Oprah and Bill T. Jones Among 2010 Kennedy Center Honors

Two of the country's foremost gay cultural figures—dancer-choreographer Bill T. Jones and Broadway composer and lyricist Jerry Herman—and gay-friendly media sensation Oprah Winfrey will be among the artists saluted at the 33rd annual Kennedy Center Honors in December, reports The Advocate. 

The other honorees are musician-songwriters Paul McCartney and Merle Haggard.

Jones founded the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company with his late partner in 1982. Jones has created more than 100 works for his company and also choreographed for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Boston Ballet and Berlin Opera Ballet, among many others. In June, Jones won his second Tony for his choreography in Fela!, the musical based on the life of Nigerian musician Fela Kuti, known as the main creator of Afrobeat rhythms. 

The 79-year-old Jerry Herman wrote the music and lyrics for such brilliant musicals such as Mame, Hello Dolly! and La Cage aux Folles, which is now a hit on Broadway for the third time. Hello Dolly! won 10 Tonys in 1964, an unmatched record at the time.

Oprah Winfrey's selection for the prestigious honors was described as "startling, but not without precedent," by the Washington Post. Already some are saying she does not "deserve" the honor.  The LA Times asks, "Is Oprah Worthy of receiving Kennedy Center Honors?" and excerpts some of the criticism

Oprah's vitae as an actress is limited, although it does include an Oscar and Golden Globe nomination for "The Color Purple." Naysayers in our message boards assert that she's regarded chiefly as a TV talk show host, but a previous gabfest emcee earned this same honor (Johnny Carson) and Oprah often ballyhoos the performing arts on her TV show. Her detractors may also not be giving her sufficient credit for producing movies like "Beloved" and telefilms like "Tuesdays with Morrie" and "The Women of Brewster Place."

Says one commenter:

I admire Winfrey greatly, have no problem with lots of honors she might receive. She has been an amazing, vital voice for many years. I question this though. It is known for people who are involved in the creative arts and are known as performers and/or creators. But Carson also was a writer/performer/comedian/actor on his show -- Winfrey is an interviewer only. Her other creative endeavors as an actor and producer are laudible, but not remotely Kennedy Center honor worthy, or on the level of Carson's creative/performing work. I think this award for her is dubious.

Given Oprah Winfrey's enormous  impact on the media, television, and the performing arts, it seems like a no-brainer that the pop and cultura icon would be selected for the Kennedy Center honors. Maybe there's something else going on here ....

The honorees will be saluted during a December 5gala and sold-out performance at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. It will be broadcast December 28 on CBS. And speaking of theater and the performing arts ...

Comments

[TheRevKev]

I'm confused by the confusion:

Oprah has reshaped television AND book publishing in the last 25 years and produced some quality tv and theatre.

She was voted THE TOP POP ICON OF THE 20TH CENTURY and she has become a business mogul bar none.

I smell Haterade in the air because Oprah Winfrey has indeed done some masterful things in the performing arts, which include the media arts and you cannot talk about television without talking about Oprah.

[Mystic Stranger]

*Shrugs* ... I'm kind of indifferent. I'm an anomaly among most of my gay friends because I've never been in awe of her. She's OK, but she's never excited me the way she does other people. I'm not one of these "let me run out and do this or that because Oprah said so" homos ... lol. That said her impact can't be denied. I'm just amazed people are getting riled up over the Kennedy Center Honors. I hardly think it's that serious. I'm surprised newspapers are so pressed. (Well, then again, maybe I'm not.) She's had an impact on entertainment but I hardly consider her a leader in performing arts. She's a business savvy media mogul and talk show host, and for me that's about as far as it goes.

[Jacob]

This isn't about rather oprah convinces you into buying a product this is about her iconic statue in pop culture. who's more of an icon today than oprah? maybe gaga or beyonce and we both know those 2 are too young to recieve such an honor so the only person left is oprah. Their is seriously a very limited amount of people that have an iconic status as oprah does in the arts/television.

name 1. name one person in television or actress that is a bigger star than oprah?

sandra? hell no, julia? maybe twenty years ago. angelina jolie maybe, just maybe angie. but other than that aint nobody touchin oprah. she's america's queen.

