Mysterious "Oprah" graffiti appears in East Nashville

I was on an assignment last week in East Nashville, where I found the name "Oprah" was mysteriously spray-painted on several walls.

What happened next: During my drive home, I was surprised to see more Oprah graffiti.

• An overpass on Ellington Parkway got Oprah'd.
• An empty building on Gallatin Pike got Oprah'd.
• I think it's an ironclad journalistic rule that three of anything equals a trend.

I texted friends, sources and even the two East Nashville Metro Council representatives to see if they, too, had noticed Oprah being tagged all over their neighborhood.

• Metro Councilmember Sean Parker had noticed a few, but he wasn't sure why. He reminded me that Oprah Winfrey, who has deep Nashville ties, attended nearby East High School.
• Metro Councilmember Brett Withers had noticed, too. "I suppose it is better than 'moist!'" he texted, referencing an unpleasant recent graffiti trend.
• "I've noticed it so many places!" my friend Jordan, who lives on the East side, told me. "Abandoned lots, electrical boxes and random pockets in Cleveland Park. I first noticed it when Oprah was in town back in May to give a commencement speech at TSU."

I found "Oprah" on a Nashville Electric Service box on Eastland Avenue, on a utility pole near Black Shag Vintage on Gallatin, on a dumpster behind Jet's Pizza near Publix. These seven locations are just scratching the surface.

• Other words spray-painted more than once in East Nashville include "trnch" and "Creepy Julie."

📪 If you have any insight into this Oprah trend, or if you happen to be Creepy Julie, email us.