Another Honor For Oprah

By Marcus Gilmer in Arts & Entertainment on Sep 7, 2010 6:20PM

She's heading in to the final season of the current incarnation of her show and prepping to go to the next stage - her own network - and the accolades keep rolling in for Oprah. This morning, she was named one of 2010 Kennedy Center honorees. Her reaction? "Wowie gazowie.” (We prefer fellow honoree Merle Haggard's reaction, calling it a “nice kick in the stomach.”) Oprah (and Merle) will be joined by Sir Paul McCartney, Jerry Herman, and Bill T. Jones. The honorees are "recognized for their lifetime contributions to American culture through the performing arts." Kennedy Center Chairman David M. Rubenstein said of The Big O, "For more than 25 years, Oprah Winfrey has established one of the most innovative careers in the entertainment world, with distinctive accomplishments in television and film." The ceremony will be held on December 5 and broadcast on television on December 28. We look forward to watching as it will probably be the only time we see Merle and Oprah on stage together and because, selfishly, we really want to see them duet on "Pancho and Lefty."