Oprah in Australia

[jimbur]

I don't hate her. I don't think anyone should be treated so differently.

Geez she is one powerful woman. I reckon she can start a religon on her own.

It is a religion in effect. There is very little difference between revivalist preachers and many of the populist entertainers.
I dislike anything that has 'adults' screaming mindlessly whether it be religion, entertainment or politics.
Cheers,
Jim

[silentC]

In terms of marketing, this is huge and with our high AUD and economy on recession apart from mining, we can do with all the assistance we can get.

If we ran a marketing programme that would generate as much global interest as Oprah will, it would cost our nation a mint.

Stop thinking so small.

So what you're saying is that after seeing Oprah swanning around in Australia, a million couch potato Americans are going to get off their backsides and book a ticket to Australia?

That's the sort of justification that saw the NSW government spend $1mil putting turf on the harbour bridge. I'd love to see actual figures from any of these "global interest" marketing campaigns and how they've benefited the Australian economy in any tangible way.

I don't mind her coming here, she has as much right as anyone. I object to my tax dollars being spent on something that she could easily afford herself. If she needs protection, let her hire security. I certainly don't see why we're paying for it. I felt the same about the pope. All the same arguments were used then. Does anyone have actual figures on how much of a boost that was to the economy? Funny how all the supporters go quiet after the confetti has been swept away.

I really hate seeing money being wasted on crap like this when we have such major problems in the health system in this state. That money Frank Lowy (the richest man in Australia) just wasted on our behalf on a bid for the World Cup that was never going to get up could have been so much better spent. $43mil and what have we got to show for it? One vote. A real boost to our international reputation that is. Sorry but I'm a little bit sick of being told that public money poured into these promotional events is going to benefit the country. The only people who benefit are those with their fingers in the pie.

[Waldo]

I object to my tax dollars being spent on something that she could easily afford herself. If she needs protection, let her hire security. I certainly don't see why we're paying for it. I felt the same about the pope. All the same arguments were used then. Does anyone have actual figures on how much of a boost that was to the economy? Funny how all the supporters go quiet after the confetti has been swept away.

I really hate seeing money being wasted on crap like this when we have such major problems in the health system in this state. That money Frank Lowy (the richest man in Australia) just wasted on our behalf on a bid for the World Cup that was never going to get up could have been so much better spent. $43mil and what have we got to show for it? One vote. A real boost to our international reputation that is. Sorry but I'm a little bit sick of being told that public money poured into these promotional events is going to benefit the country. The only people who benefit are those with their fingers in the pie.

Exactly

[jimbur]

Are we getting a SilentC majority? I'm in it anyway.
Cheers,
Jim

[Scorp]

I cannot understand the frenzy gripping so many of my countrymen about a woman whose only claim to fame is an over-rated "chat show", in which the audience is hand picked, presumably for their low "hysteria" level.It is these numb-skulls that are coming here.
Surely a slightly more erudite collection would be of greater benifit to us.
BTW, although I live less than two hours from Sydney, I am pretty certain that the whole shooting match will not tour the provinces, despite the fact that the STATE government is forking out for the visit.The road outside my place is more pot-hole than tarmac, but the council is broke.
Do you think Ms Winfrey would lend us a few dollars??

[Sturdee]

Im so surprised. It appears im the only one here that likes her.

I'm surprised too, especially at the venom and bile that is posted against someone that will do our tourism a lot of good at very little money.

Especially as that money would have been spent in any case for a lot less effect.

BTW personally I'm ambivalent about her and I won't be watching her show but this whinging is ridiculous.

Peter.

[Scorp]

I think you are over-estimating the influence of her audience, and the demographic that she appeals to in Seppoland.They do not have sufficient disposable income to spend it on such a long flight, and, now that our $ is almost at parity with theirs, they will be even less likely to trip "Down Under".
It is a huge waste of money, most of it ours!!

[mic-d]

It's all just a marketing ploy IMHO, and so is Oprah's trip here

Cheers
Michael

[Wongo]

What has Oprah ever done for us?

[Wongo]

My wife reckons people want to go to her show because they want get a car for free. Its possible, its not her money and she is not afraid to use it.

[Lignum]

My wife reckons people want to go to her show because they want get a car for free. Its possible, its not her money and she is not afraid to use it.

Didn’t your car blow up recently? You should go along, you might get lucky.

[Wongo]

Its been fixed and it is going strong. So no thanks.

[ajw]

I'm with Lignum on this one.

I think it's a bit of a stretch to say that anybody could do what she does. What skill does she have, you ask. Well, how about a massive audience every day? Ask Shane Warne how hard it is to achieve that. I heard his 2nd show's ratings were 1/2 of his first show. I don't buy the proposition that she's merely a product of marketing. I think self-made people who build their own fortunes must have something special - otherwise we'd all be doing it.

I also think its acceptable for our tourism people to be spending money on this kind of thing. Any marketer will tell you that 50% of marketing is successful, but they can't tell you which 50% will work. We've tried the shrimp on the barbie, and the "where the bloody hell are you" approach. Perhaps getting a customer like Oprah to say it's a great place will carry more weight with the target markets. Australia might be a long way for the US to travel, but this could put it at the top of the aspirational destinations for many Americans.

There are dozens of places she could have taken her audience. I think we should be happy that they're coming here.

There are so many industries that depend on inbound tourism. With our dollar so high, many locals are jetting off overseas. We need all the help we can get to highlight Australia as a perfect holiday destination.

ajw

[silentC]

I also think its acceptable for our tourism people to be spending money on this kind of thing

No sorry, on principal I'm against spending millions of dollars on uncertain and intangible returns, when the NSW government is crying poor over hospitals amongst other things. As far as I know, the money is not coming out of any tourism promotion budget, I'll bet there was no due diligence done on the expenditure versus expected return. It's just something that we're expected to wear so that those who are fans of her vacuous show can queue up to say they've seen her. Any benefit to the economy of this country from the exercise is highly speculative and impossible to quantify. It is just an excuse offered as a counter-argument to the objections raised, and a poor one at that.

[Mulgabill]

She is irrelevant to my daily life!