Episode 21: Oprah Fridays Live
It’s Friday and Oprah is live in Chicago. She asks if everyone saw Pink at the Grammys, all she can say is Wowie Kazowie. That was something else, coming up, Pink! Wowie says Oprah, they hug. Oprah whoops. The audience go crazy. Oprah says Pink certainly gave the world something to talk about. Pink says it was fun, a good night. Oprah asks if it’ll be a momentous part of her life. Pink says yes, she really realized that when everyone stood up at the end. She went from super-graceful with the silks to all tee hee, she waves and looks nerdy. Oprah wants her to do a play by play after the show on Oprah.com. to explain how she sang while upside down, because you can’t even hear her breathe. Pinks says on the trapeze she breathes even more so people know the mic is live. She was a gymnast for 7 years and loves acrobatics, and she’s seen the dancers do it before but never the lead singer so she thought why not. She sounds better upside down, she doesn’t know why. Oprah asks if she ever gets out of breath. Pink says when she walks out she’s nervous and her voice shakes, but once she’s in the silks, she’s no longer thinking, she’s in the moment. Her mind turns off, her voice turns on. She wanted to do Glitter for the Grammys because after 10 years people still don’t know what she does. Its a spriritual song and the performance is spiritual, ethereal and visually beautiful. Oprah says it felt transendent, we got in the music. Pink says she wanted to get all the famous people wet. Her husband said a lot of people were shielding themselves from the water, and others were basking in it. Oprah asks whats she doing to her body to be so lean and muscley. She is just back from tour where she gets in really good shape, when she comes home she cooks and gets fat and happy. She used the P90x video workout, but she bulks up too much so now she runs 70 minutes and does yoga for an hour a day. Oprah says she’s heard she has man-abs, Pink says now she has a bagel.
Oprah asks if growing up Pink wanted to be an Olympic gymnast. Oprah heard at one point she could do 18 back handsprings in a row- it was her party trick, that or she could sing Vision of Love. She seperated her shoulder the night before her US tour started, which was fun, so she can’t flip anymore, but the silks are making her stronger. She feels most herself onstage. She did say to herself well done after the Grammy. She didn’t forget the words or start laughing- that was the fastest spin she’s ever done, so she got a little dizzy. Oprah says it was a fabulous moment for all of us, thank you.
Pink dazzled the Grammys and a TV audience of 26 million. “I Don’t Believe You” is off her Platinum album, Funhouse, and is the most humble song she’s ever written. This song is apologetic, questioning, begging. She and her husband broke up for a year. Pink was sure she was perfect prior to it,and she spent 6 years trying to change someone else. But she realized that she was distracting herself from learning who she was. Pink thinks you learn more about yourself in the context of a relationship, rather than starting again. Oprah says that’s what it is all about. Pink sings live. Oprah says that was very personal. The crowd applaud.
All eyes will be on Miami this Sunday when 100 million people will tune in for the Superbowl. Oprah tunes in for the commercials. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has always been larger than life, from college football champion, to professional wrestling where his alter ego The Rock was born. Then Hollywood came calling and he scored again. He got the highest salary ever for his first lead role in The Scorpion King; his movies have grossed $1.5 billion, worldwide.
This is his first visit to Oprah, but she saw him at something last year and said oh there’s the Rock, he says that he says the same- oh there’s Oprah. He says it never gets old looking so good, he had a good upbringing with a mom who taught him to be gracious and thankful. As a 23-24 year old graduate of the University of Miami, he had $7 in his pocket, he had to move back in with his parents in Tampa, so he had a goal list. 1. was to buy his parents a house, – they’d struggled as he grew up and lived in little efficiencies, 2 was to marry his college sweetheart,- they since divorced but they are business partners and very very close, 3 was to graduate, 4 was to get out of all debt and the last was to take care of his grandmother’s situation, she had nowhere to live which he did. He did all that. Oprah asks hypothetically if when coming from nothing it is exciting to do things for others- he says yes, therein lies the power that Oprah can attest to, the power to change lives. The quote ‘if you”ve ever been hungry, you’ll never be full’ plays a big part in his life. Oprah agrees, you’ll never be satisfied, so how can you improve? which was what she said to Pink at the commercial break. When you see a performer push themselves beyond the expected, it makes you look inside yourself and think what can I do? That’s the power of great art right there. Dwayne says therein lies the power of our president, and others, but it comes down to wanting to be a better person everyday. His hunger doesn’t subside, but his perspective changes. For some time he was investing in his career, but it wasn’t until his divorce with Danni, who had the capacity to bring him through the sludge of divorce and out to greatness. It taught him the power of investing in himself, not just his career. As an only child and fairly selfish, through the divorce process and having a little girl he grew as a person. Oprah remarks that he seems so calm and not The Rock-like. he says he can be more The Rock.
