function hide_user_promo_bubble_second_stage() { var bubble = $("user_promo_bubble"); bubble.style.display = "none"; } function hide_user_promo_bubble() { var bubble = $("user_promo_bubble"); var myAnim = new YAHOO.util.Anim(bubble, { opacity: { to: 0 } }, 1, YAHOO.util.Easing.easeOut); myAnim.animate(); setTimeout("hide_user_promo_bubble_second_stage()", 1100); } function handle_promo_username(params) { var bubble = $("user_promo_bubble"); var img = $("user_promo_bubble_image"); var anchor = $("user_promo_bubble_link"); if (params.has_photo == "true") { img.src = "http://images.huffingtonpost.com/profiles/" + params.user_id + "-tiny.png"; } else { img.style.display = "none"; Dom.addClass(anchor, "wide"); } anchor.innerHTML = "Shared by " + params.user_name; anchor.href = "http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/" + params.user_name; bubble.style.display = "block"; var myAnim = new YAHOO.util.Anim(bubble, { opacity: { to: 1 } }, 2, YAHOO.util.Easing.easeOut); myAnim.animate(); } if (HuffPoUtil.getUrlVar("user_promo")) { YAHOO.util.Event.onDOMReady(function() { var parts = document.location.hash.split(","), shared_by = "", badge = "", i; if (parts.length < 2) return; for (i = 0; i < parts.length; i++) { if (parts[i].indexOf("sb=") !== -1) { shared_by = parts[i]; } if (parts[i].indexOf("b=") !== -1) { badge = parts[i]; } } if (shared_by == "" || badge == "") return; var bubble = $("user_promo_bubble"); if (!bubble) return; var entry_id = HuffPoUtil.GetEntryID(); if (!entry_id) return; var user_id = parseInt(shared_by.substr(shared_by.indexOf("sb=") + 3)); if (!user_id) return; var badge_type = badge.substr(badge.indexOf("b=") + 2); if (!badge_type) return; script = document.createElement("script"); script.setAttribute("type", "text/javascript"); bubble.appendChild(script); script.setAttribute("src", "/include/share_track.php?a=view&eid=" + entry_id + "&uid=" + user_id + "&b=" + badge_type + "&cb=handle_promo_username"); }); } Oprah's Favorite Things Show: CANCELED?

After seven years, Oprah has zero plans to do a Favorite Things episode in 2009, a Harpo employee told Huffington Post. Coupled with her announcement that 2010's holiday season will be her last on the air, the era of crying, screaming and hyperventilating audience members may have come to an end.

The "Favorite Things" show has aired Thanksgiving week in years past, but the "Favorite Things" show is not part of this week's lineup and a Harpo employee told Huffington Post exclusively, "We have no plans this season for a 'Favorite Things.'"

The holiday tradition started when Oprah surprised show audiences with news that the episode was her "Favorite Things," and every audience member went home with each item she touted. People lucky enough to be at the show would haul home thousands of dollars of freebies, from camcorders to refrigerators to pajamas.

The accompanying shrieks of joy became the stuff of legend and SNL skits. The hour-long episodes would be edited down for air as it took time to calm people down between freebies.

In recent years Oprah has filled the audience with teachers (2004), Hurricane Katrina volunteers (2005) and done the show on location in her most-watched area (Macon, GA in 2007) as a reward of sorts.

In the past being featured as a Favorite Thing, much like being an Oprah Book Club pick, was a huge deal for brands and led to massive bumps in sales. Companies happily donated a few hundred of their product to be featured on the Oprah platform.

But in 2008, in response to the economic freefall, Oprah changed course and did a pre-Thanksgiving Favorite Things with a thrifty twist, and each item was very inexpensive or homemade.

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Now it seems gift givers in 2009 may have to find inspiration elsewhere.

2007 crowd reaction:

A 2004 SNL skit:

Comments

[andip]

THANK GOD she'll finally be off the air!

[amy3e]

OMG.. it was my favorite Oprah show.. I can't believe it isn't going to be on this year.. what a bummer, she always has great ideas.. I have seen some unique, creative and inexpensive gift ideas, some that are DIY , as well as great Christmas party and Christmas party game ideas at Celebration Ideas Online:
http://www.favorsyoukeep.com/cups.html. They are all free and all fun..but still no match for Oprah!

[Haastnooit]

something I won't miss.. there are enough other places to look at stuff that I don't want, need and can't afford anyway.

[Ohsherri]

That was one of my favourite shows.
I could never afford hardly any of those things but I liked knowing what was new and wonderful.
What I could never stand was the shows where Oprah / Nate would walk into some
womans HUGE beautiful house and redecorate this or that...
all because the couple couldn't get around to it themselves.
Awww...poor babies...

[harriettubman]

I believe the OW show is being respectful of the economy but also these are hard economic times and companies are not giving away as many free things as they did. Oprah has really decreased her giveaways this season thus far.

