WWTBAM Bored

The ruby slippers Judy Garland wore in The Wizard of Oz are among the museum's most iconic Hollywood items. Dorothy's sparkly red shoes journeyed far from home for a rare one-time appearance on The Oprah Show—and they travel in style!

On the trip from the museum in Washington, D.C., the ruby slippers were accompanied by an entourage to rival an A-list celebrity's. For the voyage, the slippers were securely packed in a box disguised with a bow. With the protection of two armed guards, the ruby slippers flew first-class to Chicago.

The museum's director, Dr. Brent Glass, says they are priceless. "There's the value to the American public and really to the whole world because people treasure the memory of seeing The Wizard of Oz," he says. "The value, I think, is really important because they are a treasure of our youth. They're a treasure of the story of The Wizard of Oz and Dorothy's quest to find her way home."

Carefully handling the slippers using white gloves, Dr. Glass shows Oprah their felt soles. "They were worn by Judy Garland during her dance routines on the Yellow Brick Road because there's felt on the bottom of these slippers," he says.

From a blog talking about the show...

"The head of the Smithsonian brought Judy Garland's Ruby Slippers to Harpo and Oprah insisted on touching them. She put gloves on but it was clear this director really didn't want her to touch them. He tried to say NO about 4 times and it was clear to me that the answer was pretty much NO, but she pushed it. She really wanted to touch them. Guess what, she did! And she kinda manhandled them, if you ask me. Can you believe?"

I used to LOVE Oprah... However, in the past few years she began to exude an unattractive "self important" attitude... one of the many reasons why I do NOT follow her anymore!

fuzzy

What was the theme of the show that made a pair of shoes a talk show guest?

MarleysGh0st wrote:What was the theme of the show that made a pair of shoes a talk show guest?

It was a show on Americana.

I've been to the Smithsonian, so I've seen the ruby slippers in person.

NellyLunatic1980 wrote:I've been to the Smithsonian, so I've seen the ruby slippers in person.

But did they let you manhandle them?

BTW, what's the story behind your new avatar, Nelly?



Poor ol' Ed's face is looking pretty bloated. And to think I used to be mistaken for him, back in his St. Elsewhere days...

fuzzywuzzy wrote:I used to LOVE Oprah... However, in the past few years she began to exude an unattractive "self important" attitude... one of the many reasons why I do NOT follow her anymore!

Seems like she's been that way for more than the past few years. Now she has her own network, literally her OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network). If she has input, she has her name on it. The magazine, the South African school, and now the network. Ghu only knows what else, since I don't pay that much attention to her and her enormous ego.

And I don't care that the magazine publisher insists on putting her on every cover. There's nothing stopping her from putting another photo on it, maybe even someone mentioned in an article. Or maybe having her photo taken with that person so they both appear. Note to publisher: you put her freakin' NAME on each cover! People already know it's hers! You won't sell more by having her picture on each one! Ya think the big O would try to point this out? Doubtful. Her ego wouldn't allow it.

MarleysGh0st wrote:BTW, what's the story behind your new avatar, Nelly?



Poor ol' Ed's face is looking pretty bloated. And to think I used to be mistaken for him, back in his St. Elsewhere days...

Wrong Ed

MarleysGh0st wrote:BTW, what's the story behind your new avatar, Nelly?

Poor ol' Ed's face is looking pretty bloated. And to think I used to be mistaken for him, back in his St. Elsewhere days...

Not the Ed you're thinking of, Marley. This is Ed Schultz, talk radio host and former college football play-by-play guy.

Rexer25 wrote:Wrong Ed

That's not Ed Begley, Jr. in his avatar?

NellyLunatic1980 wrote:Not the Ed you're thinking of, Marley. This is Ed Schultz, talk radio host and former college football play-by-play guy.

Oh. They do look a lot alike.

Nevermind, Rexer.

MarleysGh0st wrote:

Rexer25 wrote:Wrong Ed

That's not Ed Begley, Jr. in his avatar?

You should look for him in one of the HGTV shows where he talks about making your house have a smaller carbon footprint.

The interaction of him and his wife is quite funny.

I recall Oprah wearing those slippers a few years back.

Now that I think of it - it might have been Katie Couric.

gsabc wrote:Seems like she's been that way for more than the past few years. Now she has her own network, literally her OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network). If she has input, she has her name on it. The magazine, the South African school, and now the network. Ghu only knows what else, since I don't pay that much attention to her and her enormous ego.

The worst part of this is that Discovery Network is GIVING her the Discovery Health Channel, which will be no more once her boutique show takes over. Apparently Discovery gave Harpo the channel for a half interest in oprah.com. Big whoop. Oprah pisses me off. Do your little network, I don't care. But do you have to take from something to do it? At least I'll still have Discovery Times (I hope) and all their crime shows.

Re: Nelly's avatar. That's funny. I thought that "Ed" was actually E.D. and the guy was some televangelist who couldn't get it up. Ha!

I don't like Oprah.

I don't watch her show and I don't read her magazine.

Re: the slippers.

There was a very interesting show a few years back. I think it was on E! True Hollywood Story, but it could have been something else. Apparently there are three or four sets of ruby slippers that have survived. The pristine pair is owned by an avid movie collector who liberated them from the MGM prop warehouse.

I wish I could remember the name of the show or the guy for more specifics. But it was really neat the way he described the shelves of all of this movie stuff and then the light glinting on these shoes shoved way in the back of something else.

He also got a lot of stuff when MGM was throwing everything away (that might have been when he got the slippers, but I think it was before). Pre-eBay days, the movie studios would just throw stuff out when they ran out of room for any more. Employees would try to save stuff from the dumpster and get in trouble. So they were trashing it, but nobody else could have it.

I know I'm weird and sappy, but stuff like that makes me sad. It also could just be part of why I have the potential to be a Collyer brother.