hmmmm
3-07-2008 @ 10:57PM
Nancy said...
3-05-2008 @ 8:13AM
Brenda said...
Isn't this interesting, didn't everyone say the same nasty comments about Jesus when he was here also? not that Oprah is Jesus, but she is a prophet, all of us can be "God With Skin On"
Oprah has done it all, on her own!
She has gotten no free lunch!she has gotten where she is by hard work.
She was born a poor black girl from Missippi.She is a very down to earth person and tells it like it is, she has empowerd lots of women, in abusive relationships, women and men who have been horrible molested, she is a Prophet. Maybe, just maybe "The First Shall be Last and the Last Will be First" then we shall see who has the last laugh.
Peace.................comparing her to Jesus is the limit....that is laughable.....is this Oprah herself putting this garbage on here????????????
3-25-2008 @ 7:12AM
SA said...
I am really surprised at Oprah. She does so much for others including the school in Africa. But she doesn't know what the Bible says. Mark 12:29 and Matthew 22:37 says 'The Lord our God is the one and only God. You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your mind, and all your strength. Jesus Christ is not a symbol for all the other Gods. He is the one and only God. Jesus died on the cross taking on all our sins; he was resurrected to heaven and now we can have life if we choose Jesus.