Oprah's Master Class

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by WildHearted

I'll help: She's rich and famous.

And even before she became rich and famous, apparently she grew up in a loving family with supportive parents. She grew up with affluent parents. She was pretty blessed even before she became a star. Many people in showbusiness have escaped horrible pasts and that's what fueled their ambition and drive -- and substance use. As far as we know, Stevie didn't have to do that, so that gave her a leg up even before worldwide success came.

For years, Siskel & Ebert used to praise this "Up" series that looked at the same set of children from different backgrounds starting at age 7 and then continuing every 7 years to see how their lives had changed. The documentary began in 1964 and they've just released their newest installment where those 7 year old kids are now 56! I didn't watch it when I first heard about it, but because I wanted to see 56 up, I caught up on all the old ones and it's just amazing how much of these children's lives were shaped from age 7, just based on the families that they were born into. The majority of them became what life had mapped out for them to become at birth.

Now, there are always exceptions. That's the American success story (the Up kids are British), where you come from humble beginnings and evolve into a self-made millionaire, but that's very rare. That's why it remains the "dream."

If your origins begin well, if you don't face abuse and hardship (emotional or financial) early on, then that's the beginning of blessings that often just snowball. I think they did for Stevie.

I mean, listening to her talk about her struggling years last night, when they barely had enough food, we know very well that even those weren't all that bad. I mean, if you call Dad from Aspen for an emergency plane ticket to get back to Los Angeles because you have fought with your fiery boyfriend who drove off in a huff (because you told him your dad was the vice president of Greyhound and you didn't need a car) and took your dog with him and your dad sends you that plane ticket, even though he is disapproving, then you know good and well Dad will also send you food money, when it comes right down to it.

Plus, your boyfriend who lived in the same nice gated community that you lived in also has parents who will probably send him money too, if he kind of begs.

Even her down and out years weren't the downest and outest.

Michele