Religification

Many things in American culture have been "religified". Disney probably has one of the largest followings around the world. Each Disney movie has it's own unique following that's more specific than the broad Disney following. That goes for many other movies as well. A step down from movies are TV shows. Shows like Lost, Star Trek, Seinfeld have their own fan base that religiously follow every episode and every character.

Culture in America is set by the media. To make viewers keep watching they form these shows and characters that are catchy and easy to relate to. One of the biggest examples of this I can think of is Oprah Winfrey.
People like Oprah Winfrey because she is a charming and charismatic person. She is an easy person for many to relate to because she grew up in poverty, being raped and abused. Many people she has featured on her show needed help with difficult and similar situations. She makes people feel comfortable. On her show they set her up as a comforting and loving person (which I'm sure she is anyways).

Because Oprah gives advice and helps a lot of women they see her almost as a savior. The Wall Street Journal came up with the term "Oprahfication" to define public confessions as therapy. People have also coined the term "Oprah Effect" to speak of the influence and push she has over topics. issues, opinions and endorsements. She endorses books for her book club. She also endorsed president Obama, gaining him many followers which showed how much her opinions mean to some people.

In 1998 Oprah's show had an estimated 14 million daily viewers. In 2008 her show was airing in 140 countries. The biggest followers of the Oprah "religion" are women, Baby Boomers, Generation X, southern Americans and East Coast Americans.

Though Oprah at times speaks religiously there are certain Christian groups that reject her saying she has an "anti-biblical agenda"(http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=10661411987). Many others claim she is a racist, a hypocrite, and a show off. There are even lists of reasons why people hate Oprah and why you should hate her too (ex:http://www.alternet.org/media/145084/10_good_reasons_you_should_hate_oprah_winfrey.

However, with as many haters out there there are twice as many, if not more, dedicated Oprah fans that will religiously defend her until the very end. She is a very important person in our culture and she has, in a way, defined the way a lot of people think.