[quote]Oprah gets empathy after boutique rebuff
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By ERIN TEXEIRA
AP National Writer
June 29, 2005
Whether Oprah Winfrey was turned away from a bit of after-hours shopping in Paris because of a racist employee or a special event, news of the confrontation outside a luxury store has evoked empathy and anger from many American minorities.
In living rooms and Internet chat rooms, the Winfrey case has sparked discussion of what many see as a chronic problem for minorities: poor treatment and sometimes outright suspicion of minority shoppers no matter how well-educated or rich they are -- particularly in high-end stores.
"The presumption in America is that if you have the wealth, you'll get equality -- but where's Oprah's equality?" asked Bruce D. Haynes, a sociologist at the University of California, Davis. "It picks up on every inkling of discrimination that a black person might experience in daily life."
He added: "Many people are saying, 'I don't have the money, but Oprah represents what I could be ... She's like the black Donald Trump. And if it can happen to Oprah, it could happen to anyone."
The incident occurred when Winfrey stopped by Hermes on June 14 to buy a watch minutes after the boutique closed. Though she and three friends said they saw shoppers inside, neither a sales clerk nor manager would let them in.
Winfrey believes the store's staff had identified her, according to a spokeswoman from Harpo Production Inc., her company. Winfrey's friend, Gayle King, who was there, told Entertainment Tonight, "Oprah describes it as 'one of the most humiliating moments of her life.'" Harpo says Winfrey plans to discuss the incident in the context of race relations on her show this fall.
Hermes said in a statement it "regrets not having been able to welcome" Winfrey to the store, but that "a private public relations event was being prepared inside." The store did not respond to calls seeking comment.
"As retailers, we want to treat every customer well. So I tell retailers not to look at the customer for what they look like but to address the product they want and what service they're looking for," said Daniel Butler, vice president for merchandising and operations at the Washington-based National Retail Federation.
Even if a store is closed, Butler said, the staff should be empowered to "do as much as they can to accommodate a customer and hopefully use common sense."
Winfrey has often plugged Hermes products -- a $135 tea cup and saucer was featured in her magazine in 2001 and was still on her Web site Tuesday, along with the company's phone number. But she has said she will no longer be shopping in its stores.
Many other minorities boycott stores where they receive poor service, according to Harriette Cole, author of "How To Be," a book on black etiquette that recommends this tactic to counter biased treatment. Cole also recommends dressing well and, if followed, asking for shopping assistance.
"Unfortunately, this proves how deeply ingrained in global culture racism is," Cole said. "There is the assumption that a black person will do you harm, and/or the assumption that a black person has no place in a luxury establishment, cannot afford to buy the luxury item."
Michael Leake, a black pharmaceutical salesman in Toledo, Ohio, knows this experience all too well. "It happens all the time," he said. "That's just life."
Once, at a high-end shopping center in Los Angeles, he said, a sales clerk referred to a white customer as "sir," but turned to Leake and greeted him with, "What's up, homes?" He confronted the clerk.
"I was like, 'How's he "sir" and I'm your homey? I'm interested in why you speak to him in a more respectful way than you speak to me. We've all got money to spend here,'" Leake said.
Indeed, many companies fail to grasp that big-spending customers now come from every background imaginable, said Luke Visconti, co-founder of DiversityInc, a New Jersey-based business that advises companies on diversity issues.
Hermes, in its treatment of Winfrey and its response, "blew it to a degree that's hard to imagine," he said. "It's clearly bigoted. ... Think about what this did to their business. Think about all those people who have been oppressed (by this kind of behavior) who are going to be sympathetic to Oprah and not go back there."
Winfrey's influence is enormous: She reportedly earned $225 million last year, her daily talk show is seen in 111 countries and Forbes magazine recently named her America's most powerful celebrity. Some commentators have suggested that her extraordinary wealth, usually a buffer from the everyday trials faced by most blacks, has fueled her outrage.
But Emil Wilbekin, former editor of Vibe magazine, said it's not uncommon for black celebrities to receive poor treatment at high-end stores, where there are virtually no minorities in top positions. Sean "P. Diddy" Combs has devised a tactic to avoid poor treatment, he said.
"Puffy sends his people ahead to stores and shuts them down so he can shop privately, so this kind of thing doesn't happen," Wilbekin said. "I've worked with young people who wanted to be stylists and work in fashion and they've never gone into a high-end boutique ... because they were afraid. They didn't think they were allowed. What flashes in my mind are images of water fountains that say 'whites only.'"
