1-3 The Survival of Biology: ‘‘Lessons’’ on Race from The Oprah Winfrey Show

    The Opray Winfrey Show began as AM Chicago, which was a half-hour morning talk Show that aired on WLS-TV, out of Chicago, Illinois.  Oprah took over as the show’s host in 1983, and the show’s ratings went from last place to first place within one year.  The show was relaunched under its current title in the fall of 1986 and the show was picked up as a national talk show.  Oprah has discussed many very interesting topics, but in February of 2006, Oprah introduced the “Human Race Machine,” which is a computer program that you input an individuals photograph into software.  Once the photograph is uploaded, you are able to change an individual’s race with the click of a mouse.  This machine was first demonstrated on Oprah’s program and she implemented a running commentary in which her live audience, as well as home viewers, were able to watch the various transformations.

      

            After the live audience and home viewers watched the transformation of Oprah’s photo go from Asian, Hispanic, Middle Eastern, to Indian; the live audience was given the chance to transform their own pictures to see what they would like as another race.  She took these transformations and built upon what was to come in the next segment involving racial transformations.

            She then introduced two families, the Wurgels, which were basically your ‘‘typical White American family’’, consisting of three members.  She then introduce the Sparks, who were described as a ‘‘typical Black family from Atlanta,’’ who also consisted of three members.   These families were part of a six-episode documentary series which was titled ‘‘Black/White’’appearing on the US-based cable channel FX.  Over the next six weeks these families would live together, while being followed with video cameras, which would be taping

their every move.   During this time both families agreed to undergo make-up transformations and become the Race of the other family in the house.  The families would participate in various activities such as shopping, working, and socializing, and would report back with regard to their experience in the public eye and what life was like for them in those everyday activities upon ‘‘becoming the opposite race.’’  The ‘‘Trading Races’’ episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show thus begins to suggest some of the ways in which language and discourse can be reflected and created out of particular ideas about human differences in popular cultural practices.     

          In other segments of the show the two ladies of families are practicing talking like each of their opposite families would in everyday life.  Carmen Wurgel (white) decided to use the term “bitch”, which deeply offended Renee Sparks (black).  This immediately sparked a conversation with regard to the different use of language used by different races.  Wurgel’s understanding was that this term was used as an affectionate term among African Americans.

            The families were quick to learn (or think) that because they had been transformed to have the appearance of the opposite race, they were wrong in their own assumptions.  Oprah used this occurrence to discuss these assumptions from her own personal experiences, which

involved her bodyguard (black) and the body guard of Nelson Mandela, who was also black.  Mrs. Wurgel was quick to tell them that she assumed this was appropriate language because we see others in videos, etc., addressing others of their race with these terms.

          

            There was another incident wherein the male adults, Bruno Wurgel (white), and Brian Sparks (black), shared their experience of walking down a street together.   They both were black males because Sparks had not been made up.  Although Bruno thought it was just because they needed room to pass, Brian felt that is was because of their race.  It is weird how each of us have our own perception of other’s behavior based upon previous experiences.

            I feel that Oprah created a really good segment.  She was able to help individuals, through makeup, undergo the everyday experiences and see it through their own eyes what the other individuals of the opposite race deal with on a daily basis.  Oprah was able to show how these races become diversified based upon their perception of others.  Most of the time, I feel that our perceptions are created based clearly upon the actions of only one individual.  I think that her show will help individuals see these perceptions and help them realize that although each of us come from a race, culture, and even develop stereotypes because of our upbringing; that we should not allow our own minds to become so shallow and not get to know individuals for how they are and not what color they may be.

Reference

-The Survival of Biology: ‘‘Lessons’’ on Race from The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Journal of Popular Culture, Vol. 43, No. 6, 2010.