Watch: Oprah Mentions Gay Viewers in Final Moments of Show
Oprah's finale yesterday was all Oprah, a full hour of her thoughts, wisdom, and thanks to her viewers, which included a mention of those tuning in with their partners, "gay and otherwise," in the program's final moments.
Watch the final moments, AFTER THE JUMP...
And here's the very beginning of the show:
And another segment, what Oprah knows for sure:
I watched the entire hour and this episode mentioned the gays twice!!! There was a much earlier mention than this second one....
Posted by: redball | May 26, 2011 7:07:23 AM
Thanks for including this Andy. Oprah's easy eloquence and composure are beyond measurable. She didn't stumble once anywhere, she spoke and speaks from the heart, includes everybody and always has a message that is, in essence, spiritual in a way that is never divisive. In fact it is outright metaphysical in its assertion that whatever it is we call god is everywhere showing itself, most of all through our own best actions in life. And of course she included gay people, included them a lot, made them real, a part of the fabric of life. I got sick of all her celebrities, woman talk, and fat blab but she always aimed for the humorous side and kept her focus on the meaning and the usefulness of her subject matter. And on that metaphysical note that she persisted in, that which made her universal, I must say it made her more like a wise and compassionate angel herself than all the godspeak of the self- righteous ideologues who prate and posture in our world. As a hero of common sense and reason she was their benign enemy as well as a friend to the rest of us. Thanks again.
Posted by: Bear | May 26, 2011 8:12:40 AM
Could she please run for president in 2016, please?
Posted by: RONTEX | May 26, 2011 8:15:14 AM
If this woman ran for president she would be the greatest president of all time and would heal this country and make us respected in the world again, I agree please run for president Oprah you are a GODDESS on earth.
Posted by: curtis | May 26, 2011 8:38:24 AM
I PROPOSE WE START USING THE WORD "OTHERWISE" INSTEAD OF GAY TO LABEL OURSELVES.
SO, THE NEXT TIME IF SOMEBODY ASKS YOU 'ARE YOU GAY' JUST TELL THEM, 'NO I'M NOT GAY, 'I'M OTHERWISE."
Posted by: THE QUEEN | May 26, 2011 8:47:57 AM
What an wonderful gift she gave us on this last show . And she reminded us that we always had the power within us.......*Bravo Oprah...........TY for posting theses Andy.....
Posted by: miss_h | May 26, 2011 8:49:08 AM
She's starting to get on my nerves.
Posted by: David Ehrenstein | May 26, 2011 8:51:00 AM
Oh great, another negative comment by DE in response to an uplifting article. You know, Oprah, someone who actually respects our community.
DE, your negativity/bitterness towards just about everything has BEEN on my nerves for some time.
Love you Oprah!
Posted by: jeff in brooklyn | May 26, 2011 9:08:08 AM
There isn't a word in the English language for I how I feel about Oprah.
Posted by: Really? | May 26, 2011 9:19:56 AM
Oprah was the first person I remember seeing on TV that was okay with gay people. The FIRST. And for a scared, confused high school student who was coming to terms with it, she acted like a second mother to me. I will never forget the ways she has changed my life and words cannot express my gratitude.
As for the President comments, I would say that if politics were not corrupt I would agree. But she can do far more without taking a firm political stance one way or another; she can reach people on both sides of the aisle. Being president is too limiting. The sky is the limit for her. And I wish her nothing but success.
Posted by: AJ | May 26, 2011 9:41:24 AM
Wanna be her pool boy Jeff? There's quite a long line.
Posted by: David Ehrenstein | May 26, 2011 9:45:42 AM
Jeff, DE gets on everyone's nerves. He is the pool boy to hell where he's at the front of an even longer line. Just be glad you're not married to him. I am (glad that is).
Posted by: Bear | May 26, 2011 10:46:44 AM
i wish Oprah well in her pursuits...i have caught her show a few times and I even ran into her on the street, before she was famous..."remember a little show called AM Chicago y'all" ... that is where she started.
i don't understand all of the hype and pomp and cicumstance for someone who is a talkshow host. I think you can certainly use a person like Oprah as a role model, but at the end of the day...do something to make your mark in the world and make the world a better place. If that is the message Oprah sends...God bless her.
and the funny thing is...I look at someone like Barbara Walters...who has interviewed dignitaries and world leaders and even dictators...and who is extremely powerful and extremely tolerant of gays...and she doesn't get as much praise as Oprah, nor does she ask for it. just my opinion.
