Oprah Winfrey Blasted By 50 Cent
Rapper Says Oprah Panders To White Audiences
The popular rapper blasted Oprah Winfrey for being out of touch with her cultural roots. He's accusing her of catering to a white audience, while ignoring the rap community. In Elle Magazine, the tough rapper says, "She started out with black women's views, but has been catering to middle-aged white American women for so long she's become one herself."
Oprah has been targeted by other rappers. Ludacris complained that Oprah doesn't respect his opinion, and she didn't treat him properly when he appeared on her show with cast members of the film "Crash." Oprah fired back that Ludacris and other rappers must take responsibility for song lyrics, just as she feels an obligation to the content of her talk show.
50 Cent further told Elle Magazine that Oprah essentially has boycotted the Rap music world by simply not booking any rap artists onto her show. While other rappers charge that 50 Cent may be seeking to strengthen his street cred by creating a controversy with Oprah, where none exists.
On the surface, it seems each party in this dispute - which Oprah has said she'll have no further comment on - has some legitimate issues. 50 Cent is one of the biggest rap stars in music. Oprah has the biggest daytime talk show. Why wouldn't 50 Cent by invited onto the show?
50 Cent dismisses Oprah as being disengaged from the black community, catering to older whites and essentially not worth his time. Why then are we hearing from him? Oprah, as a popular broadcaster, has a vested interest to bring hot topics to her show, but if her audience doesn't like rap for the most part, why would she book rappers? It reminds me of having to watch Johnny Carson because my parents liked him. When I got the chance, I'd watch something else or wait until David Letterman came on, since he was the hip, young show at the time.
50 Cent's displeasure with Oprah appears as one of generation gap, than of a cultural one. If a show on the BET network or MTV catering to urban music and rap suddenly started inviting Martha Stewart on or Faith Hill, their audience would be a little shocked.
Does Oprah have an obligation to gently force her audience to discover new things? Like a school teacher assigning a dreaded book to a frustrated class? Maybe. But in a free and capitalistic society, there's always some other forum, which will cater to a segment of the populace to meet profit motives.
50 Cent certainly knows that if he started whistling folk tunes or wailing opera, it's highly doubtful his audience would continue supporting him.
Published by Will Stape
Will is an Emmy Award nominated screenwriter. He also writes extensively for magazines and the web. Will penned episodes for the TV shows, Star Trek: The Next Generation & Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.... View profile
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27 Comments
Post a CommentNever watch her show never will,PLAY THIS ON THE RADIO!
I think that 50 was a little harsh but success sometimes demands change and change is not allways accepted. But seriously Mss Oprah if you are listening i need to know if i can get on your wish list for christmas. My husband and i have been married for 25 yr.s now hes done the very best he could do to provide for us yet we have no home of our own between poor health bad credit and jobs that leave us needing food stamps to get by,it looks like his dreams of obtaining a home for his family are fastly disappering.
50 Cent is a 4 bit bore!
Loved this!
I admire Oprah. Excellent article!
Dear Mr 50 cents, its not about race, there is no one who can judge Oprah or others.Help as many people as she has and then critisize until then zip it.Or perhaps hip hop it.
Martha Stewart invited Snoop Dogg on and it was hilarious and cute. I think she also invited Ludacris and they cooked mashed potatoes or something.
50 Cents is a NO CLASS THUG. He is an embarrassment to decent hard working black Americans. These rap and hip hop idiots have trashed black culture. They are a bunch a ignorant worthless thugs! Most of you hip hop idiots and athletes are not men, you are THUGS, and you should stop acting like you represent ALL black people. You do NOT represent me!
Fiddy's just demonstrating his usual pin-headedness with this. I hope the two have an affair. That'd be funny.
I am so "over" Oprah and 50 cent. I personally could give two sh*ts less if either of them dropped off the face of the earth tomorrow. But that is simply my opinion and opinions are like a**holes, everyone has one, right? :)