June 27, 2005
MARK CARO ON OPRAH'S DEEP (OR CHEAP?) HUMILIATION
(Posted by Notebook guest blogger Mark Caro)
My first reaction to last week’s Oprah-Hermes flap, in which the Paris boutique apologized to the talk-show queen for turning her away after hours, was to want to write something like this:
Thank you, Oprah, for striking another blow for the common man and woman—and America, too.
Our hearts all go out to you. There you were, in Paris, wanting to buy a present for your friend Tina Turner, and Hermes wouldn’t let you into the store.
Sure, they say you showed up at 6:45 p.m., and the store closed at 6:30 p.m. Sure, the store was preparing “a private public relations event inside.”
But they just don’t get it over there in France, do they? You’re an American. You have a God-given right to shop whenever and wherever you want to.
And you’re Oprah, so you can do whatever you damn well please. Don’t those people over there understand that celebrities are royalty? Regular rules do not apply!
Besides, as your people thought it was important for us all to know, you were buying a present for Tina Turner. What do the French have against Tina Turner?
Your friend Gayle King said you described the incident as “one of the most humiliating moments” of your life.
I feel your pain. Once I went to a Dairy Queen and some low-life was sweeping the floor and the door was locked, and I yelled, “I need a Blizzard!” The dude just shrugged and said, “We’re closed.”
I said, “Open up! I need it for my friend John Cusack!”
He said, “I’m sorry, but the cash registers are all closed down and everything is turned off.”
I’ve never felt so humiliated in my life.
So good for you, Oprah. Last week the U.S. Senate apologized for the country’s history of lynching, Sen. Dick Durbin apologized for likening Guantanamo Bay to a Nazi prison and Hermes apologized for not letting you shop after it had closed.
The world is finally getting somewhere....
OK, so I decided not to write that, and not just because that ending is a bit over the top. Here’s the reason:
Oprah’s spokespeople implied that the incident was racial in nature, calling it her “‘Crash’ moment,” a reference to the current hit movie about racism in Los Angeles. I may be a smart-ass who’s under the impression that if Oprah’s ego were a movie character, it would be Godzilla, but she has accumulated some credibility over the years.
If she has a racial complaint to air, I’m inclined to take it seriously rather than assume she’s crying wolf.
The problem I have now is that she plans to air this complaint when her show kicks off its new season in September—at least that’s what a Harpo Productions spokeswoman told the Associated Press.
Oprah, if something happened to you that was serious enough for you to make it an international issue, something that you’re terming a “Crash” moment -— the African-American woman in “Crash,” after all, is the victim of sexual assault -— then talk about it now, for heaven’s sake.
Don’t wait almost three months just to give your show a lift.
Transforming this incident into TV programming just cheapens it.
Address the situation now, and it can be what you might call a learning moment for us all. Milk it for your own commercial interests, and you’ll only further the impression that it’s Oprah’s world and we -— and those Hermes nincompoops -— should just consider ourselves lucky to be living in it.
Boy, lots of C-mail (that's what I should call it, right, Eric?) about the Oprah-Hermes flap.
Of the more than 120 e-mails I received about my commentary, fewer than five of them were supportive of Oprah's claim, via her pal Gayle King, that being denied entry into the Paris boutique after it has closed constituted "one of the most humiliating experiences of her life."
The vast majority were critical of her expecting special celebrity treatment and/or injecting race into the situation. These respondents included longtime Oprah admirers and detractors and people of various ethnicities and nationalities.
A few also chose to share their own less-than-pleasant encounters with the talk-show queen.
Here's a sampling:
Disillusioned Fans
A. Bozza, NJ -- Amen, brother!! I second your opinion of the whole Oprah thing!! I have always been an admirer of Oprah, but now I am having second thoughts. I know it does not erase all the good things she has done, but does she remember where she came from?
Angela LaFratta --I love Oprah and want to give her the benefit of the doubt -- perhaps there's more to the story than we know. That said, when I heard about this incident and, in particular, the idea that it was one of the most humiliating experiences of her life, I was not too sympathetic. "Give me a break" pretty much summarizes it.
Christian Burnham, Chicago --I always liked Oprah and thought of her as a "people's person" until reading about one of her "most humiliating moments" in her life.
