September 14, 2010 1:39 pm

Australian government will spend $3 million to lure Oprah there

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Yesterday, Oprah Winfrey apparently gave everyone in her audience an eight day trip to Austrailia… I’m sorry, “ A TRIP TO AUSTRALIA!!!!” And it looks as though the Australian government is actually footing part of the bill and doling out almost three million dollars of federal money to help pay for the trip.

Tourism Minister Martin Ferguson said the federal and state New South Wales governments would spend more than $3 million helping to bring “The Oprah Winfrey Show” to Australia as a way to boost tourism.

gaga oprah pic Australian government will spend $3 million to lure Oprah there

Probably a good call in regards to selling something. Oprah shapes the hearts and minds of 40 million women everyday, so could she really help the tourist industry in a place like Australia? Yeah, because women that obsessively watch the show will do anything that Oprah Winfrey tells them. They’ll fly the same airline, read the same book and go to the bathroom at the exact time Oprah tells them to do so on the show.

“We spent hundreds of millions of dollars over 30 years without much effect, I must say that honestly,” he told a news conference. “The publicity that Oprah will bring to Australia around the world is something you couldn’t buy.”

You know if Oprah really wanted to help, she’d just pay to have somebody actually move the entire continent closer to America. Like, hire construction crews to take it piece by piece to the middle of the pacific ocean and put it right down between China and the United States. Perfect location for Chinese and American travelers and now it’s not so far away. But no, Oprah just wants to visit–what a stingy person.

Some 300 audience members clapped, cried and hugged each other as Winfrey told them they were off to Australia for eight days and seven nights where she will film at least two episodes of her show including one at the Sydney Opera House on December 14.

She could have just invited them back to her house, ordered from Outback and thrown on a Crocodile Dundee film to get the same experience, but she decided to go all out on the Australian government’s bill. It’ll probably be worth it, but if I don’t see Oprah boxing a kangaroo in an episode–I’ll consider it a loss.