To my surprise, the saddest article currently in The New York Times online edition has nothing to do with Africa or Iraq, but Oprah and Chicago. Cutely titled "This Old Thing? It Was Oprah’s!" the piece covers the unstoppable Oprah machine's new retail venture: the Oprah Store. There, along with Oprah's favorite books and kitchen accessories, one can also buy the perma-dieting talk show host's used clothes, many of which apparently make her seem like a freakish giant: "The pants are too long and the shoes are too big, but I will definitely be back for a sweater or a skirt," noted one top-heavy customer.

But the shop itself, which donates all of its proceeds to charity, is not the depressing part; its customers are. Customers who remember exact skirts Oprah once wore in a magazine and who say things like: "I like shiny stuff and a lot of her stuff is shiny … " And that's just the obsessives. The most excruciating quote comes from Barbara Jean Hoy, a retired housekeeper and a regular at this Oprah mall, who says shopping there makes her feel better about her life: "When you go in there, you just feel great, like you are somebody …" Ms Hoy once bought a $40 blouse from the store, undeterred by the high price because the garment had visible armpit stains, compliments of Oprah. Hoy won't wear the blouse outdoors and she keeps the tags on.