Oprah Winfrey Says Having Money is Sweet as Honey - 1:51 p.m.

"I have lots of things, like all these Manolo Blahniks. I have all that and I think it's great. I'm not one of those people like, 'Well, we must renounce ourselves.' No, I have a closet full of shoes and it's a good thing."

Oprah Winfrey is worth more than $1 billion. Which is just unbelievable if all you see is the surface of that wealth, which would be the daily talk show. The accumulation of those dollars have come from ownership of her show, extension to the magazine, and syndication.

When you're that successful, there are people who can't see the same opportunities for themselves, and try to tear down a person's success with 'what about the rest of' statements like this from Paul Street on blackcommentator .com.. "Oprah's usefulness in fueling white racism denial goes beyond the fact that she is one of the richest people in the world - sufficiently wealthy to periodically hand out millions of dollars worth of consumer goodies to hundreds of assembled middle-class white women in her studio audience. The full toxic "Oprah effect" is also about the how of her ascendancy. Like Powell, Rice, and perhaps now Obama, Oprah is perceived by many whites as succeeding because she's "not all that black."

Perception by others, by being herself.. that makes Oprah evil?

On no, it's this part..

"she has absorbed dominant white middle- and upper-class "self-help" values and rejects the supposedly obsolete and dysfunctional effort to make white America face up to - and pay for - its racist structures, policies, and practices, past and present."

Could someone tell Paul Street to get off the old-ricketedy, wooden, soap box and actually do something besides getting wild and crazy about racism? Racism still exists but beating it on a permanent level only comes from the 'self-help' values he's knocking. Those civil rights marches only helped those who took the opportunity to help themselves. It's not every black person's responsibility to be next Malcolm X. Taking down "the man" by any means necessary. And at best that's a conversation starter. If a person wants to help others it's best done by action and examples, inspiring them to create their own success - maybe with a little help along the way.

Tyler Perry says that Oprah inspired him. Speaking on NPR just this morning, he said seeing her success and hearing the things she said, he was encouraged to write down his experiences which eventually turned into the Madea character and the plays and movies that followed.

Read the rest of Street's rant if you like.. "The Full Blown Oprah Effect Reflections on Color, Class, and New Age Racsim"

He may not blame Oprah directly, but he cleary resents her success on a subconscious level. Just like some rich people who subconsciously feel they shouldn't have as much money as they do.

Coming back from a recent trip to Africa, Oprah let be known once again that money ain't a problem for her.. "I was coming back from Africa on one of my trips," she said. "I had taken one of my wealthy friends with me. She said, 'Don't you just feel guilty? Don't you just feel terrible?' I said, 'No, I don't. I do not know how me being destitute is going to help them.' Then I said when we got home, 'I'm going home to sleep on my Pratesi sheets right now and I'll feel good about it.' "

All rappers, take note.. Pratesi sheets.. that's a new one to drop in a verse. :)

If you clicked on the link to the school Oprah spoke at, you'll notice there isn't a black face to be found. Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community School is a Jewish school, which would fuel the fire of P. Street even further. It's another reason for Oprah's success - and knowledge of expensive sheets - she takes all things and people into consideration. You can't live in a bubble and expect to be on her level.

At the same time, look at the reason for her trip to Africa, and you'll see she really does take all things into consideration, helping people along the way.. "I want to offer opportunities to girls who have nothing but the will to learn," she said. "I'm going to be opening my school on January 2, and it will be one of the great days of my life to see 450 girls, most of them orphans who would not have had the opportunity for education in their lives, come to school."

That's why money is honey. You can do sweet things like that.

Hah. Didn't mean that to be so cheesy, but whatever, it works.