Last summer, the self-proclaimed "Queen of All Media," Wendy Williams, made daytime television take notice with her breakout hit, 'The Wendy Williams Show.' Her talk show tested well in four markets, including New York and Los Angeles.
During a six-week trial last summer, viewers were treated to an all-out catfight between Wiliams and reality show villainess Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth, plenty of juicy gossip, and a parade of B-list (okay, maybe some C-list) interviews.
As previously reported in BV Newswire, the show will return on July 13 in national syndication. But is the catty Jersey native ready to take on Empress Oprah?
Before you laugh, take note of this fact: Ratings for Oprah Winfrey's talk show, while still huge, fell at least 14 percent in 2008. There's room for Williams to maneuver, but even this anti-Oprah admits that taking the daytime throne means she'll have to expand her brand to a more mainstream audience.
Time will tell if she has what it takes. Meanwhile, for our latest round of Tale of the Tape, we took a look at the two media queens to determine how they matched up. Who do you think will come out on top? Scroll down for the comparisons.
Wendy Williams Pictures
Radio personality Wendy Williams attends the Logo network's second annual "NewNowNext" awards in New York on Wednesday, May 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Peter Kramer)
AP
Radio/TV personality Wendy Williams attends the Black Women in Entertainment Law Foundation cocktail party at Talavera Gallery on October 1, 2008 in New York City..Black Women in Entertainment Law Foundation Cocktail Party Honoring Sylvia Rhone.Talavera Gallery.New York, NY United States.October 1, 2008.Photo by Charles Eshelman/FilmMagic.com..To license this image (55861857), contact FilmMagic.com
WireImage.com
NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 04: Radio and television personality Wendy Williams attends the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Kick-Off Celebration at Saks Fifth Avenue on September 04, 2008 in New York City. (Photo by Scott Wintrow/Getty Images)
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NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 04: Radio and television personality Wendy Williams attends the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Kick-Off Celebration at Saks Fifth Avenue on September 04, 2008 in New York City. (Photo by Scott Wintrow/Getty Images)
Getty Images
NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 04: Radio and television personality Wendy Williams attends the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Kick-Off Celebration at Saks Fifth Avenue on September 04, 2008 in New York City. (Photo by Scott Wintrow/Getty Images)
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Radio and television personality Wendy Williams attends Warner Bros Studios 70th anniversary celebration of The Wizard of Oz at Saks Fifth Avenue on September 4, 2008 in New York City..Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Spring 2009 - Warner Bros Studios 70th Anniversary Celebration of The Wizard of Oz.Saks Fifth Avenue.New York, NY United States.September 4, 2008.Photo by Steve Mack/FilmMagic.com..To license this image (55628832), contact FilmMagic.com
WireImage.com
NEW YORK - JUNE 03: Wendy Williams attends the ringing of the opening bell at the NYSE on June 3, 2008 in New York City. (Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images)
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NEW YORK - JUNE 03: Ashanti (L) and Wendy Williams (R) ring the opening bell at the NYSE on June 3, 2008 in New York City. (Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images)
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NEW YORK - JUNE 03: Ashanti and Wendy Williams ring the opening bell at the NYSE on June 3, 2008 in New York City. (Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images)
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Full Name: Wendy Joan Williams
Full Name: Oprah Gail Winfrey
Alias: "The Queen of All Media"
Alias: "O," "Deepak Oprah," "Lady O"
(W) Birth date: July 18, 1964
(O) Birth date: January 29, 1954
(W) Birthplace: Ocean Township, New Jersey
(O) Birthplace: Kosciusko, Mississippi
(W) Education: Northeastern University, majoring in Communications
(O) Education: Tennessee State University, majoring in Speech and Performing Arts
(W) Trademark Phrase: "How you doin'," "Awwwlllriiight?"
(O) Trademark Phrase: "Aha moment"
(W) Family Ties: 1 son, Kevin, Jr. (8 years old)
(O) Family Ties: 2 adopted cocker spaniel puppies
(W) Famous Feuds: Hip-Hop mogul Diddy (he reportedly got her fired from a radio gig), rapper/deejay Angie Martinez (they reportedly had a catfight in a radio studio), former singer/former deejay Miss Jones (it was alleged that hubby Kevin Hunter arranged for a hit to be made on her life) and former chart-topping diva Whitney Houston (who came undone on a notorious telephone interview with Williams).
(O) Famous Feuds: Hip-Hop mogul 50 Cent (the rapper lashed out at Winfrey after appearing on her show stating, "I think she caters to older white women...Oprah's audience is my audience's parents. So, I could care less about Oprah or her show.")
(W) Addictions: Marijuana and cocaine. A recovered addict, she told Essence in 2003: "Growing up, I was a loner and a misfit. I took drugs to fit in."
(O) Addictions: Food. In the January 2009 edition of "O" she says, " "My drug of choice is food. I use food for the same reasons an addict uses drugs: to comfort, to soothe, to ease stress."
(W) Claim to Fame: Gossip, Outing rappers and their sexual exploits.
