I saw Oprah the other day when she gave 50 or so hurricane families a "free house." They visited the land where the new homes are to be built and showed the houseplans.
I hope she does a follow-up show showing how this new neighborhood looks after the people have been living there for about five years.
If they're all like the woman featured in this story, I can't imagine how awful the neighborhood will look.
ww
Oprah works schemes on behalf of advertisers, so it's not all actual "giving" by Oprah of free houses and such (remember the "free car" thing? the recipients mostly could not come up with the taxes they were expected to pay for the cars...).
Oprah's intelligent and touts spirituality (somewhat, at least) but she uses the physical, material world not to elevate but to hyperventilate, to excite, and it's a form of lust in my view. She might try using the same amount of energy and financial maneuvering and instruct people how to get their own fine homes.
However, I congratulate her humanitarianism as to housing anyone in need. The flourishing aspect to her material fascinations, however, actually disservices those in need after a point.
To wit, that suggestion by you as to what the houses will look like in the coming years. Unless they develope pride and caring about the houses -- usually an indication of value of what one's worked hard for -- the places will become yet more depressed environments, just like the places they escaped originally. Oprah should focus on the why's involved in that before doling out houses and advertisers' graces.