Five Reasons Why Oprah Winfrey Deserves the Title of Charisma Queen

When it comes to TV talk shows, the "watchability" factor ranges from 1 (uber-boring) to 10 (you're mesmerized). Take Magic Johnson, for example. In the NBA, he scored as one of the most elegantly talented players to watch. When he attempted to host his own talk show, however, he deserved a minus 1 on the watchability scale. Magical it wasn't.

Magic Johnson has an excuse: he never aimed to become a superstar of stage, TV, or cinema screen. Contrast him with Chevy Chase. Hilarious to watch as a comedian, Chevy flopped as a TV talk show faster than a tap-dancer slipping on a banana peel. Give him a 1 on the watchability scale.

And Then Along Comes Oprah
Let's tune into Oprah Winfrey for a brilliant contrast. When Oprah strides onto the set of her TV show, flinging her arms open as if to embrace every member of the studio audience simultaneously, you hear a roar from the viewers present. Her eyes glow, her smile beams, and her vibrant voice proclaims her joy in life and in her show.

Video-tape her presence on stage, and you could have a walking, talking definition of charisma. Regardless of her weight, Oprah always seems larger than life, a magnetic personality that you instantly heed. You can almost guarantee that at a party, she'd win as the proverbial "life of the party," the woman to whom everyone pays attention, around whom everyone circles.

Five Reasons Why Oprah Rocks as Charisma Queen
1. Honesty. Oprah is brutally honest with herself. She's shared her weight frustrations, her troubled childhood, her likes, her dislikes, and her passions. We love her for that truthful approach.

2. Sense of Humor. Oprah knows how to tell a joke - but she also knows how to laugh at herself. She relishes her guests' wit as well, laughing without restraint at every quip or quirky phrase.

3. Courage. Whether she's camping with her best friend poking at potatoes that just won't cook or inviting hesitant guests to appear on her show (such as Christopher Plummer, famously reluctant to discuss "Sound of Music"), Oprah never hesitates. She takes risks - and we're always glad that she did.

4. Passion. Oprah is a shining example of someone who knows what her passion is, and she has the ability to bring her passion for exploration, for sharing, for the latest and greatest in health, entertainment, technology, and personality, to her viewers.

5. Self-Knowledge. Most of us don't fully own certain aspects of our personalities and lives. We may refuse to admit that we're afraid of talking in public, for example, or decline to discuss, even with friends and family members, our pasts. Oprah knows herself, owns every aspect of her life, and has become skilled at sharing it all openly, honestly, and brilliantly. And that, most of all, is why she deserves the title of Queen of Charisma.