(O) Claim to Fame: First woman in history to own and produce her very own talk show.
(W) Partner In Crime: Radio co-host Charlemagne (who was released from Wendy's radio show in November 2008)
(O) Partner In Crime: Gayle King (Driving Ms. Winfrey across America)
(W) Recent Scandal: Last June Kevin Hunter was embroiled in a federal sexual harassment lawsuit filed by Wendy's former intern/publicist and confidante Nicole Spence.
(O) Recent Scandal: Earlier this year seven students from Oprah's South Africa Leadership Academy for Girls were suspended (for the second time in two years) for "inappropriate behaviors" toward classmates which included sexual misconduct.
(W) Personal Quotes: "I was doing the gossip thing long before it was hip to talk about celebs and their lives being as much a mess as anyone else." (Newsweek)
(O) Personal Quotes: "My idea of heaven is a great big baked potato and someone to share it with." (TV)
The State of Oprah Inc.
Oprah Presents The Color Purple
The stage version of Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel has won a Tony and numerous nominations. It has dramatically increased Broadway's African-American attendance over its five-year run and literally changed the face of Broadway. It kicked off a national tour last year in Chicago.
Reuters
Oprah's Big Give TV Show
The warm-hearted reality show "Oprah's Big Give" did exactly what it intended to do. It helped those in need and gave big ratings to ABC. The show premiered in March and averaged 15.6 million total viewers, ranking up there with top shows like "American Idol." Although there was a dip in ratings in the following episodes, the show ended the season strong and was hardly a failure that some critics have made it out to be. The show was not renewed by ABC for a second season, at Oprah's request and not the network's. Hey, she's a busy woman!
ABC
The Oprah Winfrey Store
Just steps away from Harpo Studios in Chicago, the recently opened Oprah Store is the first free-standing store selling Oprah-themed merchandise that represents her own personal style and flair. Even though retail business is sluggish across the board, the store goes online this summer. The store is filled with everything from books to apparel and is a mecca for Oprah Winfrey fans.
Getty Images
Oprah Magazine
First published in April of 2000, The Oprah magazine continues to have unprecedented success. "O" was launched with $50.9 million dollars. However, in 2007, the magazine grossed $311.3 million with no signs of slowing down. It remains one of the top 10 home and lifestyle magazines on the newsstands, right behind Martha Stewart's magazine, despite a recent dip in circulation.
O Magazine
Oprah.com
Oprah.com averages nearly 92 million page views and more than 6 million visitors per month. And her site's numbers are holding strong. Additionally, her website has 1.8 million newsletter subscribers and is one of the top women's lifestyle sites on the Web and a daily resource for her vast fan base. If Oprah's empire is failing, it definitely is not because of her Web site.
Oprah.com
The Rachael Ray Show
The September 2006 debut of the Rachael Ray show premiered with a 2.8/9 TV market average. Simply put, Rachael Ray's show, a brain-child of Oprah, debuted with a boom in most major TV markets such as NYC and Philadelphia. Rachael Ray had the highest debut ratings of any first-run talk show since "Dr. Phil", another show of Winfrey's, premiered in 2002. Rachael Ray's energetic personality and talent to teach guests how to cook up meals for the entire family brought a different element to the Oprah Show and she still is turning up the heat with her weekly show now.
Getty
The Oprah Show
When she began anchoring an ABC affiliate, A.M. Chicago in 1984 she had no idea it would ultimately be the turning point in her career. Within six weeks of her debut, Winfrey was beating the award-winning king of daytime talk shows, Phil Donahue, in his own city. One of Oprah's smartest business moves acquiring the rights to her talk show. Oprah remains one of the highest-paid TV personality there is, earning $260 million a year.
Harpo
Dr. Phil as part of Harpo, Inc.
Oprah has been responsible for launching many careers, especially the one of her most popular physician on her show, Dr. Phil. Known for his no-bull policy, Dr. Phil became a house hold name quite rapidly. His popularity grew on the show which allowed them to move on to receive his own show and to be a part of Harpo Company.
Last month, his show came second to the Oprah show for the Top time-shifted syndicated show with an average 6,040,000 viewers every week. He continues to coach and console many guests with different issues, from the child who won't stop abusing the parent to the millions of divorcees trying to deal with ending their marriage.
AP
Oprah & Friends on XM Radio
Oprah and her famous pals are bringing the same entertainment and knowledge from her popular syndicated show to XM listeners'. The highly anticipated "Oprah & Friends" channel on XM Radio debuted on September 25, 2006 and by the XM's fourth quarter revenues were up by 45% compared to the previous year and the network had almost 2 million more subscribers than at the end of '05. The channel features a mix of celebrities and everyday people in conversation with the shows' hosts. Some names you may know are Gayle King, Nate Berkus , Maya Angelou Dr. Robin, Jean Chatzky just to name a few.
XM Radio
Oprah's Book Club
Oprah's Book Club has been one the highlights to her popular daytime talk show. Oprah's magic touch of credibility has allowed many authors to hit the best-selling list numerous times. Many viewers simply purchase novels after watching Oprah give her famous stamp of approval. The funny thing is Oprah has YET to write her own autobiography! Just think how many copies that would sell.
