Who dares sue Oprah? Well, if you’re hungry for publicity because your show is failing…

Two people actually.

The first lawsuit has to do with Oprah’s new TV show, Big Give.  If you haven’t heard of it, it’s a reality TV series where Oprah gives 10 people loads of money and are asked to travel around the world with a mission of helping other people. Every week, one of them goes home, and since I don’t watch the program at all…I wouldn’t have any clue for what reason. Do they fail the task so they’re told to leave? Do they get voted off? Were they tempted to steal the money? In the end, though, one of the 10 chosen may also get to go home with $1million.

The "helping other people" part is a noble idea, alright. But apparently, not an original idea. A woman is suing the 56th richest person in the world (according to Forbes Magazine in 2006) because Oprah and her Harpo Production allegedly stole the very same concept! In 2005, Darlene Tracy pitched the very same idea to Harpo and caller her show The Philanthropist.  In 2006, she tried to get a judge’s order to stop the show from going on air. The lawsuit is currently on appeal.

But, wait a minute… if the dispute has been going on since 2006, why was it so widely picked up in newswires all about the same time the other day? I’m not kidding — news about the lawsuit all jumped in my newsfeeds in a synchoronized manner. So, you know what I smell from this? P-U-B-L-I-C-I-T-Y! Oprah’s Big Give has been widely criticized for being a pretentious TV program that serves no purpose but only to glorify the former Daytime Talkshow Queen. And its viewership is dropping.

So, there you go.

The second lawsuit involves a woman who was once an audience member on Oprah’s talk show in 2006.

As it is told in the news, when Oprah’s staff gave intructions for the audience sit wherever they wanted once they got inside the studio…everyone rushed, like a big, big shopping sale was taking place. The stampede left one Orit Greenberg falling down, getting knocked over and breaking something of her body. So, now… she’s suing Oprah for $50,000 and for other damages, citing that her staff should have been able to control the maddening crowd. 

You may wonder why Oprah’s audience is too eager to get the best seats. It’s not like they can pawn the seats after the show or sell it on E-bay… but apparently, some seats that day had grand big prize items marked in envelopes under them.

I doubt Orit would be able to get a dime from Oprah. I mean, if you’re an avid fan….you know what goes on in the show and how often she gives away loads of prizes. You’d have to expect that kind of enthusiasm from the crowd. 

But you know what’s funny? This very news has actually been told before!!! Same story, different person. Don’t believe it? Here’s the link: Woman Falls, Sues Oprah - from The Smoking Gun Jan 2007. 

PUBLICITY everyone. PUBLICITY!!!