Dwayne is a former college football camp; he’d like the Colts to win, but there’s something special about the New Orleans Saints. For those of us who tune in for the commercials, Dwayne will give some tips- The Colts are one of the strongest teams of the decade, they’ve had tremendous success, they have a Hall of Fame winning quarterback, they know what it is to win. New Orleans have an intangible magic, New Orleans and America have rallied behind the game so they could win too. If Oprah wanted to impress people at the party she’s going to, to make it look like she knows football, this is what she should say. She should walk in the room and say something like the pass protection has to improve, and then she should step back out. Or she could say, there’s got to be better blocking up front. If all that fails then she should walk in and scream over and over, Where’s the flags, ref? I quit. That’s good, Oprah says.
Dwayne will be at home because he’s shooting on Monday, a new action film. His goal ten years ago was to have a wide range of acting work, however he loves comedies and family movies, but there’s nothing like kicking butt. When he first got money, he bought his parents a house and himself a Rolex watch. It was the status symbol he knew as a kid. He wore it like 3 times then gave it to his dad. Now he does simple things to indulge, he spends time with his girl, she’s an amazing rider, he tries to sing to her, she’ll walk out. Oprah asks what’s the craziest thing that a woman has done to get his attention? He often gets notes left on his car or his mailbox or at the security gate. A couple of years ago, a professional business woman showed him a tattoo of his face on her thigh. Oprah says interesting, it’s a delight to talk to him and she’d like to do it again.
Oprah is here with Cristina Ferrarei, the ‘love chef’ who loves to cook for those she loves. Cristina says that after the show she’ll be wrapped in silks, dipped in sauce and twirled from the ceiling so that everyone will remember this show. She’s starting with making guacamole, and it’s a healthy version so she can stick with her resolution to lose the 87lbs she gained over Christmas. The recipe is on Oprah.com. She adds alot of jalapeno, some cilantro and salt to the avocado that Oprah is mashing. They add lime juice, with the best squeezer gadget in the kitchen. Oprah didn’t know that lime juice is traditionally added to guacamole. The pit at the bottom of the bowl stops the guacamole from browning. They move on to tacos, taco seasoning is added after the lean beef is browned in canola oil. Her idea for the superbowl party is to keep her glycemic index even, just like on yesterday’s program. Filo cups are baked in the oven and filled with the taco meat for taco bites. They are frosted like a cupcake with guacamole, with a little cheese and salsa on top. Oprah says its healthy if you eat two or three of them, not a whole plate, Cristina says that you fill yourself up on two or three so that you don’t eat junk for the whole day. Christina is famous for her kick-butt chilli, the secret is beer and masa at the end to thicken it up. She serves it with mini potato skins made from fingerling potatoes, with a little terriyaki. They can be used to dip or to stuff with chilli. All the recipes are on Oprah.com, go Colts and Saints and make your car a no-phone zone
WHAT WE LEARNED TODAY:
You learn most about yourself in the context of a relationship: stick with it, learn, don’t quit.
During the Grammys, Pink wanted all the famous people to get wet.
‘If you”ve ever been hungry, you’ll never be full’.
Set goals early, achieve them.
The Colts may well win the Superbowl on Sunday, but the Saints could too.
A VERY QUICK SUMMARY:
The way to The Rock’s heart is not via a tattoo of his face on your thigh.