Oprah is already one of the wealthiest women in the world and one of the most influential. And that's a real shame, because she really has no talent and her show is a lot of twaddle that treats women like mindless children. She was lucky to be in the right place at the right time, that's all. Not every woman loves Oprah.

I can't speak to whether Oprah was articulate or not since I would never watch Letterman, but let's give the guy a break. Implying Mr. Manjoo (or his comments) are racist is a bit much, and worse- calling him gay...what's that about?

I think Farhad is just trying to mend fences with women (since all women must like Oprah, right?) after his misogynist comments last week about forcing women to have abortions if the father-to-be wants out. He just got carried away, and tends not to think before he writes. It's not as though he is a professional writer, employed by Salon! Oh, wait, he is.

Stick to Technology, Mr. Manjoo.

I love that Oprah spent spent much of her Letterman appearance pathologizing Dave for not being real or "soft" enough for her. Hello? That's his schtick! Hey Oprah, on your show, you're not edgy or ironic enough for my taste. What's wrong with you?

Oprah's ambition to contribute to the next generation of female African leaders is commendable, but I am still regularly disgusted by how her television show has become a forum to infantilize adult American women. Her giveaway shows are a nauseating display of crass materialism, no matter how well-deserving her audience members may be of recognition (teachers, members of the military). What if the thousands of dollars of bath products, electronics, and cars were parlayed into long-term gifts like mutual funds, professional training, higher education, healthcare, etc.? The sight of so many grown women jumping up and down or bursting into tears because they've been given consumer goods which will eventually become used up, broken, or obsolete (only to contribute to the staggering amount of garbage already choking the planet) without having any of their financial problems addressed in any way that could be considered genuinely life-changing is utterly depressing.

We need Oprah. We need hope, not the woman married to the man from Hope. Oprah/Obama -- now that's a ticket. Unfortunately, they're both from the same state. Oprah will have to follow Cheney's lead and establish residence in Wyoming.

OK, I swoon a bit too. Someone who claims to have reliable info swore to me a week ago that Oprah would be running for national office soon. HYe claimed that Hillary would be the Presidential candidate and Oprah the VP. I like the ticket, but maybe reversed? I assume this is just a rumor, but it certainly derives from the crazy optimism Oprah exudes as mentioned in this article. Dream on.

Like Mary, I winced when I read Farhad Manjoo's remark that Oprah is articulate. I understand where Mary coming from, and this is an issue that people should be aware of � especially if your first reaction is to dismiss her observation. It bears asking: What exactly do you mean, consciously and subconsciously, when you say someone is "articulate"?

When people say an African American is articulate they often mean the person doesn't speak what Wikipedia calls African American Vernacular English. Whether intentional or not, this kind of "compliment" is patronizing. Do you compliment Caucasians who don't pop a "dude" into every other sentence?

Colloquial speech is actually a mark of hipness in white circles, whether that means affecting a hip-hop tone and argot; the slow drawl of a surfer; or Homer Simpson's doltish expressions. This double-standard is a marker of a persistent, if subtle, racism: American culture expects less of African Americans and so white Americans in particular are easily impressed when African Americans do anything "right" � but at the same time, white culture celebrates personalities both real and imaginary who reject standard speech.

The exchange Manjoo refers to smacks of all this, and the phrase he quotes is difficult to defend for a couple of reasons:

"I was struck by the fact that she spoke in really grammatical sentences, which almost no talk show guest or really anyone being interviewed in any situation does."

It's pertinent to point out that this sentence is itself a grammatical and syntactical mess. People to not speak in "really grammatical sentences" � except those who tack a "dude" at the end, and that takes us back to my second paragraph.

Point being: Given that that sentence is not a grammatically correct, clear, concise expression of a cogent thought, I am led to think the writer's threshold for what constitutes "articulate" is probably below mine and probably Mary's, too.

The sentence also makes a vague and imprecise comparison. Is Oprah the pinnacle of eloquence, or just a better speaker than most?

I think most people agree that compared with Jerry Springer, Ricki Lake, and all those guys on the Comedy Central lad shows, Oprah is articulate. This seems to be what the person meant to say, that Oprah, like Jon Stewart and Bill Maher, is one of a few well-spoken television hosts. David Letterman himself is not, in my opinion, an articulate speaker; that also would have been a better distinction to draw, rather than merely to swoon over Oprah's eloquence.

This exchange offers a lesson in communication as much as it provides a window into the mistaken beliefs that are so ingrained in the collective American consciousness that even otherwise open-minded people express them unwittingly. It is a writer's responsibility to look at the words on the page or screen and ask, "What do I want to say here, and did I just articulate it in the clearest, most simple language possible, so that my message is evident?"

I think the other message here is that enthusiasm often eclipses eloquence when a writer tries to wax earnestly while still in the throes of a swoon.

"In an e-mail conversation we had this morning, a colleague here said: 'I was struck by the fact that she spoke in really grammatical sentences, which almost no talk show guest or really anyone being interviewed in any situation does.'"

Why is it that when any Black celebrity (politician, or otherwise) makes a public comment that is coherent, the media fawningly describes them as "eloquent" or "articulate"? They are public figures. Were you expecting any less? Quite frankly, this kind of analysis is tired (see: Barack Obama) and racist.