Are You My...Mammy?

(Left to Right: Mattie Michael, Sethe, Sofia)

Forbes Magazine estimates that Oprah Winfrey has a net worth upwards of $1 billion. With a television show, magazine and her own network, there’s no question that Ms. Winfrey has an undeniable media influence. Additionally, Winfrey is acutely aware of her influence, as the following PowerPoint, which was taken from her own Harpo Interactive site, shows. Direct your attention to slide 11 of 19 you’ll see that Oprah knows her target demographic.

Facts are facts, and any reader with a functioning IQ can see that most of the people who fit the characteristics of the aforementioned demographic are middle-aged white women. This is a good business practice and Oprah should not be faulted for it. Why not market toward a demographic with an incredible amount of disposable personal income? The bigger question is, if Oprah knows her target demographic so well, why would she continue to choose movie roles that depict her as a slave, mammy or in a subordinate domestic role? Oprah has shown she is concerned about the image of women, and the negative stereotypes portrayed to the African-American community through some rap music. But, isn’t it more destructive and disturbing to continually choose culturally demeaning movie roles when you know that the majority of your loyal viewing audience consists of upwardly mobile, middle aged white women? Do the math and you’ll see that six out of eight of Oprah’s major movie roles fall into this category.

The Mammy Roles...

1. The Color Purple - Sofia (1985)
2. Native Son - Mrs. Thomas (1986)
3. The Women of Brewster Place - Mattie Michael (1989)*also served as executive producer
4. There Are No Children Here - LaJoe Rivers (1993)
5. Before Women Had Wings - Zora Williams (1997)*also served as producer
6. Beloved - Sethe (1998)

The Non-Mammy Roles...

1. Ellen - The Therapist (1997)
2. Ocean's Thirteen (2007)*appeared as herself