Oprah’s worst-dressed audience member

Last updated on: April 26, 2011 at 7:02 am by Michelle Van Loon

Oprah’s worst-dressed audience member 2011-04-26T07:02:00-05:00 Michelle Van Loon

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

You’re probably aware that Oprah is broadcasting the final few shows of her program’s last season. The ABC affiliate in Chicago rebroadcasts her show at 11:05 p.m. each night, and because of my ongoing midlife sleep battles, I have seen some of the programs of this final season. She’s a fascinating personality, and though I can’t affirm some of what she preaches, I also can’t deny her sister-girlfriend relateability or her epic generosity.

I am way late to the Oprah party. I had the opportunity to be an audience member at her show about eight or nine years ago, and had never seen the program before I found myself sitting about 4 rows from the stage. The whole experience was an unforgettable lesson in being woefully under-dressed.

A friend from church had a daughter, M, who’d discovered her breast cancer after watching an Oprah show about the subject. M sent an email to the show’s producers to thank them, and told them that the information on the program probably saved her life. When the program’s producers decided to do a show following up on some of the stories they’d done, they contacted M and invited her to appear on the show. They flew to her southern home to get some footage of her life and experience with treatment.

When my WI friend found out her daughter was going to be a guest on the show, she contacted the producers and told them she hadn’t seen her daughter since the diagnosis. She knew of Oprah’s fondness for giving people happy surprises, and told my friend that they’d bring her on stage as a surprise for her chemo-ill daughter.

My friend called me. “I’ve never driven in Chicago before! Would you be my chauffeur? I can get you a ticket to be in Oprah’s audience that day.”

I didn’t watch daytime TV, and really didn’t know much Oprah’s show at the time. But I was always up for an adventure, so I told her I’d gladly be her limo driver. Because my friend was a guest on the show, we were ushered into a private entrance and whisked to a make-up room so they could do their magic on my friend. After they finished, a production assistant escorted us to one of the studio’s green rooms.

“We have a seat for you in the audience,” the staffer said to me. It is important to note what I was wearing that day: grubby jeans, a sweatshire and, most likely, some tired Birkenstocks. I was my friend’s roadie, and hadn’t thought much about what would happen once I arrived at the studio. I figured I’d watch from backstage. The part about watching from the audience didn’t register with me at all. Since I’d never seen the show, I certainly didn’t know anything about what it meant to be an Oprah audience member.

Big mistake.

When she ushered me to my seat near the front of the studio, I was seated next to a woman wearing some very expensive leopard-print stillettos. I will always remember those shoes, maybe because I saw them as I settled into my seat. I looked up and saw a well-coiffed blonde wearing them; designer-dressed head to toe. A wave of insecurity swept over me similar to the feeling I got when I got paired with a perky, pretty cheerleader as my lab partner in high school.

And then as I slowly scanned the room, I realized I was sitting in an audience comprised of a couple hundred cheerleaders. Every single woman was dressed to kill – or at least maim.

I. Had. No. Idea.

A producer emerged onto the stage and warmed up the audience. “When did you all start getting ready to be here today?” Everyone except me laughed. She began a backwards countdown: Yesterday? Two days ago? The winner of her informal poll had started her prep a week earlier. I slunk lower in my seat and stared at those leopard-print stilettos until they cued the music and Oprah took the stage.

I’m glad to report that my cleaning-the-garage look didn’t negatively impact the show. My friend and her daughter had a happy reunion on camera, and the entire experience was indeed an adventure.

And a lesson in doing my homework before I leave the house to have an adventure.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

April 21, 2011

Watch and pray

Next Post

May 1, 2011 Jam-packed 24 hours/Day 1

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Baggage Books Calendar Church and Ministry CVID Ecclesiology Everyday Christian life Faith Falling Upward From The Margins Housing Jesus Movement's Unintended Consequences Midlife Midlife Survey #1 Midlife Survey #2 Moments and Days Out To The Margins Pilgrim's Road Trip Regret Seminary Spiritual Formation Uncategorized What's A Nice Jewish Grandmother Like You Doing In Seminary? When The Heart Waits Writing

Select a Month June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What sea did Jesus walk on?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Dead Sea Sea of Galilee Red Sea Mediterranean Sea