digg this | mixx! | reddit | del.icio.us | Newsvine | |  e-mail article |  print | post comments | NEWSLETTER ©DiversityInc. Reproduction in any format is absolutely prohibited.

Would "The Great Debaters" be worth a Golden Globe if Oprah Winfrey didn't like it?

"I was like, 'Phew.' It could have been a bad night," Washington told the New York Post, reports United Press International.

Nominated for a Golden Globe for best motion-picture drama, "The Great Debaters," produced by Winfrey's Harpo Films, builds on a true story about Melvin B. Tolson, a professor at the small Wiley College in Texas during the 1930s who led an all-black debate team to beat the University of Southern California in the national championship.

(See also: Can Denzel Save Black College?)

What Is It About Oprah?

Host of the highest-rated talk show in television history, one of the world's few black billionaires and biggest philanthropists in history, Winfrey makes book sales skyrocket by putting a title on her book-club list and is hailed by many as one of the most influential women in the world.

(See also: The Oprah Effect)

For presidential hopeful Barack Obama, recipient of Winfrey's first political endorsement, the talk-show queen's aura is a campaign boost. But if he doesn't win, could Oprah's reputation--one that until now has been devoid of political meddling--be at stake?

"She literally talked about stepping out of her pew to endorse him," Lester Spence, John Hopkins University assistant political-science professor, told The New York Times. "When she steps into the world of politics, a world she has always been above, and anoints someone, it is coming from someone that millions of people, especially women, trust and revere."

For the nearly 30,000 people who turned out to hear her campaign for him in South Carolina and Iowa or watched the clip on YouTube, Winfrey's comments were more "common" than usual, according to the Times. Why have her words retained such power to date? "Her interest is your interest because she is not for sale," writes the Times.

(See also: Oprah, Barack and Michelle Obama: 'Like a Religious Experience')

For some, that's changed since she stepped out for Obama. Winfrey's unprecedented political endorsement has some of her loyal fans second-guessing their support. Posts on her message board include words like "betrayal" and "sellout," reports the Times.  

In the months after her endorsement of Obama for president in '08, Winfrey has made clear that this is a personal decision; she's said it feels like the right thing for her to do at this point in time. Her connections with Obama date back to Chicago in the 1980s.

But what if he doesn't win? When Winfrey endorses a flop, is her brand on the line? Historically, no. Remember when the media reported that James Frey, author of A Million Little Pieces, which Oprah picked for her book club, fabricated and exaggerated much of his story? She publicly apologized and scorned the author, but her brand didn't take much of a hit.  

Will this time be different? We'll soon find out. For more on Winfrey's potential influence on the election, read the upcoming Jan./Feb. 2008 issue of DiversityInc magazine. Subscribe now.

More Marketplace >>

digg this | mixx! | reddit | del.icio.us | Newsvine | |  e-mail article |  print | post comments | NEWSLETTER

Send Your Comments About This Article Now