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We're in her office,a kind of sanctuary for her memories. On the wall,a wood painting of African American women from the 1800 who had their own businesses. On her desk a sign-"know it" to remind her to let your accomplishments strengthen you. And around her photographs of young Winfrey, an uncertain girl who didn't know she would create a show with the theme" You are not alone."
The greatest running theme for me,aside from "you are not alone" and "you must take responsibility for your own life" is that everybody wants to be validated. In every single interview for the 17 hours in that tape, the theme for every single person, regardless of who it is, what the subject is, is do you hear me and did what I have to say mean anything to you?
And through the years she's brought us everyone from the flashiest celebrities to people we never thought we'd learned from. 1987, residents of the all-white county in Georgia ,a virulent explosion of racism on television .The N word used over and over again to Oprah Winfrey. She says once was enough.
Is it important to drop people out again,saying the N word on TV to you?
No.
So that ever..
...No,no. Because everybody already knows what that is now. I felt in the early years of my career that it was...it was necessary for me, as an African American, to challenge anybody who was saying anything about black people.vAnd then in the middle of one of those shows, er, this is after Forsyth county. I realised I was not doing myself nor anyone else any good and I knew that because I was in a commercial break. And they had friends in the audience,what's going like that;"You get her,You tell her.You tell that" they were, using the N word and I thought well,this is crazy. And they're all saying" Lucky bird,he is on the Oprah show and he is telling her"So,I decided not to do it anymore.
Vital issues, big laughs. Great questions like: Do your eyes light up with love at the things around you? Try asking Oprah something she hasn't asked before.
Apart from Steadman is there a guy you'd like to kiss?
Oh God.I hadn't thought about this. No. But I am gonna think about that.
If you were a guy and were gonna to marry a girl,not a gal,who would it be?
Er,Selma Hayek.
Oprah Winfrey?
Yes
Really?
Yes,I went to interview who, her for my magazine.
I thought it's gonna be like an hour plus. Four hours later we were still talking.
Does it get harder and harder for your eyes to light up?
Actually no. There was a period about, maybe, 4 or 5 years ago when it was. But now I feel like we've kicked into another gear. I feel like literally something happened to me when I turned fifty, like expected that was going to be good because MA had told me that the fifties are everything you've been meaning to be. That's when it all comes together and you will, you know ,finish this decade and say ,yeah ,that's what was meant to be."
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