Humiliating? The store was closed! If the store is closed, it's closed and just because you're a "celebrity" the same rules apply to you.
It's too bad that making millions can not buy you class and wearing an expensive watch does not guarantee you can tell time.
J. Pang, Chicago-- As much I like and appreciate all that Oprah has contributed to society, this incident was a flaw on Oprah ' s character. Oprah, show some "star-manship", accepted the apologies from management and move-on...
Some International Perspective
Michael Elizabeth Cuaz, Paris -- You are totally on the money.I live in Paris and it was a non-story.So Forbes named her "most influential person in the world" (!?!)USA maybe, but the world really has no idea who Oprah Winfrey is. If I were a person of any color I would live in France --the lack of discrimination is palpable.
Deborah Octernaud, Chicago -- My first impression of the story was that Oprah had experienced racism, even though as a wife of a Frenchman, I don't see the French as racists as Americans.
However, when the details of the incident came out, I, too, was shocked that Oprah had the guts to imply that because "Her Holiness Oprah" was actually not allowed into a CLOSED store, during a PLANNED event, that she was treated unfairly.
Hasn't that little black girl raised by her grandmother (I think) ever experienced the CLOSED sign on a business before? Of course, if she hasn't, then the confusion I guess could have been construed as racist.
But, then again, as a white person, I never felt that it was racist when I encountered that sign. And the last I knew, those signs don't usually say, CLOSED - EXCEPT FOR NON-BLACKS.
You can quote me on this:
Come on Oprah, I have always held The Defender and you in highest regard. I come from a multi-cultural and multi-race family, but I cannot feel your pain. Welcome to the rest of the world. You ' ve sunk to a new low, and I ' m disappointed.
Ken Gatesman-- Didn't many, many African Americans move to France during our segregationist period to avoid American intolerance? Now they don't let middle aged wealthy African American hotties by upscale crap at dinner time? What a turn of events.
In college, I worked at a Domino's Pizza. If you did not have your order in by closing time, you were out of luck. One minute past, sorry buddy. Those teenagers from Akron Ohio trying to buy pizza at 2:01 pm were far scarier than Oprah.
Crash event my @#$&!. If she comes out on TV with this, nail her again.
Matthew C. LaCourt, Chicago -- It's bad enough that we have people like George W. Bush representing our "homeland," we also have to deal with self-centered celebrities confirming our should-be allies' stereotypes.
I find it unfortunate that Oprah should respond like this. However, as you stated in the article, we have to give her the benefit of the doubt.
Nonetheless, this is one last thing we as a country need to be bringing attention to, and by provoking her and her huge ego, we are only exacerbating the issue.
Karenann Brow -- Thank you for having the guts to write this blog. I cannot believe how outrageous this has all gotten. I thought we had a few more important things to worry about then Oprah not being able to buy a gift for Tina Turner.
Here's my suggestion...Buy a $2 card at Osco, draw a picture of a scarf inside and donate the money you would have spent to a worthy charity.
A "Crash" moment?....A "Crash" moment??....... Racism?? That has got to be the topper!!! They are not racist; they're French!
It could have been their own Prime Minister at the door and they still would not have opened...heck, it could have been Joan of Arc reincarnated just to shop at Hermes.....but it was 6:45!!!
The "Race Card"
Jerry Ostergaard Oak Park -- I couldn ' t believe the coverage this event received. For once, the snotty French people got it right.
Frank Madigan, Capreol, Ontario-- I too am tired of someone playing the race card when they only hold a pair of twos.
Oprah owes all Americans an apology and she especially ought to apologize to the sale clerks at Hermes.
Racism is evil; she cheapens the cause against it with her actions.
Ryan Dohnal--I have my serious doubts as to whether it was a racial incident or not. However, assuming it was and Oprah is really this passionate about the incident and considers it to be very important, why not come out with it for the good of everyone? Celebrities have no right to have excessive preferential treatment, something I'm sure she feels she deserves.
Tunisia Carter-- I have heard so many different stories about what happened. Who cares? The bottom line is they were closed and she showed up after hours.
What gives her or any other celebrity the right to think they are above anyone else? I frankly don't understand why they(Hermes) felt the need to kiss her a... and apologize like they did something wrong.
Jim Weisz --This whole thing strikes me as the child-like tantrum of a spoiled rich girl, too used to getting everything she desires. Playing the race card without even the tiniest explanation is disingenuous at best, racist at worst.
