Mark December 13 on your calendars, for Oprah Winfrey will be doing a primetime Christmas special with Barack and Michelle Obama.

In fact, and not coincidentally, it's called "Christmas at the White House: An Oprah Primetime Special."

With all the money this woman has, they couldn't come up with a better name?

Apparently not according to THR's Live Feed:

In today's Chicago Sun-Times, columnist Mary Mitchell elevates talk show host Oprah Winfrey to a new level:

You might not think you're going to miss Oprah, but you are. There are stories that only Oprah can do, and there are things that only Oprah and God can make happen.

Mitchell's adulation for Oprah is shared by many in the mainstream media.  From early shows devoted to male-bashing through attacks on free enterprise and limited government to her campaigning for Barack Obama's election, Winfrey has burnished her liberal credentials.

In bracketing Oprah with God, however, I wonder why Mitchell didn't include Obama, as in "There are things that only Oprah and God and the Federal government under the unparalleled leadership of Barack Hussein Obama can make happen."

The Hollywood trade newspaper Variety reports that Oprah Winfrey has a surprising project in the works. Her Harpo Films has made a deal with HBO to team on "a sexually charged hourlong series pilot about a woman who leaves her seemingly perfect marriage and children in Santa Monica for the underbelly of L.A., where she indulges her secret fantasies and desires."

The adultery-and-child-abandonment plot is being written by Erin Cressida Wilson, best known for writing the 2002 indie film "Secretary," which starred James Spader and Maggie Gyllenhaal film in "the story of a boss-secretary relationship that veers into S&M."

Winfrey and Harpo Films president Kate Forte will be executive producers along with Wilson: 

"It is unsentimental and pretty shocking, and there is something complicated and destructive driving her," Forte said.

The Left and the media may hate her, but Sarah Palin is a ratings sensation.

Such appears to be the case given the announcement that Monday's episode of "Oprah" was the most watched for the daytime talk queen in two years.

Palin even drew more viewers than pop singer Whitney Houston when she sat with Oprah earlier this year.

Just imagine all the sighs and rolling eyes in newsrooms from coast to coast.

As THR.com reported Wednesday (h/t TVNewser):

Sarah Palin, in an interview that is a part of the lead up to the Nov. 17 release of her new book "Going Rogue," appeared on Oprah Winfrey's TV show on Nov. 16.  Aside from the questions about the campaign, she expressed her irritation with "CBS Evening News" anchor Katie Couric, or as she referred to her - "the perky one."

"Now, obviously, you've why didn't you just name some books or magazines?" Winfrey asked.

Palin explained that she didn't want to come off as unprofessional, but she detected an elitist vibe from Couric with the infamous question about her reading habits.

As NewsBusters reported last month, an interview between former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and daytime television star Oprah Winfrey is scheduled to air next Monday.

On Thursday Oprah released a couple of previews.

Most interesting was the snippet of Winfrey asking Palin about her controversial interview with CBS "Evening News" anchor Katie Couric (video embedded below the fold with transcript):

Deadline Hollywood shocked the entertainment world Thursday when it predicted Oprah Winfrey would soon give up her syndicated television program to move it to her OWN cable network.

On Friday, the website TVNewser wondered if this might open the door for Fox News sensation Glenn Beck to move into such a syndicated arrangement.

This was on the heals of the New York Times lavishing praise on Beck for being the new Oprah when it comes to helping the sales of fiction writers. 

Newser's Chris Ariens wrote: 

"Virtually every novelist in America fantasizes about being picked to appear on Oprah Winfrey's talk show. But now an increasing number of writers have discovered a new champion: Glenn Beck."

Hold onto your seats, for that's not a quote from the National Review or the Weekly Standard.

It's actually the opening paragraph of an absolutely glowing piece about Beck's impact on the book industry published Thursday by -- drum roll please -- the New York Times (h/t Mediaite):

MSNBC entertainment editor Courtney Hazlett spent all of two minutes on "Morning Meeting" with Dylan Ratigan and still managed to get her facts wrong.

Noting former Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin's scheduled November 16 appearance on "Oprah," Hazlett told viewers that the former Alaska governor "famously said no to appearing on Oprah" during the 2008 presidential campaign, because Palin knew "you get more publicity rejecting Oprah than possibly going on."