[Mystic Stranger]

It's not a matter of being a big star or "who can touch" Oprah. Bill T. Jones is not a big star - but he is a leader in the performing arts and has been so for years. That is why nobody is questioning him being chosen. I think the argument stems from the fact that Oprah is a pop culture icon - not a performance artist. I can understand on some level why people are questioning it.

[FREELEO]

I'm so happy for Mr Jones. I'm a firm believer in giving people their flowers while they can smell them.

I also believe Miss Winfrey deserves any award she gets. You don't have to be completely enamored or a groupie to appreciate a person's work ethic and the tenacity it takes to make it in a world where everyone tells you "no". I think a lot of people have forgotten where Oprah started. She was a poor black molested/abused girl from the south who turned her life into the stuff of fantasies.

Perhaps we should all take a moment to look at our own lives and work harder. Then just maybe someday, someone will want to honor one of us.

[Isis]

Oprah Winfrey's performance in Color Purple was ICONIC and still touches people after all these years. That alone is enough for me. If you can manage to reach people through the Arts (even just one performance), then you deserve it. We know she has done a few other roles here and there, but Sophia was her definitive character. She is also a Movie producer, Broadway producer and TV producer! People need to COME OFF IT! GO OPRAH!! I will be watching and RECORDING!

[Derrick from Philly]

I understand and respect where you're coming from, Mystic Stranger. And I also understand some of the criticsim of this choice, but as we all know one can make contributions to the creative and performing arts without being in front of camera (or on the stage). Oprah's contribution as a producer (mainly executive producer, I guess) is also very important in "American Culture" since the 1980s. Certainly, if Johnny Carson received one so should she.

[Chitown Kev]

Looking at some of the past honorees right now, I have no problem with Oprah being on this list.

I could see this if this were a "high art"/"low art" clash where, say, movie and stage acting were given preeminence over television acting/performance but Carol Burnett and Bill Cosby have also received Kennedy Center honors.

And both of the performers changed how we think of television, as has Oprah Winfrey.

[Derrick from Philly]

Also, Oprah has to be given credit for bringing works by black writers about black people to the screen (movies and TV) and stage. It has never been easy to produce movies about black people (except in early 1970s and much of that wasn't quality). Two of the greatest novels in American literature would have never been brought to the screen without Oprah. Why? Because the prestigious books were about black women: "Beloved" and "Their Eyes Were Watching God." Hell, Halle Berry wouldn't even exist without Oprah (just joking, I adore Halle)

[Mystic Stranger]

For the record I never said she shouldn't have it - I'm just looking at it from the other side and I merely said I understand why people are questioning the choice. That's all. I am amazed at how people go into attack dog mode over this woman ...

[chris w]

Loved, loved, loved, FELA. Bill T. Jones is a gifted artist and thinker. Oprah has had a profound influence on TV, theater, the silver screen, and America's, dare I say the world's, reconnection with books and literature. I haven't watched the Kennedy Center Honors in about 20 years, but I'll be tuning in this time.

[Kermit Alexander King]

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[Diva1961]

As a performing artist I can understand the questioning of Oprah getting this award. However, when someone says that it was okay that Carson got it because he did skits and jokes, and he wrote most of them, I am not impressed with that line of reasoning either.

I believe the Kennedy Center needs to clarify that she is receiving it because of her combination of performance/arts producer roles. She has contributed to tv, movies, theater, and more lately, music (Charisse, and first major tv show years back to have a neo-soul concert with Alcia, Jill Scott, and India, introducing them to the world stage on her show). Do y'all remember that show? It is etched in my mind.

So that is much more than Carson had done in the arts arena. So I am fine with her getting it if they are going down that lane.