What Oprah Gave Her Audience Today

[MrsSpringsteen]

Remember when she gave them cars? Well, this is a great idea. What would you do with this debit card?

(AP)Oprah Winfrey has famously given members of her audience new cars, paid off their debts and fulfilled their wildest dreams. Now she's given them what she calls the "gift of giving back."

On a show that aired Monday, Winfrey gave more than 300 audience members $1,000 debit cards sponsored by the Bank of America to donate to a charitable cause.

Winfrey called the show her "favorite giveaway ever."

"I can honestly say that every gift I've ever given has brought at least as much happiness to me as it has to the person I've given it to," the 52-year-old talk-show host said. "That's the feeling I want to pass on to you."

People can give the entire sum to one person — relatives aren't eligible — or they can split it among charitable causes. Audience members also received a DVD recorder to tape their stories for a future show.

"You're going to open your hearts, you're going to be really creative, and you're going to spend it all at once on one stranger or spend a dollar on every person," Winfrey said. "Imagine the love and kindness you can spread with $1,000."

 

[Lila64]

very interesting - I have it set to tape later today

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

I've been thinking about it, and I think I would give it all to my local food pantry. It's a very small one, but they serve many people and surrounding areas. That way every time I was near it or heard about it, I could remember that I was able to help. Or to a local battered womens shelter.

I'm no Oprah worshipper, I do think she has many flaws just like any human being and I am cynical about some of what she does..but check out some of these comments. I think this whole question and how people respond to it can say so much. Sure I could sure use that 1000 dollars, but what I might spend it on would really be meaningless-unless I used it to pay off some debt, because that just weighs so heavily on me. But that's not buying something like this comment says. I have more than enough stuff, too much.

http://boards.msn.com/MSNBCboards/thread.aspx?ThreadID=114450&BoardsParam=Page=1

"I think she should have just gave her audience debit cards to spend on whatever they want. I would be really disapppointed to have a one thousand dollar debit card and not be able to buy anything with it. What a crappy gift! I would have probably just thrown it away whenever I got home or just gave it to the first person I saw since I would have no use for it."

 

[Justin24]

I need to attened a show of hers to get something like that.

 

[BonosSaint]

I've been thinking about it, and I think I would give it all to my local food pantry. It's a very small one, but they serve many people and surrounding areas. That way every time I was near it or heard about it, I could remember that I was able to help. Or to a local battered womens shelter.

That probably would be what I would do too. The money can go a long way there.

 

[Lila64]

MrsS - I can't believe the comment that person posted on the MSN board. How selfish

 

[redhotswami]

"I think she should have just gave her audience debit cards to spend on whatever they want. I would be really disapppointed to have a one thousand dollar debit card and not be able to buy anything with it. What a crappy gift! I would have probably just thrown it away whenever I got home or just gave it to the first person I saw since I would have no use for it."

WW

That's a crying shame. How careless. I would've probably given it to the organizations I've volunteered with, to keep them going.

 

[AussieU2fanman]

U can tell the audience members were secretly disappointed. The last batch of people got cars and I'm sure they were expecting something a little more self-indulgent than debit cards for charity. But I'm sure they would have hid their disappointment well, that show is notorious for its disingenuous audience and host.

I'm not ashamed to say if I was there I would have much prefered the cash for myself. And I wonder how many people here would give the money to charity under their own will?

 

[Liesje]

Mrs. S, I like your idea of being able to see the results, like that saying "charity starts at home" (or whatever it is). In that case, I'd like to donate most of it to a local animal shelter (and maybe get an animal or two). I'd also like to give some to the African Well Fund, as always.

 

[Sevikins]

Not to rock the boat, but while it's a really nice gesture, some people do need the money. I guess the people who were disappointed were probably those who either a)wanted to spend it on themselves or b)needed the money (giving the benefit of the doubt here).

A thousand dollars does go a long way.
Really cool of Oprah though, and Bank of America (that money sucking institution).

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

Of course some people need the money, but on the other hand there are always people who need it more than you do. Some people lose that perspective and sometimes we all need to be reminded of that.

I need that money and much more, but there are plenty of people who need it more than I do.

 

[Sevikins]

True Mrs. S.
I wonder how many people would actually use that card for charity.

Does Oprah have a way of tracking where these debit cards would go, or is she depending on genuine human goodwill?
Just a question.

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

Well you can track where debit cards are used, and I suppose she could technically investigate everyone in order to try to make sure none of the money went to themselves or relatives. Where there's a will there's a way I suppose, if people want to cheat.

 

[Golightly Grrl]

Though I think giving money of charity is a wonderful idea, I have a weird taste in my mouth about Lady Bountiful Oprah giving each audience member a $1000 debit card to charity and then writing an essay about it as if they are applying to college. It’s as if her audience couldn’t be charitable without orders from the Mighty O. Then again, I wonder what charity I’d donate that $1,000 to.

But what were the looks on the audience’s faces when they found out they couldn’t spend the money on themselves? I bet a lot of them were pissed.

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

Well they showed people smiling, but I'm sure there were many "less-than-smiles". I know they got all screechy about the camcorder

I understand why some people feel the way they do about Oprah (like I said, I have a few issues with her too), but the concept of the $1000 show and how people react to it is interesting to me.

Don't worry, isn't the favorite things show coming up soon? So they can all scream about their loot. That is one of the worst things ever put on TV

 

[sulawesigirl4]

One of my childhood friends' parents used to do something like this at Christmas. They would give a pretty significant sum of money to each of their kids with the stipulation that it had to be used for a good cause but let the kids decide how to allocate it. I always thought it must be nice to have enough extra money to do this, but thinking back, in a way my parents (poor as we were) managed to always give a portion of their miniscule missionary money to a fund set up to help missionaries even poorer than we are. So I guess that maybe it's possible to be charitable even when you have needs of your own. I certainly found this to be true in Africa where people living in abject poverty would share their homes, meals and bus fare with a stranger.

 

[ljclary]

I watched and was thinking what I could do. $1000 isn't the biggest amount of money so you have to think small to think big. I was thinking that a really fun thing to do would pay for the 1000 cars behind you at a tollbooth (I go through one everyday and twice had the car infront pay and must have walked around int he best mood for the rest of the day!!) This isn't so charitable but still makes many people smile.

Also I was thinking it being Halloween and all a $1000 is a HUGE amount of candy and there are a lot of needy kids out there. maybe put on a haunted house for them or something? I dunno-I liek this idea-there are SOOOOOO many things to be done.

 

[Carek1230]

Wow, that's really an interesting thing Oprah giving the debit cards for people to then give away. I've been thinking about what I would do had I been given one in her audience and I think I would donate it to a food bank or toward fighting AIDS, to our Veterans or to combat homelessness I've given so much to Africa and the various Build a Well etc as I do every year and I would use this for some charitable use in the US.

 

[Rono]

I would spend it on a organization that fights hidden advertising for Banks that make billions.