Love her or hate her, her power is undeniable. Not only is Oprah the Queen of Talk, she’s a living, breathing stimulus package, too.
Oprah’s visit to Australia has infused an estimated 7 million dollars into the Land Down Under’s pocketbook; and will hopefully improve their tourism, as well.
Lady O’s appearance at the Sydney Opera House, dubbed the "Oprah House" by the Australian press, drew a crowd of 6,000 raging Oprah-maniacs to the venue.
The crowd, mostly women, stood in line anxiously awaiting Oprah‘s arrival. Some of them were carrying placards of adulation for their hero, or shall I say heroine; some of them were openly weeping; and some of them didn’t even have tickets.
The latter showed up hoping to catch a glimpse of St. Oprah. And if they were lucky, kiss her ring or touch the hem of her magical gown.
But this story doesn’t have an entirely happy ending. The Oprah backlash is already bubbling over. Why? Reportedly, 5 million of those dollars provided to get Oprah, 200 Harpo staff members, and 302 audience members on a plane to Australia, came from the Australian government. That’s why. Money, many people feel would have been better spent, elsewhere.
Photos courtesy of heraldsun.com.au
I can tell you no one is complaining about the cost of hosting Oprah's show, everyone in Sydney thought she was great. I haven't heard any radio call in's where anyone has complained about the $'s or inconvenience around Circular Quay / Sydney Oprah House to make the shows.
ReplyDeleteCheers, John from Sydney