The only trouble is, as my colleague Noel Sheppard noted earlier today, that is patently false. It was, in fact, Obama-endorsing Oprah Winfrey who refused to book Palin on her program during the campaign season, although she expressed an interest in having her on after the election.

What's more, while Hazlett seems to portray Oprah as doing Palin a favor, Washington Post TV columnist Lisa de Moraes today noted that the scheduling move may serve Oprah's best interest by reaching out to disaffected conservative women who used to be fans of her program:

As NewsBusters reported a few hours ago, Oprah Winfrey has finally decided to allow former Alaska governor Sarah Palin on her highly-rated daytime talk show.

Shortly after it was announced, People magazine's web article on the matter falsely informed readers that Palin refused Oprah's invitation during the campaign last year (h/t NB reader Christy Ellsworth):

Oh, what a difference a multimillion-dollar book deal makes.

About a year after Sarah Palin famously turned down a campaign season appearance with talk show host – and major Barack Obama supporter – Oprah Winfrey, the former GOP vice presidential candidate has agreed to take her turn on the couch. 

Actually, as ABCNews.com reported last September, it was Oprah that refused to have Palin on her show: 

Having been shunned by the daytime talk queen before last year's elections, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has decided to finally go on "Oprah" in November.

As announced moments ago at Oprah.com:

In a world exclusive, Oprah Winfrey will interview former Alaska governor Sarah Palin for an episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show to air Monday, November 16, 2009.  Winfrey and Palin will meet for the very first time on the episode, which will mark Palin’s first interview to discuss her upcoming book, Going Rogue: An American Life and her first-ever appearance on the Oprah show.  

Unfortunately, judging by some of the comments being left at her website, Oprah's fans are not pleased:

With First Lady Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey now in Copenhagen, CBS anchor Katie Couric on Wednesday night declared “the 'Dream Team' pushing Chicago's bid for the 2016 Olympic summer games is nearly complete” and is now just awaiting “the team captain” -- that would be President Barack Obama, who “arrives Friday ahead of the final vote.”

On ABC, reporter Yunji de Nies marveled at her discovery that members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) are not as impressed by President Obama as are those in the American press corps: “Even the prospect of meeting President Obama on Friday leaves some of them unfazed.” She then showed a clip of herself asking an unidentified man: “So, you're not impressed by the President?” The man, who per a scan of the IOC site's pictures most-resembles Japan's Chiharu Igaya, confirmed: “Never, never.”

You might think a major metropolitan newspaper that boasts "The Midwest's largest reporting team" on its front page would report on a suburban demonstration attracting thousands of people.  In the case of the Chicago Tribune, you'd be wrong.

Today's Tribune print edition makes no mention of yesterday's Tea Party Express protest in New Lenox, Illinois, located only 36 miles from Chicago's Loop.  The Southtown Star did cover the event on its Web site, noting:

About 6,000 people packed the hillside venue at The Commons Performing Arts Pavilion for the protest, part of a nationwide Tea Party Express tour that includes speeches, musical performances and updates from a traveling Fox News correspondent.

Monday's audience was the largest yet, organizers said.

Today's Tribune devotes two stories, six pictures, and two maps to Oprah Winfrey's "takeover of downtown Chicago Monday."  And there are stories on disgraced former Gov. Rod Blagojevich's media blitz to hawk his new book, Chicago students getting free haircuts with which to start the new school year, and how more stores are now accepting food stamps.

At the top of Wednesday’s CBS Early Show, co-host Harry Smith cast doubt on talk show host and major Obama supporter, Oprah Winfrey: "And call it the ‘Oprah Effect.’ She speaks, people listen. But is her show actually leading her audience astray?" Oddly, no mention was made of Winfrey’s very public endorsement Barack Obama in the 2008 campaign.

Later, co-host Julie Chen also teased the upcoming segment with similar declarations: "Still ahead in this half hour, it is no secret that Oprah is a great sales person, but just because she's selling, the question is should you be buying?...Well up next, the Oprah Winfrey seal of approval. Is it all that it's cracked up to be? We're going to look at the pros and the cons of Oprah's power." During the latter tease from Chen and briefly in the report that followed, footage of Oprah speaking at an Obama rally was shown, but not discussed.

