Score another big one for animal shelters!

Last March, Oprah Winfrey’s beloved dog, Sophie, died of kidney failure at the age of 13. Now, almost a year later, the media mogul has adopted a new puppy from the PAWS (Pets Are Worth Saving) animal shelter in Chicago. The new addition — reported to be a female cocker spaniel (like Sophie) joins her family of two golden retrievers and another male spaniel named Soloman.

According to the source, Winfrey has been very generous to PAWS — including the sponsorship of an Oprah room at the Clybourn Avenue facility to showcase needy dogs. We congratulate her on choosing to adopt and save a life!

Ron Clark, founder of the private school in one of the city’s poorest neighborhoods, has appeared twice on Ms. Winfrey’s television show, but insists the money was totally unsolicited.

Earlier this year, the Academy made internet fame when the “You Can Vote However You Like” video surfaced, which showcased a slew of animated young people rapping about the voting process.

So from all of us here at the Razz, a big holiday thumbs up to Oprah Winfrey for continuing to be…well, awesome!

via: erin from brainyblonde.com

Oprah Winfrey

The famous talk show host and philanthropist produced a number of shows this year that aligned with the animal rights organization’s values. From exposing the horrific abuses that occur in puppy mills, to nasty conditions for chickens, pigs, and veal calves on factory farms, and even a personal 21-day vegan diet to highlight a meat and dairy-free lifestyle. PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk said that Winfrey has used her “powerful voice to defend those without one.”

We congratulate Oprah and the work she’s done this year on behalf of animals and the environment. To read the full PETA highlight reel on Oprah’s award-winning year, jump here.

-Oprah Winfrey discussing Barack Obama’s recent presidential win!

via:ok.co.uk

Last November, Hilary Swank appears on Oprah to promote Pantene Beautiful Lengths; an initiative dedicated to supporting and encouraging women who have lost their hair during cancer treatment. With scissors in hand, Oprah Winfrey then proceeded to cut nine inches of Swank’s locks.”I’ve been growing it for the last six months to donate my hair,” Swank said at the time. “I’ve been taking a lot of vitamins and taking really good care of it, knowing that it would go to a woman in need.”

It wasn’t just all for charity, however. The 34-year-old actress also was also getting ready to play the role of aviator Amelia Earheart, who had short hair, in a new film. Almost one year later, Swank is now back promoting the Beautiful Lengths campaign and encouraging people to donate hair to the cause. “One in three women are diagnosed with cancer in their lifetimes. A lot of my family members have had their lives devastated by cancer,” Contactmusic quoted her as saying. “You just need to have eight inches (of hair) to donate,” she added.

For more information, check out the Pantene Beautiful Lengths website.

Photo: Hilary Swank spotted filming scenes for her new film ‘Amelia’. Credit: Sean O’Neill/INFphoto.com

Even though I write a lot about famous people, I have no desire to ever, ever, ever BE famous. In fact, the only time I ever daydream about a public life is when I hear about all the super cool stuff celebs get for free. Companies know that when a celebrity endorses their product it’s pretty much a guarantee that sales will skyrocket, and if that celebrity is Oprah Winfrey…well you’re basically set for life!

Earlier this week Oprah hung out at On3 Productions’ AEG Ehrlich Presenters Lounge at the Nokia Theatre (see also: a room full of free stuff for the rich and famous to keep). And what did Oprah choose? None other than LeSportsac’s Stella McCartney bowling bag in purple-gray!!

As all the veggies in the house know, Stella McCartney is a vegan designer who never uses animal products in her collection! I can’t help but wonder if Oprah had a certain fondness for the bag after her 3 weeks of vegan living!

Of course O also took some time to stop by the Bertolli Oven Bake Meals booth and sign one of its red dishes to be auctioned off for the charity. What can I say? You gotta love that Oprah Winfrey!

via: eonline.com

In case you missed it, the vegan world went apples and bananas earlier this year when Oprah Winfrey decided to eat vegan after reading Kathy Freston’s Quantum Wellness. Even though her veg pledge was only for 21 days, Oprah certainly helped shine a spotlight on the vegetarian lifestyle and that makes me smile.

Of course Ecorazzi covered all of Oprah’s temporary veganisn an even hosted a friendly little debate regarding how Winfrey’s personal chef might have contributed to her level of success. Well the only way to know how Oprah ate is to eat like Oprah ate…and NOW YOU CAN!!