Tom Keane-- Perfectly put ... .has nothing to do with racism, but merely someone with power looking to exercise it. Good night nurse ... you think that with all her fame and fortune she could find something better to bicker about ... .
Terry Freeman -- Thanks for sticking up for us "not so important" people. I was appalled that this could be turned into a racial issue. Much like yourself, I felt if there truly was prejudice in the decision to not allow Oprah (entourage) in, that would have been the forefront and not an afterthought.
I, too, saw the movie "Crash" and realize the seriousness of a movie such as that being used in a comparison by Harpo. It is exactly the problem that the movie portrays. Let's not be so quick to tag something other than what it was, a person who went shopping a little too late.
Messina Lambert-- I am neither Caucasian, nor black. Rather, I happen to be bi-racial -- a nice mix of both, and have actually experienced prejudice before -- though not as traumatic as Oprah ' s Paris experience. Imagine, I show up to a wedding for a white friend where I'm the only naturally brown person in the reception hall, no big deal, until...I go to sit down and the person across from me says, "Uhm, they have assigned seats."
I just think, yeah you [dummy], I can read. This is table 19; my card says table 19. She probably thought I was supposed to be working and just sitting down to take a load off. I guess that's my very own "Crash" experience.
Or maybe it was the time I got pulled over for speeding, and because I had some black men in the car with me the officers suggested a search of my car. Now, having lived in the town for my entire life, and having been pulled over for speeding more than once....OK, more than 5 times, I had never been asked for my car to be searched ...
I personally am appalled at the nerve of Oprah to think of this as her "Crash" moment. Was she called a derogatory name? Did they touch her under the pretense of the law? Were others allowed in at the same time she was denied? That is a huge accusation to make.
Quite frankly, I believe it is false.
What bothers me most about Oprah's "Crash" moment is that now she'll use it to her gain. This fall's opener will have boxes full of Chanel fragrances or jewelry instead of car keys - that will stick it to Hermes. Even worse, all the white women who worship Oprah, yet dislike blacks will run with it.
They’ll each have their own "Crash" stories to tell about how they were refused service at high price boutiques that your average person wouldn’t dream of shopping in. There will be discussions of racial profiling, reverse discrimination, affirmative action, etc. While all of those topics are vital to Americans, Oprah's "Crash" moment does not compare with them.
What I believe really happened is that Oprah was treated like any other person-not a celebrity. In a world where she expects people to bend over backwards for her, she was slapped in the face by reality. I don't know if the people at Hermes even knew who they were turning away at that moment, but having worked in retail, I would have expected to be turned away also, as should you.
I wonder if celebrities ever think about the people whose lives they affect. For instance, what if they let her in, and instead of running in for a bag for her dear friend Tina Turner, she had spent an hour or more shopping. Now, the store staff is an hour late getting home to their families. Should people have to go out of their way to aid someone who seemingly has everything at her beck and call?
think the moment Oprah had was a "Crash Bang Boom!" moment when her inflated ego was popped with a pin named Hermes, and she had to realize that she's just like everybody else and was treated as such. Furthermore, I do not believe that she is owed an apology.
I realize the company did that to save face, now that Oprah's dear friend Gayle has made a huge ordeal of this. Meanwhile, I'll be busy apologizing and offering free produce to all the customers I ever said "Sorry, we're closed" to.
Put Things in Perspective.
Vivian White-- I am a young black woman who is so VERY TIRED of hearing about Oprah and her "rich" problems. Here I am struggling day to day to make ends meet, and she is humiliated because she can't shop after hours. It is absolutely ridiculous!
Tell Oprah to try going to the store while the store is open and not be able to buy a gift. I agree with your article today 100%! Her success has gone straight to her head. She really irritates me. Gayle is just as irritating because she just tags along because Oprah can buy her ass with the change in her pocket.
Jessica Noxon--I can't believe that of all the things that happened to Oprah growing up, that this is one of the most humiliating ones. Get a clue, Oprah.
Judy Russell-- BRAVO!!! My thoughts exactly. If she only had real problems!
Samuel Lee-- I think we have all come to realize that things are not quite equal in the world. Oprah is indeed a world-wide celebrity and she has every right to the privileges associated with her fame.
As a celebrity associated with the rights of humanity and equality, however, I expected much more from her than an outrage simply because someone said, "NO." But, then again, I do not live in her world, so what would I know???!!!
