I love and respect you Oprah, but OWN network just doesn't cut it. (Photo: File)
It’s been all over the news that Oprah’s OWN network is not doing well. According to reports, an analyst predicts OWN is set to lose more than $140 million this year— a claim Discovery Communications, which jointly owns the network, disputes. Also, OWN recently laid off 20% of its workforce.
Beyond the numbers, I’m not surprised. I’ve never been a major fan of the Oprah Winfrey Show or OWN.
(Insert overwhelming gasps, side eyes and heckles from Oprah fans here).
I have many family members, Facebook and real-life friends who swear by Oprah and her brand. What she says is gold, and anything she co-signs is 100% certifiably The Gospel. People quote statements as facts just because Oprah said it or someone from her show said it, even if the “facts” were obviously stated as opinions or things that are debatable.
True, Oprah has offered a great gift to the world and to TV through her philanthropy, her informative and groundbreaking segments on the good, bad and the ugly of life, and her spectacular rise to the top, producing the highest-rated show of its kind and becoming a self-made billionaire. Career-wise, she is one of the top two mentors in my head (next to Wendy Williams) and is someone whose journey I seek to model and learn from.
But, maybe it’s the journalist in me who doesn’t like to just sip the Kool-Aid at every Oprah party and follow the host’s agenda without full discernment or critique. To be honest, I haven’t seen enough of the people who I could relate to on the show or the network.
Oprah caters to a world that is just not my cup of tea (or Hennessy), one that has no seat for me at a table where I’d be the one who brings up the latest Basketball Wives episode to change up what I felt was a boring chat on the best colors to paint a kitchen nook. (“Well on Oprah, they say periwinkle is the new ‘it’ color, so I think I’ll try that.” LOL)
Let’s be real: Reality and celebrity-based TV are not only the popular kids on the block— they run the block. I’m talking drama, catfights, seedy pasts, fist-pumping, rehab hi-jinx and all the voyeuristic vices that people love to deny watching, but can’t look away.
I know that those elements may not fit into Oprah’s brand, and I’m not saying that it should. What I am saying is that sometimes you have to either adjust with the players of the game or get benched. I’m sure Oprah’s aware of this, since business (and especially the business of TV) can be a cut-throat game of survival of the fittest.
Here are few suggestions that would make me want to even consider watching OWN:
Sometimes a sprinkle of reality TV might help liven up a network's vibe --- as well as its ratings. (Image: Vh1)
Have younger — dare I say, cutting-edge — programming, with young hosts, young producers, young writers and young topics. Young doesn’t have to equal ratchet. (Anybody remember Teen Summit where a young Ananda Lewis was the host who would interview guests like Hillary Clinton and hot entertainers of the time in front of a young studio audience?) Bring in some fresh, youthful content ideas and intermix those with the veterans who are good at what they do and the shows that already do well with the more-senior audience.
Get some diversity. There’s been the argument that Oprah hasn’t included enough people of color, especially in some hot entertainment areas (ie. the multimillion-dollar world of hip hop). I’d love to see an interview with Lil Wayne and the Cash Money empire about their lives and their business or a show where she follows young urban entrepreneurs in their journey to build their businesses from the ground up. Let’s talk about taboo topics more, such as HIV/AIDS among minorities, exploring sexually and the LGBT community, and issues other cultures in America and international deal with that aren’t centered around that “save the world” aesthetic.
Consider more interactive or raw content that is user-generated. We all love the inspirational stories from viewers about how they gave back or how they were able to use one of the tips from the show to improve their lives, but why not, for example, try featuring YouTube stars who cover lifestyle elements in alternative ways? Have a contest to find the next biggest host by utilizing video-centered social media (beyond Facebook and Twitter) and relating to people where they are. Shake things up a bit by including hosts who maybe don’t wear Dockers and Sperrys.
Don’t be afraid of the “ratchet.” Hey, it’s part of life, and to be honest, it equals big ratings. You can’t have the good without the bad, and for some of us, it’s a guilty pleasure and escape. (Even the cardigan-wearing Dockers types sneak a peek at The Real Housewives of Atlanta or Bridezillas.) I think Oprah could be the person to find the perfect balance of offering quality TV along with the ugly side of it and be successful at it. We love Dr. Phil and Dr. Oz, so what’s the harm in adding another Wives or Shore franchise in the mix?
Get back to sitcoms that actually make us almost forget reality TV. Despite what’s been drilled into the hearts and minds of the public, people still like a good, scripted show. We loved Girlfriends, The Cosby Show, Living Single and the like. Who better than Oprah to revive the advent of having that friend in our head (or in real-life) like Toni Childs or Khadijah James?
Loosen up a little more. Now that Oprah’s reached a climax in her career (and I’m sure she could go higher and higher), let’s see more of the side of Oprah that is open to doing things like visiting Marcy Projects with Jay-Z’s Bed-Stuy hood or when she chopped it up with late-night host and comedian Jimmy Kimmel. It made us feel like you were that aunt at the family reunion who is known for snubbing anything that wasn’t designer, but after a few drinks joined everybody in the electric slide.