On October 10th Sublime restaurant will host a Guest Chef Dinner featuring Oprah’s bff, Chef Tal Ronnen. Ronnen’s five-course vegan dinner with feature dishes like Celery Root Soup with Granny Smith Apples, Artichoke “Ricotta” Tortellini with Arugula and Roasted Garlic in Saffron “Cream” Sauce and “Chicken” Scaloppini with Madeira Peppercorn Sauce. (Insert drooling noises here.)

The price for the evening is $150.00 per person and includes the meal and chance to see Ronnen in person. If you’d like to taste food from the chef that helped Oprah become more, “in harmony with life,” call (954) 539-9000 or visit SublimeRestaurant.com.

thanks: shortorder.com

The Giving Back Fund recently released their Giving Back 30 for 2007, a list of the top 30 celebrities who, according to public records, made the largest donations that year. At the top of the list was Oprah Winfrey, who donated a whopping $50,200,000 last year to education, health care and other humanitarian needs.

I know Oprahs’ got her haters (Hello, meat industry! Hello, Roseanne!) but I love the woman (though maybe not her TV show so much…) and I think she really does try to make this world a more sustainable place. She’s one of the most influential people for a good reason, and I think she often uses that position for good causes, too.

Other notables on the list include Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie (naturally), Adam Sandler, and… Rush Limbaugh? You can see the whole list here.

Where do some other favorite Ecorazzi regulars sit on the list? Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger comes in at 33, Tom Hanks at 34, and Bono at 36. Stephen Colbert (45), John Stewart (44) and Oprah Winfrey (43) are all neck ‘n neck. Surprisingly, George Clooney dropped from 27 to 55 this year!

The V.F. 100 appears in the October issue of Vanity Fair, on newsstands in New York and Los Angeles on September 3 and nationally on September 9.

