Today the world bids farewell to The Oprah Winfrey Show. Twenty-five years of gab, angst, couch-jumping, jailhouse interviews, favorite things, crazy giveaways, fad diets, weight loss, weight gains and lots of chow.
No, we're not making any fluctuating weight jokes. Instead, we share our seven favorite occasions when Oprah changed how America eats, for better or worse.
7. Oprah overwhelmed KFC with grilled chicken coupons. Two years ago Oprah promoted a downloadable coupon for KFC's grilled chicken, causing long lines and chicken shortages at restaurants, leading to sit-ins and rumored riots.
6. Oprah swears no more diets because of "Women, Food and God". But ... but ... Oprah's all about dieting! And weight loss. Until she read Geneen Roth's book, Women, Food and God last year. The book claims that women overeat to compensate for a disconnection with the spiritual world. Jesus, Buddha, Krishna, the Flying Spaghetti Monster can all make you put down the macaroni, ladies. Although without dieting, Oprah lost two-thirds of her material. No wonder she's closing up shop.
5. In the Kitchen With Rosie: Oprah's Favorite Recipes In 1993 Oprah paired with trainer Bob Greene and dietitian Rosie Daley to lose a tremendous amount of weigh in a most novel way - diet and exercise. Daley's recipes highlighted the low-fat '90s with recipes like oven-fried chicken that required marinating boneless, skinless chicken in yogurt to replace the fat. Want a copy? Amazon has nearly 3,000 of 'em, starting at a penny.
4. Oprah introduces us to a young Anthony Bourdain. Back in early 2001, shortly after he released Kitchen Confidential, Anthony Bourdain was just another chef with a book. Then Oprah included him on a show of experts giving inside tips to consumers. It was there that Bourdain uttered his classic advice to never order fish on Monday. We fell in love. Even when he chats with Oprah's pal Gayle King.
