Aussies love a soap OPRAH.

She is arguably the planet’s most powerful media chick. And, unless you’ve been living under Uluru, you’ll know that Ms Oprah Winfrey has landed on Terra Australis.

And the crowd goes wild. Or not. Oprah’s whirlwind trip Down Under has attracted the usual noisy din of bitch-mongering among Aussies.

‘Cause ya see, we wouldn’t be Australian if we didn’t shoot down the stupendously successful – and er, loved.

Here’s just a glimpse of the vitriol that was spouted via comments on the Sydney Morning Herald website this week.

“Why are we as taxpayers supposed to pay for this? Oprah is American and this has nothing to do with us.”

“Why are we paying for rich people?”

“I am disgusted by the expense being wasted on her.”

And my personal favourite,

“We should not be funding the follies of Billionaires.”

Beautiful. And all utterly, fabulously choked puke-green with envy.

What the hell is wrong with you people?

Blah. Blah. Whinge. Moan. What a bloody soap opera.

But, actually, maybe you’re right.

Oprah has never given back to the people who adore her. She’s a mean-spirited, talentless schmuck who has survived and thrived 25+ years in a shark-infested industry purely by virtue of her thin thighs.

When are we, as a nation, going to relax this destructive Tall Poppy bullshit that ultimately strangles, and not strengthens, us? 

Obviously I love O. I don’t know the woman, no. But I don’t need to.

I take Oprah Winfrey on face value and this glimpse ain’t bad. If it’s a show, if it’s contrived, I buy it - and her.

Call me gullible, a blind disciple – I really don’t care because to my mind, loving Oprah is akin to loving the possibility of life and … possibility! 

So to those dear, dear parochial Aussies out there – quit the theatrics. Grow up and show some generosity of spirit – it hasn’t done Oprah any harm, has it?

© Phyllis Foundis – December 2010