O Magazine reveals Oprah’s 2020 favorite things list

Yahoo Finance’s Alexis Christoforous and Adam Glassman, O Mag Creative Director, discuss Oprah’s 2020 favorite things list featuring Black-owned businesses.

Video Transcript

ALEXIS CHRISTOFOROUS: Oprah is out with her list of favorite things for 2020. And joining us now is not Oprah Winfrey, but we've got "O Magazine's" creative director Adam Glassman here. We are delighted to have you on the show, Adam. I want to break down some of these-- I'm going to highlight some of these items. There are 72 overall, all different price points, which we love. But just tell us what inspired Oprah's list this year, which is a year like none other.

ADAM GLASSMAN: Well, in reality, what we did is we really wanted to look at how people are living now. We wanted to give them relevant items that they can choose from, but we also really wanted to highlight Black businesses. So of the 72 items that we have overall, 50 are small Black businesses.

You know, the small business maker is someone that we have embraced for the last 20 years that we've been in the magazine. You know, think of Uggs, Tory Burch, and Spanx. They were all small businesses before Oprah had them as a favorite thing. So they grew into a much larger one. So we wanted to do the same thing this year.

ALEXIS CHRISTOFOROUS: And we know the power of the Oprah list for sure. So let's kick off some of her favorites. And the first one that caught my eye-- I have to admit, I don't own one yet, but my friends are telling me, my parents are telling me I need to go get one-- the Yeti Air Fryer. Why is this on Oprah's list?

ADAM GLASSMAN: Because it will change your cooking life. You need to use little, if any, oil at all while you're using this air fryer. We're all home. We're all cooking. Some of us are afraid to go to restaurants.

And this thing will do everything. You could use it to make a chicken rotisserie. I'll use it for French fries. You could bake a cake. You could dehydrate vegetables. You name it, you can do it. It's just, you see that black box right there. It doesn't take up a lot of counter space. And it cooks beautifully, beautifully.

ALEXIS CHRISTOFOROUS: What's the price point on something like that, Adam?

ADAM GLASSMAN: That is $150.

ALEXIS CHRISTOFOROUS: OK, all right. You know what? All things considered, you're looking for a little tech, this could be the way to go with the air fryer. Plus, I guess you're eating a little healthier, too.

ADAM GLASSMAN: It's absolutely healthy cooking.

ALEXIS CHRISTOFOROUS: Yeah. All right, so sticking with the healthy theme in here, Lululemon's mirror. I have to say, a little pricey. It comes with a monthly subscription. But why is this on the list?

ADAM GLASSMAN: This is on the list because gyms have been closed. And now that some are open, people are afraid to go back into the gym. And you have to think of this almost like the Peloton of a gym. It looks like a floor-length mirror. You lean it up against the wall. It's as wide as a yoga mat, so not that much-- you don't need that much space.

You stream every kind of class you want from boxing, pilates, personal fitness. You could even do-- work out with your entire family. And all you have to do is plug it in the wall. It uses an app. It's ingenious, actually.

ALEXIS CHRISTOFOROUS: It really is. You know, you mentioned Peloton. I'm actually reading that some folks have had to cancel their orders because it is taking too long for the Peloton Bike to get to them. They're having trouble with some of the inventory. I guess that's not the case with the mirror. Have you heard-- are they doing OK with getting the product to folks?

ADAM GLASSMAN: They are doing fabulous because they were recently acquired by Lululemon this past year. And they are geared up. They're ready for the holidays. So far, it's probably one of the hottest selling gifts on our list.

ALEXIS CHRISTOFOROUS: Wow, all right. And then I want to stick with tech and talk a Samsung TV. It's called the Terrace, and so many people are doing this, especially if you live in a climate where you can, where the TV goes outside, right? You sort of bring the living room outdoors. Why did Oprah like this?

ADAM GLASSMAN: Well, what she liked about it is that it allows social distanced gathering. While you're outside, you could still watch TV, you could still stream your favorite TV shows or films and all of that. It has a anti-glare reflection, so you barely see any glare whatsoever. You would keep it outside in the rain, in the snow-- you name it. It's a fantastic thing. And during Christmas, what we've discovered, people love to buy a TV. They do. They love it as a family gift.

ALEXIS CHRISTOFOROUS: And I'm curious what sort of your favorite thing on the list is. You said that the air fryer was one of them. But what's another item that we didn't talk about here that you really like especially much?

ADAM GLASSMAN: I really love these bags from a company called Rayo and Honey, which are these tote bags that have inspirational sayings on it, created by an artist in Brooklyn named Roachelle Negron. And they're just wonderful sayings, like, "You are your own stories." You know, it just gives you a lot of much needed wisdom. And it's just a wonderful tote that you can take to the market or just use for every day. And I just love supporting a small business because she's really an artist-turned entrepreneur.

ALEXIS CHRISTOFOROUS: I love that idea, and I know that Oprah on her-- on the magazine's website also talked about the list this year. And she talked about how gratitude, I guess, played a part in the items that she chose.

ADAM GLASSMAN: Yes, absolutely. I mean, first of all, we all are grateful that we wake up every day, that we are breathing, that we have loved ones, and that is really part of the whole thing. And if anything, Oprah just thinks that we should celebrate life. And if it involves also giving a little bit of a gift, whether it's $13 or $1,300, go forward and enjoy your holiday season.

ALEXIS CHRISTOFOROUS: Well, how many years has she been doing this list now, Adam?

ADAM GLASSMAN: We've been-- the magazine, we've been doing it for 20 years. And prior to that, the Oprah show was doing it for 23 years.