Welcome to episode nineteen of the Doneson podcast as we discover the details behind entertainment mogul Ms. Oprah Winfrey. With over 2.7 billion dollars of net worth, Oprah is the first female, African-American, billionaire the country has ever seen. Although she started early in her career with journalism, she took over the airwaves as a talk show host whose show eventually was syndicated. Oprah is also known as an actress, producer and philanthropist. Famous for giving away extravagant gifts to her viewers such as cars and other life changing gifts-Oprah has been loved by many. Her mass appeal and influence allowed her to create "no-names" into massive brand names. People such as Dr. Phil and Dr. Oz just to name a few, became household names due to their start on Oprah's show. She has had iconic interviews with celebrities and world leaders and turns any book in her book club into a bestseller. However, it hasn't always been easy street for Oprah. She struggled with her weight publicly for the majority of her life and was most notably criticized for her portrayal of black men in the media. Some think that she has favored white men and casts a continual shadow of doubt over African-American males. She was also blamed and sued after a young man killed himself after watching her show on autoerotic asphyxiation. These incidents raise particular questions about her leadership and the causes that she supports. How much is she responsible for?
