The popular talk show host, Oprah Winfrey, has been responsible for skyrocketing books to the top of the best seller’s lists after saying she enjoyed reading them. However, it can be said that Oprah Winfrey can use her powers of persuasion to sway people AWAY from something as well!
While filming a show about mad cow disease with Howard Lyman in 1996, Oprah said that she wouldn’t eat another burger. Texas cattlemen sued her as well as Lyman in the early months of 1998 for “false defamation of perishable food” as well as “business disparagement”. The farmers claimed that Oprah’s comments dropped cattle prices and cost them $11 Million!
During this lawsuit she hired a man named Phil McGraw to study the jury in order to help her win, which she did. McGraw impressed her so much she invited him to come on her show as a regular participant. After being on her show many times, he started his own show, and called it Dr Phil. Click the source to learn more about the Oprah Effect!