Oprah and the far right female fanbase

A Surviving Facts Blog

Whatever the respiratory gunk going around is, I got it this week. While sniffling, sweating and coughing 24/7, I inevitably used my “free” time pondering life’s biggest philosophical issues. This time? How Oprah has contributed to the far-right fanaticism of middle-class American moms.

Stay with me for a moment before you dismiss my theory.

Sometime in the 1990s, Oprah’s talk show evolved from Jerry Springer my-sister-slept-with-my-husband topics to new age spiritualism and pseudoscience. Mainstream American housewives learned about The Secret’s “think and it will happen” philosophy. They were introduced to Dr. Phil’s semi-abusive tough love and swayed by Dr. Oz’s charm and good looks to eat beans for weight loss and sleep with lavender soap to prevent Restless Leg Syndrome. Overwhelmingly white, middle-class, stay-at-home moms- Oprah’s bread and butter- panicked over “rainbow parties” while practicing gratitude and manifesting new cars through coveted seats at her holiday shows.

I love Oprah. Her husky-voiced sermonizing of good books, health routines and positive thinking has influenced more than one generation, myself included. To say she became the guru of American good life would not be overreaching. She has been everyone’s best friend, favorite teacher and revered influencer. One word embodies her: inspiration.

She also has introduced us to a host of people who have become far right icons- Jenny MCarthy, Dr. Phil and Dr. Oz among them. Somehow, she has remained untarnished from these characters. Our society has not.

In months since the 2024 presidential election, I’ve marveled over more than half of voting white women choosing a convicted rapist for President. Blaming their husbands seemed too simple for me. Most of these women went to college, many have had or still have careers while also raising children in traditional-seeming home structures. What has driven them to the far right, I’ve wondered. It took the flu to come to one word: Oprah.

Oprah has been swayed by questionable integrity and pseudoscience.

Let’s take a look at a few examples.

Jenny McCarthy has championed the anti-vaccine banner, promoting the disproved autism-vaccination correlation. As a mom of two ASD daughters, I know they had neurodivergence from very early days- and science has backed this up. Even Andrew Wakefield, the originator of the MMR-vaccine claim, has admitted fraud, and the research has been retracted by the highly respected The Lancet medical journal 12 years after its original publication.

The 90s Playboy Playmate McCarthy gained mainstream popularity on Oprah’s show, promoting her misguided autism-vaccine theories. For years, she appeared with Oprah until she gained her own Harpo-studio-syndicated show. Now, years later, we have a former heroin addict turned anti-vaxxer and clean-food advocate (I like the clean food part!) RFK, Jr. in line for Trump’s health secretary. Just recently, RFK has said he will continue to collect fees for lawsuit referrals to the Merck Gardisil suit if he is confirmed. Conflict of interest much?

Dr. Phil also became famous because of Oprah. Oprah first hired him as a legal coach when the Texas cattle industry was suing for defamation due her mad cow disease claims. His folksy good-ole-boy charm swayed Oprah to put him on her show, where he appeared weekly for years. He too eventually got his own show. There are countless behind-the-scenes horror stories of the people Dr. Phil was supposedly helping- including aiding a show guest to obtain heroin to prevent withdrawal before appearing on his show.

Dr. Phil also endorsed Trump. He says he did so “in an act of rebellion” (his words) against Kamala Harris for not inviting him to speak at one of her rallies. He has apparently reached out to her more than 20 times. How’s that for a mature, well-reasoned political decision? Dr. Phil has said that, “This country was built on hard work, added value and talent, not on equal outcome, not on DEI. This country was built on hard work.” His critics have been quick to point out that a Black woman made him famous.

And then there is cardiothoracic surgeon turned snake-oil huckster Dr. Oz. He started appearing on Oprah’s show as far back as 2006. Like McCathy and Dr. Phil, he got his own show. In 2016, Dr. Oz reviewed Trump’s medical records declaring him “in excellent physical health” in an interview many claimed was “bizarre.” By this time, Dr. Oz had already lost credibility for numerous disproven medical recommendations and had been called before Congress to explain them. Indeed, nearly all of his medical claims have been debunked due to exaggerated, misleading and downright false information. The American Medical Association has entire journal articles on his questionable ethics.

Oprah has supported other shady personalities, in addition to the three above. For such a brilliant business woman, she does seem easily swayed by a certain charisma that hides shameless self promotion and lack of ethics. What’s even more disconcerting, however, is that she also has driven enormous support of these people. She made them. By the time their tarnished characters appeared, the white-woman fanbase had bought the vision with cult-like commitment. When these charlatans turned more fanatical, the audience followed.

At least that’s my new theory: Oprah has enabled the far right’s white-wife growth by choosing, empowering and growing the gurus of middle class American housewives who turn to her, even today, for her guidance. Her adulation is approval, even after her chosen ones have strayed too far. Oprah often eventually rejects them. It’s too late. Their pseudoscience recommendations have already become mainstream. Touted on daytime television, the claims must be true. This is not to say that white women Trump voters can’t think. The thinking has already been done and vetted for them- by Oprah. Oprah is the seal of approval.

To be clear: I am not blaming Oprah. She has been attracted to a personality very common in our white patriarchal society- a confidence and belief in being right. A personality that lacks doubt. A character that seems not to reflect. Oprah is the exact opposite. Why this personality has attracted her is the same reason they do all of us. They tap our greatest insecurities and spawn our belief that we can be something other, something more in society’s eyes- not necessarily something better. I would call this personality the manifestation of white patriarchy in American. There they are, on two legs just like the rest of us. How easy it is to be deceived.

I still am an Oprah fan, though I will do more initial research on whomever she picks for fame. What I am confident I won’t do, however, is follow her choices from fandom to fanatic.

And this completes the second installment of thinking while sick. (To see the first, read Bungee Jump. You’ll be more entertained.)

I would love to hear from you, even if, especially if, you disagree. Perhaps we can bring back the American tradition of Ty debate. Please like and share this blog with others. Subscribe to receive it by email and go directly to the Walk the Moon website to peruse the full collection of articles and updates.