|
|
The radio stations here have been speculating as to what Oprah's big secret is for today's show - from having a superstar guest speaker, to announcing her retirement, to announcing that she was running for political office. Today, it was revealed what that big secret is, and as always, she's surprised us and her in-studio audience.
Oprah Winfrey Gives Cars to AudienceCHICAGO (AP) -- Talk show host Oprah Winfrey celebrated the premiere of her 19th season Monday by surprising each of her 276 audience members with a new car.
"We're calling this our wildest dream season, because this year on the Oprah show, no dream is too wild, no surprise too impossible to pull off," Winfrey said.
Making sure the audience was kept in suspense, Winfrey opened the show by calling 11 audience members onto the stage. She gave each of them a car - a Pontiac G6.
She then had gift boxes distributed to the rest of the audience and said one of the boxes contained keys to a twelfth car. But when the audience members opened the boxes, each had a set of keys.
"Everybody gets a car! Everybody gets a car! Everybody gets a car!" Winfrey yelled as she jumped up and down on the stage.
The audience members screamed, cried and hugged each other - then followed Winfrey out to the parking lot of her Harpo Studios to see their Pontiacs, all decorated with giant red bows.
One woman stepped up onto the frame of a driver's side door, put her head on the roof and hugged the vehicle.
Winfrey said the audience members were chosen because their friends or family had written to the show about their need for a new car. One woman's young son said she drove a car that "looks like she got into a gunfight"; another couple had almost 400,000 miles on their two vehicles.
In other segments on the show, Winfrey surprised a 20-year-old girl who had spent years in foster care and homeless shelters with a four-year college scholarship, a makeover and $10,000 in clothes. And a family with eight foster children who were going to be kicked out of the house they were renting were given $130,000 to buy and repair the home.
"The Oprah Winfrey Show," which debuted in 1986, is syndicated to 212 domestic markets and 109 countries.
Say what you will, but you know if she ever runs for president, she's got it in the palm of her hand.
Posted by Yano at September 13, 2004 11:32 AMSweet heavens, could we ever be so lucky as to have a FEMALE president? This world would be a much better, calmer & safer place.
Men can kiss off - we would NEVER drop an atomic weapon b/e of PMS. I hate it when guys say that - they can be so dumb.
Chicks rule dude and Oprah is a queen. Bless her heart - she is a shining example of what a person can overcome and become because of their past. You rock Oprah!
Posted by: Lara on September 13, 2004 11:38 AMgotta love that oprah lady... ^_^ everyone should be so generous.
Posted by: bumblebootie on September 13, 2004 11:57 AMIf I had her wealth, I would definitely be that generous. Good for her!
That was such a great show today. Oprah is such a classy woman and has a huge heart. She looked really beautiful today too.
Posted by: Sue on September 13, 2004 03:29 PMDamn, I want to be on the Oprah show!
Posted by: April (lil ape) on September 13, 2004 04:45 PMI think I'm glad I missed that. I would have cried through the whole damn show. Oprah is always making me cry.
Posted by: Denizzy on September 13, 2004 06:40 PMgiving all those cars away probably didn't even break the bank. i bet Pontiac loves her even more!!!!! it's a surprise that she gave all those cars away, but it's not shocking. Oprah is Oprah. she will give to those who need.
Posted by: chattykathy on September 13, 2004 07:00 PMI believe Pontiac footed the bill for the whole thing. But Oprah still gives away a lot. e.g. Millenium Park
Posted by: Crispy on September 14, 2004 09:11 PM
