Alderman: Closing Public Streets For Oprah 'Smacks Of Elitism'

Chicago Sun-Times:

Mayor Daley's unilateral decision to shut down Michigan Avenue for Oprah Winfrey's 24th season premiere "smacks of elitism" and is "kind of reckless," an influential alderman said Thursday.

Read the whole story: Chicago Sun-Times

Comments

[Bude]

Seems that the elite have been out elited!
City councilman Tom Allen
ward38@cit­yofchicago­.org

[Bude]

Those darn elitist blacks always holding the white man back?

[eyepatch]

I was never a viewer of Oprahs
show because I felt her show
was a basically focused to
entertainment and womens issues.

I felt that with her fame and fortune
she should trying to help all the black
community, after a while I realized
that she was only one person and
her contrbutions to Chicago have
been immeasurable.

But her contribution to the nation by
helping our President get elected
will never be forgotten!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!

So if Oprah needs Michigan Avenue shut
down for a few hours to do her show then

SO BE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have a good show :)

[mamala4]

She really didn't do anything other than appear at ONE rally...but this is a huge inconvenience to the city...

[toocoldout]

Actually she single handedly decided the Democratic primary:

http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/06/so-much-for-one-person-one-vote/

[ejhickey]

don't mess with Oprah - the cash cow. Without Oprah m no one would even know the name of our city.

[ImissBush]

from the HL i toght he was closing "Oprah Street"

[Wigelah]

Another person who has recently learned the word "elitism" but doesn't know the correct meaning of the word. It might help to stop watching Fox News to further your vocabulary and use the words properly. Really. Stop the madness.

[AlisonCarnie]

I work on Michigan Avenue and have decided I will walk 3.1 miles to work those two days ... through Lincoln Park ... fabulous opportunity to experience the city I love from a different perspective.

I work in Bloomingdale's on the Magnificent Mile and, I know first hand, thousands and thousands of women come to Chicago every year JUST to go to the Oprah Show ...

how many women come to Chicago to see Allen?

Sad example of another stupid boy...

[BillN]

Alderman Allen should take it a step further then, by his logic, and protest the closing of streets for the St. Patrick's Day parade every March. Otherwise, by his own definition, every Irish-American must be an elitist too.

This guy has w-a-a-a-y-y-y too much free time on his hands.

[toocoldout]

When your Irish-America & close the streets it's a celebration. When your African-American & do the same you're being uppity.

[balancedsolution]

Oprah keeps the hot dog vendors and deep dish pizza places in business.

She's a nice lady that was in the right place at the right time.

So what she's become a huge narcissist and egomaniac, what would you do in her situation?

if i were her. i'd consult dr. phil, and have rachel ray cook us up something.

and have her "lover" gayle join in for laughs.

[toocoldout]

How is being raised in poverty, illegitimate, sexually abused, black, female, & pregnant at 14 being in the right place at the right time? I bet you were raised with a thousand times more opportunity that she was.

And how is she a narcissist or an egomaniac? And why would you call her best friend Gayle her lover? You just throw as much mud as you can at this successful black woman & just hope something sticks. I would hate to meet someone like you in real life.

[kareemachan]

Wow, sour grapes to the nth degree here, huh?

[toocoldout]

It's the city that benefits. They get the exposure & Oprah's even paying them back for the tax expenses which is unheard of. But if Transportation Committee Chairman Tom Allen is going to whine about it, I would just cancel the whole thing if I were her. She can have the party just as easily inside her studio. She was trying to celebrate with the city bit if Tom Allen is being really obnoxious about it. If she were white I bet he would be praising all the great publicity she's bringing to the city.

[mafeoc]

Here's an idea:

How about using this influence to discuss HEALTHCARE!!!

She worked hard to get OUR PRESIDENT elected, she can at the very least throw him a bone instead of Whitney Houston or the Black Eyed Peas

[toocoldout]

She strongly endorsed SICKO last year & had Michael Moore on her show to promote it twice.

[mafeoc]

That's one part of it ,but have various experts with various opinions, Not Dr, Oz or whomever.

[beenn15]

Oprah is not a politician. She has a right to decide her level of involvement in a policy argument. She didn't discuss politics before the election, I don't see why she would need to discuss government policies. That's the job for our senators and representatives.

[mamala4]

Great idea...let's see what she can really do....

[henrypapillon]

Yeah, but Oprah brings the money into Chicago. They do this permanently for Dow Chemical Company here in Midland, Michigan. They want a street closed down near the factory--okay, any others you want with them?

[BVictor1]

No offense, but I don't think that there's a street in Midland as busy and vital as Michigan Avenue.

I have no problems with the closure, but the Mag Mile is like a smaller version of 5th Avenue.

[spinns17]

who cares.giving billions to wall street .now that makes me mad.elitist is the new word the repugs learned.

[MilesLong]

"Alderman: Closing Public Streets For Oprah 'Smacks Of Elitism"

Richest woman in America, millions of fans, a short-term economic boost to the area; what's the harm?

I do hope this isn't some kind Racism by Proxy complaint we've seen so much of now that a half African American man has been elected president.

Miles "Block Party" Long

[Lillie]

Apparently, it's never an issue when they shut down blocks at time in the Loop for parades,
fire works, etc for hours at a time. Or would the alderman prefer that Oprah shut down streets on the southside? I think what we see here is resentment on the alderman's part. There does seem to a LOT of resentment towards Oprah all of sudden or maybe towards A-A in general, lately.

[ItHadToBeSaid]

I have to agree with you there. Tons of people spewing nonsense and pettiness with no logical or legitimate reasons. It is nothing more than poorly-disguised resentment.

[lvogt]

Yes... but it is also a nice boost to the city. You can't get publicity like that. The department of tourism is probably thrilled.