Yet when I examine the depth of her influence and the infiltration of her brand into many areas of our lives, I become wary.

Being labelled one of the 'most powerful women in the world' is not Oprah's fault. It is simply a consequence of her achievements. Her unrivalled soft power has come with a plethora of followers (not just in the Twitter sense) who hang onto every word she speaks. Books chosen for 'Oprah's Book Club' often shoot up the NYT Best Seller's List and some even argue without her formal endorsement President Barack Obama may not have secured the democratic presidential nomination.

Not every fan of Oprah follows her blindly, however many follow her opinion without seeking alternatives or establishing opinions of their own. Once again this is not necessarily Oprah's fault, but it's frightening that an unelected individual can exercise such influence.

The OWN channel will be available to watch (in the US only) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. What viewers can expect from OWN is an extension of the typical Oprah formula; self-help, celebrity interviews, fixes to help you lose weight and lots of inspirational affirmations. OWN'S promotional competition to win the chance to have a show made is evidence that there won't be much change. 

Promo for the prize is accompanied by the generic message "that you can do it too" In fact Oprah's entire gospel is supported by the rather deceptive message that "you can do it too”.  Like much of Oprah's rhetoric the message is inspiring.However its simplicity overlooks the labour and the struggle that often comes with success. At its core it simply advocates quick fixes via self-help, deluding people into believing there is a substitute for hard work and they can be just like her.

I am certain millions will watch OWN because of Oprah, 13.6 million watched the channel on its first day alone. With her reputation as a philanthropist and her giving out cars and holidays on national TV, the church of Oprah has a  strong congregation. Is this healthy? I don't think so.  No matter how positive a person or their message is, if there is an absence of a diversity and competition, there is a risk of a cult of the personality emerging.

Is a whole network dedicated to Oprah's gospel and programming that aligns with her ideology really the best course of action for our modern day society? Do we need more of Oprah's help and is she actually helping?  Is OWN just a narcissistic ploy for Oprah to reach more people whilst acquiring more wealth?  I'm not quite sure of the answers to any of those questions. On the surface her intentions seem good, but their outcomes are far from desirable. Whatever the case, Oprah is here to stay.