New York Times (April 27, 2012)
April 27, 2012, 7:09 AM
Watch out India, Here Comes Oprah (Again)
By SRUTHI GOTTIPATI
India, brace yourself. You will soon be served up and scrutinized by
America’s Midwestern housewives (actually by almost all of America’s
housewives). There’s no escape. Talk show queen Oprah Winfrey is again
turning her attentions, and cameras, on the subcontinent.
A sneak peek video of Oprah’s latest efforts begins with the promise of
shock value.
“For the first time,” a voiceover tells us, “these Indian women are
speaking out.”
The camera shows a room of women in traditional India attire. And
Oprah. “If your husband cheats on you, you’re held responsible for
that?” Oprah asks her guests in her trademark slow, deliberate voice.
Cut to Oprah’s jaw dropping as she digests the women’s answers.
“What they have to say may shock you,” the voiceover ominously
continues.
Well, maybe not that shocking, at least to an Indian audience. Still,
that hardly matters. If the episode were to be aired in India, no doubt
plenty of Indian housewives would tune it just because it is Oprah. She
already wowed the country when she visited in January, a trip that
included a stop in the desert city of Jaipur, where she spoke at a
literature festival, protected by a security detail that seemed to
match the one usually tailing the prime minister.
In Jaipur, hoards of Indians, who’ve watched her talk show for years,
came to listen, nearly overwhelming the venue, as Oprah praised and
gently chided her host country, while the crowd purred.
In this sneak peek video, Oprah can be seen in a sublime green sari
contrasted with a black blouse. Her outfit appears to have spurred
sartorial tips.
“Oprah I will request you to wear light yellow saree with matching
blouse once. That will best suit you. I loved you in saree,” one Oprah
fan commented under the video.
In the United States, “Oprah’s adventure in India” will be broadcast on
her own O network on Sunday, April 29, at 9/8c. A couple of
commentators in India wished that the program was also being shown
here, and India Ink agrees. Or maybe Oprah could shoot a program on
Midwestern housewives and ship it over here. That might be fun
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