Posted on 09/13/2004 10:47:00 AM PDT by Feiny
Chat show queen Oprah Winfrey celebrated the opening of her 19th season on US TV today by surprising each of her 276 audience members with a new car.
We’re calling this our wildest dream season, because this year on the Oprah show, no dream is too wild, no surprise too impossible to pull off,” Winfrey said.
Making sure the audience was kept in suspense, Winfrey opened the show by calling 11 audience members onto the stage. She gave each of them a car – a Pontiac G6.
She then had gift boxes distributed to the rest of the audience and said one of the boxes contained keys to a twelfth car. But when the audience members opened the boxes, each had a set of keys.
“Everybody gets a car! Everybody gets a car! Everybody gets a car!” Winfrey yelled as she jumped up and down on the stage.
The audience members screamed, cried and hugged each other – then followed Winfrey out to the car parking of her Harpo Studios in Chicago to see their Pontiacs, all decorated with giant red bows.
The cars, which retail for £15,500, were donated by Pontiac.
“A little idea grew into a big idea,” said Mary Henige of Pontiac
Winfrey said the audience members were chosen because their friends or family had written to the show about their need for a new car. One woman’s young son said she drove a car that “looks like she got into a gunfight” another couple had almost 400,000 miles on their two vehicles.
In other segments on the show, Winfrey surprised a 20-year-old girl who had spent years in foster care and homeless shelters with a four-year college scholarship, a makeover and £6,000 in clothes. And a family with eight foster children who were going to be kicked out of their house were given £72,000 to buy and repair the home.
The Oprah Winfrey Show is syndicated to 212 domestic markets and 109 countries.
Wow...
Yup, but you have to admit the poor in the hills are truly POOR. Not the cable tv, money left over to get the hair done poor of many inner cities and even rural/suburban areas outside of the hills.
if they can't afford the gift taxes, property taxes, etc., they can sell the car and keep the difference. Say the car is worth $22k, and total taxes are $5k. They may be able to sell it (used) for $18k. They are still left with $13k. It's hard to feel sorry for them.
They'll be stunned to find out that there's an income tax at all.
The b!tch didn't spend a cent; Pontiac spent $4,278,000.
I never called Pontiac and asked them to give my fans cars, but thanks for playing.
tax write off
Say what you want about Oprah, she is a generous woman!
Hahahahahhaha, good one.
For giving out boxes? It's a nice idea and I applaud her for doing it, but truly generous is someone who gives their own money to the needy anonymously. Oprah broadcast this "gift" on her show and Pontiac donated the vehicles.
This was a very kind gesture by Oprah. It wasn't like the studio audience showed up and got a car. Each person was selected because of their need for a car and was based on letters sent to the Oprah show about this.
She did what is called a mitzvah. When you give you get back 100 fold. She based her life on giving. And that is why she is a multi billionaire.
Consider this with your lives. Make sure you give a little. Just make sure that while you give a little, give some to the SBVets.
Rock on Oprah.
I guess I'm just always looking at the negatives of things, but I would thinkg that someone who is in such dire straights is going to be unable to pay the taxes due on the car, aside from the insurance for a new vehicle.
>>Big deal. She's a BILLIONARE for pete's sake! <<
She may be a Billionare but most Libs worth $$$$$ give much less to the needy than the average Joe conservative.
I say, good for her. Pulling this off and everything else she does.
Seems more like shameless self promotion.... I wouldn't call that generosity as much as slick marketing.. For Free!!! She is quiet the sales woman...
That was very generous of Pontiac and very kind of Oprah to help organize the whole event. I hope the taxes don't hurt the individuals too much.
The foster family and scholarship stories were also very kind of Ms. Winfrey.
Same here. If I ever won a new car, I wouldn't be able to pay title, taxes, tags and insurance.
She's skinny again, too.
Wonder how long that will last?
One.
It is hot looking. The Pontiac G6, I mean.
pretty slick!
GM donates the cars and gets both a huge tax writeoff AND rid of surplus inventory
Oprah coordinates this giveaway and comes off smelling like a rose.
The audience gets socked with a four figure state and federal tax bill (all up front, too - no payments) in order for these "needy" people can register their cars.
Used cars are dirt cheap right no w. anybody who cannot afford to pony up a couple of grand for a usedie sure as heck is gonna have all sorts of trouble registering, insuring and paying the property taxes on a 15K newbie - however nice it is. Look for a lot of "Car for sale" ads.
But they all thank Oprah.
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