Five reasons we’re thrilled Oprah is coming to TIFF

Five reasons we’re thrilled Oprah is coming to TIFF

Fan yourself off, Oprah. It's hot in Toronto

Yesterday, we reported that Oprah Winfrey has confirmed her attendance at TIFF—she’ll be here in support of the world premiere of Precious. We can’t wait for every entertainment reporter (ourselves included) to jump on Oprah Watch ’09. But here are five other reasons we’re happy her Harpo-ness will grace Toronto this September.

1) She could Skype in her shows
The new season starts on September 14, smack in the middle of the festival, but since Oprah has been Skype-ing in her guests rather than flying them in from the other side of the country (Oprah loves Skype, we get it), we think she’ll be more than happy to do an entire show via webcam.

2) Another road trip with Gayle
Remember that crazy road trip episode she did with best bud Gayle King? The nine-hour drive from Chicago to Toronto would make for engrossing television, especially when they have a premiere to prep for. Imagine gowns hanging from hooks in the car, arguments with the GPS system and Oprah resisting the urge to pull into a Roy Rogers. The scene at the border could be an entire episode itself.

3) Sandwiches!
We know Oprah is more into comfort food than fine dining, as evidenced by her shows devoted to America’s best sandwiches and pizzas, and Toronto’s culinary scene is perfectly suited to her tastes. The Black Hoof’s duck confit sandwich is juicy and filling (they’re closed for the summer but opening again on September 11) and the Cubano sandwich at Delux is worth the trip to Ossington. We’d get a kick out of seeing O partake of the walk-in special at Pizza Pizza, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see her at Pizzeria Libretto, Terroni or Mangia and Bevi.

4) Non-ridiculous additions to her list of Favourite Things
One of Oprah’s most memorable Favourite Things episodes was in 2005, when she raved about Williams-Sonoma’s mail-order croissants, not because they were particularly good but for their sheer ridiculousness. Fifteen croissants for $40 U.S., plus shipping, and they come frozen, meaning they have to be rolled out and baked (after letting the dough sit overnight). Give the audience a break and just ship them a box of Dufflet’s award-winning (and ready to eat) Caramel Crackle.

5) Market shares
Even though it’s all red carpets, champagne and fancy dresses, everyone who comes to TIFF is actually working. From a practical standpoint, in addition to promoting the movie, this is an opportunity for Oprah to generate buzz about her show and magazine in an international market. A little reminder of who rules daytime TV is worth a visit.