[toocoldout]

Companies are still lining up to give stuff away. It costs very little to do so compared to the millions in free advertising the show generates.

[NevaforLeadership]

I agree.

[colette]

Of course.

But it's a matter of degree. How much of our lives as Americans is devotedto coveting and yearning for and acquiring items not essential to our survival. How much time do we spend shopping and thinking about shopping, and are urged and manipulated to shop? How much does our economy depend on us being things we don't have enough $$ for, and have to get in debt to own?

It like nice stuff too. It's just that our economic and (for many people, not necessarily you) our sense of well-being depends on purchasing and owning a never-ending barrage of objects which will soon go out of fashion and end up in the dump.

[colette]

OK, I'm dating myself bigtime here, but I'm old enough to remember being a wee girl and watching "Queen for a Day." It was a hugely popular "game" show, which had several hard-luck cases competing for a crown and a big load of expensive prizes. the winner got dining room sets and expensive clothes and new cars and jewels and washing machines.....It went on and on. And you "won" if your story was more wretched and pathetic than your opponents'.

We Americans love the idea of being generous and charitable, and we really like our consumer goods. What we don't like (as a nation) is all bonding together and, through taxes, helping millions of needy people instead of a few here and there.

The Oprah giveaway thing -- I have no idea if anyone actually needed the high-end crap they were given. But it's creepy celebration of consumer culture -- an extension of Oprah's slick magazine full of buying tips.

Given how many people are suffering financially this year, I'm glad they cut it out. It's not just unseemly to watch grown women squealing and weeping over these objects. (At least they won't trampling people at a Wal-Marts.) It's also gotta be hard for those with nothing to watch that spree, and for anyone to still believe money & stuff are the most important things in our lives.

[toocoldout]

Just because people enjoy free stuff does not mean they think it's the most important thing in life.

[beyondthepale9779]

oprah is having a favorite things show apparently. HER favorite things.... The Obama's.

[ColoradoArtLover]

BUMMER!!! I was so looking forward to it! Waaaa!

[Cheryl2]

I personally, am glad that she has ended that show. To me it became so much of a greed fest that I no longer could stand to watch it. But then, maybe it was jealousy that it wasn't me screaming with joy.

[damali]

Thank you for acknowledging your jealousy, because anyone who looks down on this show would not feel the same if they were in that audience. There is nothing wrong about being excited to receive free things and i wouldn't be surprised if most of the stuff was given as Christmas gifts. No need to spend your money to shop after that, right?

When Oprah is generous, she inspires others to be same. That's the real concept here...not the 'stuff'.

[ChangeurMind]

People are tired of more crap made in China.

[ChangeurMind]

Who's better off now than they were a year ago? 2 years ago?

[derps]

Me.

I'm 33 years old and I've nearly doubled my 2007 six figure salary in the past two years.
I plan on doubling again by 2011.
Work smart and you'll be rewarded.
Opportunities are everywhere.

[harriettubman]

I have a great job and very grateful for who I work for.

[shutterbabe]

Good question, ChangeurMind.

Financially, I am not. The creative industry is still suffering from the economic shifts.

However, in my heartspace, I feel wonderful. During difficult times it becomes necessary to reassess priorities and help others whenever possible. I have watched so many people rise to their higher selves, become more innovative and charitable.

As for Oprah's big giveaways, I always felt that it emphasized the excessive greed of Americans. The frenzy was surreal to watch. It had a very strange slant to it and I always felt uncomfortable, as if I was watching some kind of kink from behind a curtain. ( Who wrote that?)

[jennylynn]

Endorsing BO finished Oprah....Sad.

[meede]

Two Words -- BS.

25 years on air. OWN is Oprah Winfrey Network coming to a TV near you.

[toocoldout]

Nothing sad about sacrificing some of her popularity for a cause greater than herself. What's the point of having so much influence if you don't have the courage to use it on something difficult? She's still a billionaire & still the highest rated talk show in America & still landed the first interview of Palin's book tour & Oprah's ratings are actually way up this season:

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=117388

[harriettubman]

When did BO's endorsement end her? Those were shallow viewers if they left. Who cares?

[meede]

I'm tired of the shows like Oprah's favorite things and Ellen's giveaways like her 12 days of Christmas in that they buy their audiences. Ellen now has everyone writing their hardluck story letters as she now does basically a daily vehicle, pay your mortgage, pay your bills, here's a couple of thousand for Christmas gifts. Some days it's easily over $50,000. Nice to help out but it's a ratings game and audience buy.

Oprah's favorite thing show - one year out of curiousity I added the prices - it was over $40,000 per person.

The focus so much on one person when there are so many. Sad

[wilray]

You still have game shows and "reality" television.

Game shows do giveaways everyday, and Reality tv milk an entire season for a big payoff at the end.

[Azmom]

That was her best show of the year.