Posted by: paul | May 26, 2011 11:17:07 AM
"Pool Boy To Hell" (1950) Obscure action adventure series in which David Ehrenstein (Sabu) a budding activist, does battle with self-loathig gay men constantly in search of Lady Bountiful famous women to love them -- rather than standing up for themselves and fight for their rights.
Posted by: David Ehrenstein | May 26, 2011 11:20:18 AM
Oprah is very inspiring...I admire her so much. And I know what she said during her last show came from her heart as she was not reading from a teleprompter...
(Plus, I love her dress!)
Posted by: Chris in Irvine | May 26, 2011 11:24:31 AM
Yeah but Oprah is not just a "talkshow host." She's also queen of her own media empire. And she courts attention, shares her personal life and spiritual journey, and knows how to keep people interested. Barbara Walters doesn't really do any of that. Barb does her thing in interviews and journalism, and I'm sure she's great at it...but then she goes home! Not comparable, IMO.
Posted by: redball | May 26, 2011 11:25:31 AM
Oh DE.....you know you cried too. We all just know it, boo. : D
Posted by: Beau | May 26, 2011 11:42:25 AM
Well stated Redball.. with Oprah I know where I've been and what I can aspire to. With Barbara, I know what kind of tree I am :)
Posted by: Jeff in Brooklyn | May 26, 2011 12:04:17 PM
I'm not here to jump on the Oprah worship bandwagon. She's fine but I've never respected her quite as much since she had her close friends Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger on her show when he first ran for office for a softball interview. It did wonders for him at a point when he was facing allegations of improper behavior towards women but it was an improper use of Oprah's forum and influence.
I'm posting a comment, though, in reaction to Paul's praise of Barbara Walters as "extremely tolerant of gays." That's the bar we should be setting???
Posted by: Patric | May 26, 2011 1:53:12 PM
Oprah's influence on the national (and international) discourse over the past quarter-century cannot be overstated. Americans were far more racist, homophobic, transphobic and afraid to open discussion on a wide range of important issues.
Oprah has often been the conversation-starter in the room at various memorable moments of my life going back 25 years.
When someone has asked for advice on how to come out to family members or how to educate family members, some of my advice has been to check the upcoming Oprah topics, and just happen to have the TV turned on and tuned in on the crucial day.
I wish my partner's mother watched TV in English, especially Oprah, because I really think she might have gotten softened up her racism and homophobia by now if she had.
Oprah has made the world better and I will always be grateful to her for that.
Oprah for president!
Posted by: Gregv | May 26, 2011 2:01:50 PM
EH, how lame. Bluster meets pop-psychology. But lots of fun. Invite me to your wedding with Ratbastard.
Posted by: Bear | May 26, 2011 2:02:48 PM
Bring back Ricki Lake!
Posted by: Mike | May 26, 2011 3:39:42 PM
Oops, I mean DE...and megalomania, along with bluster.
Posted by: Bear | May 26, 2011 3:40:35 PM
"DAVID EHRENSTEIN" sounds like Jewish name. Probably explains his mean-spirited nature.
Now please don't get all critical about that comment. I mean, look at Joan Rivers, Ruby Wax, etc, etc, etc.
Posted by: Realist | May 26, 2011 8:52:22 PM
I have nothing against Oprah, but I think it's a stretch to claim that she's made indelible change in the US, much less the world, fostering vastly more tolerant perspectives. After all, most of her viewing audience are people who are home in the morning or afternoon to watch TV. And no offense, but those aren't exactly the people who control our zeitgeist.
I can't fault her for anything, but it's a bit crazy to claim that she's much more than an extremely successful, empathetic, intelligent talkshow host. People may live vicariously through her, or envy her, or follow her example---all of which is good. But she's not watched by most people who have regular jobs---meaning, most people---and so has no effect on them.
Posted by: Paul R | May 27, 2011 3:13:56 AM