THE VANITY FAIR 100:
2007 ranking in parentheses

1. Vladimir Putin, Russian Prime Minister (new entry)
2. Rupert Murdoch, News Corp. (1)
3. Sergey Brin (3), Larry Page (3), and Eric Schmidt (new entry), Google
4. Steve Jobs, Apple, Disney, and Pixar (2)
5. Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway (5)
6. Jeff Bezos, Amazon (23)
7. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai (new entry)
8. Roman Abramovich, Millhouse Capital (30)
9. Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt, actors, activists (new entry)
10. Al Gore, eco-warrior (19)
11. Bill Clinton, Clinton Foundation (6)
12. Michael Bloomberg, Mayor of New York, Bloomberg L.P. (9)
13. Bernard Arnault, LVMH (8)
14. Steven Spielberg, DreamWorks SKG (7)
15. Ralph Lauren, Polo Ralph Lauren (13)
16. Steve Ballmer, Microsoft (returning)
17. François-Henri Pinault, PPR (new entry)
18. Barry Diller & Diane von Furstenberg (15), IAC; Diane von Furstenberg (15)
19. H. Lee Scott, Wal-Mart (12)
20. Lloyd Blankfein, Goldman Sachs (new entry)
21. Jamie Dimon, JPMorgan Chase (new entry)
22. David Geffen, DreamWorks SKG (16)
23. George Lucas, Lucasfilm (40)
24. Jerry Bruckheimer, Jerry Bruckheimer Films (26)
25. Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook (new entry)
26. Ronald Perelman, MacAndrews & Forbes (31)
27. Jeff Bewkes, Time Warner (22)
28. John Lasseter (66), Andrew Stanton (new entry), and Brad Bird (new entry), Pixar, Disney
29. Herb Allen, Allen & Co. (21)
30. Miuccia Prada, Prada S.p.A. (44)
31. Damien Hirst, conceptual artist (new entry)
32. Sumner Redstone, Viacom, CBS (70)
33. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Governor of California (50)
34. Tom Hanks, actor, director, producer (32)
35. Robert Iger, Disney (36)
36. Bono, singer, humanitarian (28)
37. Larry Ellison, Oracle (20)
38. Larry Gagosian, Gagosian Gallery (84)
39. Howard Stringer, Sony (17)
40. Peter Chernin, News Corp. (24)
41. Philippe Dauman, Viacom (68)
42. Vivi Nevo, NV Investments (59)
43. Oprah Winfrey, Harpo Productions (14)
44. Jon Stewart, The Daily Show (89)
45. Stephen Colbert, The Colbert Report (87)
46. Carlos Slim Helú, Teléfonos de México, América Móvil (11)
47. Karl Lagerfeld, Chanel (52)
48. Giorgio Armani, Armani Group (37)
49. Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, Kingdom Holding Company (new entry)
50. Mike Nichols & Diane Sawyer, director; ABC News anchor (42)
51. Jacob Rothschild, financier (33)
52. Mickey Drexler, J. Crew (55)
53. Jeffrey Katzenberg, DreamWorks Animation (38)
54. Leslie Moonves, CBS (25)
55. George Clooney, actor, producer, director, activist (27)
56. Jay-Z, hip-hop (47)
57. Oscar & Annette de la Renta, Oscar de la Renta (53)
58. Judd Apatow, producer, director, actor, writer (new entry)
59. Robert De Niro, Tribeca Enetrprises, Tribeca Productions (34)
60. Bill Keller, The New York Times (new entry)
61. Mick Jagger, the Rolling Stones (60)
62. Bruce Wasserstein, Lazard; Wasserstein & Co. (43)
63. Ted Forstmann, IMG Worldwide (new entry)
64. Anna Wintour, Vogue (new entry)
65. Brian Roberts, Comcast (57)
66. Brian Grazer & Ron Howard, Imagine Entertainment (65)
67. Mukesh & Anil Ambani, Reliance Industries, Reliance ADA Group (new entry)
68. Jeff Zucker, NBC Universal (returning)
69. Jeff Skoll, Participant Media (61)
70. Jonathan Ive, Apple (83)
71. William McDonough, William McDonough & Partners (new entry)
72. Bobby Kotick, Activision Blizzard (new entry)
73. Shigeru Miyamoto, Nintendo (new entry)
74. Matt Drudge, the Drudge Report (new entry)
75. Donatella Versace, Gianni Versace S.p.A. (77)
76. Diego Della Valle, Tod’s (63)
77. Henry Kravis, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (51)
78. Marc Jacobs, Marc Jacobs, Marc by Marc Jacobs, LVMH (returning)
79. Jean Pigozzi, investor, art collector (86)
80. Paul Allen, Vulcan Inc. (71)
81. Charlie Rose, Charlie Rose (80)
82. Frank Rich, The New York Times, HBO (82)
83. John Galliano, Christian Dior, Galliano (new entry)
84. Jann Wenner, Wenner Media (74)
85. Joel & Ethan Coen, movies (new entry)
86. John Malone, Liberty Media (69)
87. Harvey & Bob Weinstein, the Weinstein Company (41)
88. Michael Moritz, Sequoia Capital (56)
89. Steven Rattner, Quadrangle Group (97)
90. Arianna Huffington, the Huffington Post (98)
91. John Paulson, Paulson & Co. (new entry)
92. Vinod Khosla, Khosla Ventures (62)
93. Jerry Weintraub, Jerry Weintraub Productions (76)
94. Tobias Meyer, Sotheby’s (new entry)
95. Tom Brokaw, NBC News (returning)
96. Doug Morris, Universal Music Group (99)
97. Jimmy Buffett, Margaritaville (96)
98. Jeffrey Sachs, the Earth Institute at Columbia University, Millennium Promise (new entry)
99. Steven Cohen, S.A.C. Capital Advisors (45)
100. Walter Mossberg, The Wall Street Journal (new entry)

Source: Vanity Fair

Oprah Winfrey’s

“What I know for sure is I’ve reached a new level of awareness about food, eating and the whole process of how it gets to my table. I used to say thanks before a meal out of perfunctory habit. Now I consider it true grace to be able to eat anything in a world of increasing food shortages and starving people.

This has been exactly what we intended: enlightening. I will forever be a more cautious and conscious eater. That’s my commitment for now. To stay awakened.”

It’s great to see Oprah encouraging awareness of food — and the conscious action to appreciate where it comes from. We by no means expect her to continue down this vegan road, but perhaps something in that 21-days will rub off in future meals and considerations. 

What did you think of this challenge? Did Oprah come through on expectations to raise awareness? 

Check out the rest of her blogging entries here.