Harpo
Guess Who?
Queen Latifah
Would you ever guess who this Grammy Award-winning, Academy Award-nominated hip-hop diva, born Dana Elaine Owens, is a dead ringer for? Go to the next page to see for yourself.
We think she resembles a Tony Award-winning superstar, who, much like Latifah, diversified her career pursuits with gigs such as her own show and a major advertising campaign. Go to next page to see a match up.
See what we mean?
The one and only Pearl Bailey and Queen Latifah looks like they could've been separated at birth. If not that, then definitely from the same tribe. Bailey, who was awarded a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1988, was one of the premier African-American celebrities of her heyday dating all the way back to the 1940s.
Madonna
Although there have been many copy cats of the Material Girl over the past twenty years, there's only one young lady who comes close to actually resembling her. Or at least that's what we think. Go to the next page to see for yourself.
Known as one of the richest former child stars in the world, this 'Full House' star and her twin has been tabloid mainstays since blossoming into young women. Be it fashion choices, boyfriends or hard partying, she feels the fever sort of like Madge always does. Check out the match up next.
See what we mean?
It takes more than bleached blonde hair and a bad attitude to look like the one and only Madonna Louise Ciccone. Ashley Olsen looks like the spitting image of the versatile diva, who has a daughter who most likely grew up watching re-runs of the Olsen twins on the long running sitcom 'Full House.'
Barack Obama
Have box-office champ Will Smith tell it, he shares an uncanny likeness to the history making Democratic presidential candidate. But there's a rapper that has him beat in the Barack look-a-like department. Go to the next page to see for yourself.
This trash-talking young rapper caused a media stir when, while dating a slinky, Latina 'Top Model,' he told a popular black gossip website that he doesn't like "dark skinned" women and referred to them as 'Dark Butts.' Check out the match up next
See what we mean?
If Obama would have a son, he may look like Yung Berg (real name: Christian Ward), who was born in Chicago 22 years ago. The Koch Records lyricist, who has collaborated with Ray J, Eve and Trey Songz, sold only 20,000 copies of his much-buzzed-about debut opus, 'Look What You Made Me.'
Stacey Dash
Some may be a bit 'Clueless' as to who could possibly look like this stunning 40-plus Bronx-bred actress? But there's a hot, young chanteuse that is storming the charts with a voice that rivals one of the great ones. Go to the next page to see who we're talking about.
Comments: (300)
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By: Pup Wiley on 6/02/2009 2:31PM
I have never heard of Wendy Williams.But she
is better looking than Doprah.I wonder if
anybody has ever told Doprah she has a
fat face?
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By: Georgianna on 6/02/2009 6:58PM
No woman should try to walk in Oprahs shoes she is a gift to women of all age. Despite her ups and down she still hold her grounds. There is room for Ms. Wendy Williams.
Who God Bless no man can hurt and Oprah is too bless so she does not have to be stress with Ms. Williams mess.
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By: dee on 6/02/2009 2:31PM
wtf! she looks like a man, sorry Wendy all you have is a big mouth you will never top Oprah!
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By: Wanda on 6/02/2009 9:18PM
Amen to that! At first I thought she was RuPaul! No,I take that back,he looks better!
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By: jack on 6/02/2009 2:43PM
get a life williams oprah is adored by the world do not think for a minute you have a prayer
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By: Guayo on 6/02/2009 2:36PM
No, It's time for a Latin to break a leg! One O is enough!
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By: Maryann on 6/02/2009 3:01PM
Wendy Williams is a wanna be...she criticizes everyone, she thinks her sh.. doesnt stink,,shes horrible, I hope she NEVER comes to Daytime tv.
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By: Chloral Joseph on 6/02/2009 2:34PM
Oprah I am sure is at the end of her reign. However, the next queen of talk is going to have to possess just as much class as Ms.Winfrey or their career, just like many others will be short lived. Wendy Williams does not possess the class required to survive the industry, as Oprah has. Say what you will, but Oprah is a black woman who is a household name internationally. Not many people, black or white can make that claim. The smart indiviual who seeks to do what she has done should become her ali and study her. Ms. Winfrey would do well to find someone comparable to hand the torch to. Should an individual find themselves the chosen one, she is more than in a position to mentor them to success.
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By: Kyla on 7/31/2009 11:46PM
Excellent comment, Chloral Joseph. It will take someone of real class to carry Oprah's torch. Very well put.
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By: AMack118 on 6/02/2009 2:35PM
Why??????
Both her radio and televison programs are a huuuuge load of crap. Here in Detroit, both of her media offerings were dropped after abysmal ratings. There was a reason for that: she sucks! Her on air persona is the perfect definition of the current word of the day "swagger": arrogant. Conceited. Puffed up with herself for absolutely no reason. Between her being overbearing, in the left field with her advice and topics and the z-list stars whom she interviews, I sense another mass market crash and burn...deuces, Wendy!
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