The report, by correspondent Michelle Miller, featured Syracuse University pop culture professor Robert Thompson, who explained: "She has managed to put the Oprah seal of approval, which is a really powerful seal of approval, on some things that I think most people would call real crackpot ideas." Miller cited Newsweek magazine’s reporting on the topic and quoted senior editor Weston Kosova: "Some of the advice she gives on the show, especially with regard to health matters and medicine, is not good advice. Sometimes the advice that guests give on the show could actually hurt you."

"Girlfriends' Guides" author Vicki Iovine apparently agrees with Oprah Winfrey: women ARE leaving their husbands to be with other women.

So wrote Iovine in a Huffington Post article Friday.

In a piece cutely titled "Switching Sides Later in Life," the former Playmate of the Month and mother of four explained why so "many of [her] formerly married-with-children Girlfriends have bolted from their traditional family geometry and found true love with other women":

On Monday, NewsBuster Warner Todd Huston revealed Oprah.com and CNN's statistically unsupported theory that women are leaving men for other women.

On Saturday, "Fox News Watch" shared this bizarre story with its viewers, giving NewsBusters credit for the revelation.

Host Jon Scott stated (video embedded right, h/t Jeff Poor): 

One test question for Time readers and subscribers who slogged through the whole Time 100 (the most influential earthings): which profile is the sugariest? There's a real contest between Michelle Obama (by Oprah Winfrey) and Oprah Winfrey (by Diane Sawyer). First, there's the huge picture of Mrs. Obama at the top of the Heroes & Icons section, and complete adoration from Oprah:

Michelle Obama doesn't just inspire us. She affirms us with her intelligence, authenticity, depth and compassion. We see the best of ourselves in her and marvel that no matter what she's doing, she brings 100% of herself to the experience.

Oprah.com and CNN have decided that there is a growing "new" trend in American sexual relations. The two Internet giants have teamed up and have decided that increasingly "women are leaving men for other women." Shocking news, I know. Only one little problem. Oprah.com has no proof for any such proclamation.

After the shocking headline and the first three paragraphs proclaiming a new lesbian revolution in America today, though, the piece admits that there are no real statistics to prove the thesis. The whole claim is merely based on the anecdotal stories of the "experts" that Oprah.com dug up to substantiate the tale.

In an emotional six page narrative, Oprah’s magazine “comes out” in favor of lesbianism.

Barack Obama. Eckhart Tolle. Dr. Phil. With the Midas touch, Oprah Winfrey turned these men to gold. Her recommendations have rocketed a variety of books – from centuries-old literary classics to New Age drivel – onto the bestseller lists. Now, in the latest issue of “O” magazine, she’s trying her hand at mainstreaming lesbianism.

The issue of homosexuality and the homosexual lifestyle is still a subject fraught with controversy and strong opinions on both sides. But with help from a lengthy, one-sided narrative about the wonderful world of lesbian love, the unparalleled power of Oprah Winfrey will surely bring the debate to a satisfactory conclusion.

“Why Women are Leaving Men for Other Women,” by Mary A Fischer in the April issue of “O” unambiguously promotes an attractive lesbian lifestyle. Fischer glowingly profiled three gay couples, along with glamorous television stars, and cited research to back up her claim that many women are leaving men for lesbian lovers. She posited that the lesbian lifestyle is good for women’s sexual and emotional health, children, and families. Without a single dissenting voice, the article is nothing short of lesbian propaganda.

O Magazine editor Gayle King appeared on Monday's "Good Morning America" to rave about the "un-jaded," "not-complicated" and "so-darned normal" Obama family. The close associate of Oprah Winfrey talked with Diane Sawyer and repeatedly enthused about a Winfrey interview (see picture at right) with Mrs. Obama, at one point cooing that the first lady "only wants to be Michelle Obama, really. And nobody can do it better than she."

It seemed as though there was no question that Ms. King could not turn into effusive, unadulterated praise of politician's wife. After being asked by Sawyer about whether the first lady is bothered by questions about fashion, King said no and remarked, "It's like, there's a song by Maino, a rapper," she began. To demonstrate, the O editor started singing, "Hi, hater. You see me." She broke off and then rhapsodized, "People are just jealous, but Michelle- there is no point she is trying to prove. She's comfortable in her own skin and she looks good."