The sad thing is, I heard on the news today that more people died in Iraq, an actor was shot in the head and a police officer lost his life. Now, I am not asking Oprah to bear the problems of the world, but can we please put things into perspective? There are more important things going on in the world...please look around.
Beth Herz--I actually joined her stupid fan club just to write her a letter to tell her how disgusted I was that she actually made this a big deal, let alone it being the most humiliating experience ever.
Give me a break.
Of course she'll do a show on it and maybe at the end she'll give all her loyal fans a $15,000 purse from another store just to tick off Hermes.
I wish this was the worst thing we had to worry about in this country!!!
Suzanne Block -- I was wondering, as I also informed by the newsperson, that Oprah's spokesperson said this was one of the most humiliating moments of O' s life.
What about the poverty she overcame?
The teenage pregnancy?
The molestation as a child?
All these pale by not being allowed into a store after hours to buy expensive crap??
What about donating the monies she would have spent to her South African causes????????
Oh well.
Thanks for a saner view of this insane silliness
Terry Gaughan -- I have two questions:
1. Why should anyone care that a pampered "star" couldn't gain entrance to a retail establishment that sells handbags for in excess of $10,000 each?
2. With all that is going on in the world today does the media have nothing else to do but report this garbage?
I could see that it would be newsworthy if Oprah or any other celebrity was denied entrance to a soup kitchen or homeless shelter when they had a check in hand to make a donation, but to "feel" for someone looking to drop HUGE cake on a purse from a French retailer is beyond my scope of understanding.
Ruben A. Moreno -- Your blog posting reflects the feeling I have of most egomaniacs that are (occasionally) knocked off of their high horse. Moreover, I feel that is the reason most of the working class has lost what little respect they once had for the celebrities and the "Hollywood Elite."
* Oprah isn ' t allowed into a store after hours, and it is deemed racist and humiliating.
* Kobe Bryant was tried for sexual assault and invokes (and misquotes) Dr. Martin Luther King ' s belief that "an injustice anywhere is an injustice everywhere."
* Michael Jackson goes to trial facing allegations of child molestation and claims he is the victim of racism.
* R. Kelly ... I don ' t even know where to begin with that guy.
* Halle Berry & Denzel Washington claimed they are never given good scripts because they are black ... and the constant victims of racism.
Look, I am a Hispanic male truly struggling to make it. I see success stories as an inspiration, and I know that I do NOT have a chip on my shoulder. I simply have no patience or sympathy for those who live lives of excess and claim to know what it means face hardship. Your article is GREATLY appreciated.
No name-- Oprah has become one of the most shallow, egotistical women in the world. And I am not sure where she hopes to garner sympathy.
Someone needs to point out that members of her audience primarily frequent Wal-Mart and Target, not Hermes. And if she were to walk past Neiman Marcus on Michigan Avenue at closing time, she would find that although the store were closed, there may be shoppers inside. Most stores allow a person to complete their purchases after closing but do not allow anyone to enter.
Do I think this was a racial issue? No. I think it is an issue of class and manners, two traits Oprah sorely lacks. Oprah has a lot of money and she has made it appealing to our most base instincts.
Unfortunately, the French think very little of us, and Oprah did nothing to change this image.
Dan Pecina-- I went to a local department store, on Father ' s Day recently. Store was closed for only about 8 minutes.
They wouldn't let me in too ... ... I felt s.o.l. but not humiliated. I guess it takes to have a lotta bucks to feel embarrassed, a lot more to feel rejection and a whole lot more to feel " HUMILATED. "
Patrick Tueth -- I feel Oprah's pain. It was humiliating to realize that I couldn ' t afford one of those damn scarves, whether the store was open or not.
Tom Karczewski, KSHB/NBC Action News, Kansas City--So Hermes was closed. I mean, don't they have Costco or Sam's Club in Paris? I mean, did the gift have to come from Hermes? So what did she wind up buying for Tina Turner anyway?
O, That Ego
Linda Morris-- I agree with you. You can ' t just go to Harpo Studios anytime you want to. If you get a ticket, you are searched as well. Oprah, get over it.
Pat Cronin --First of all, I'm not anti-O. Neither am I "all about the 'O.' "
I'm just sick of the fact that she feels she can do no wrong and whenever EVERYONE doesn't "get it" ("Beloved"), it's suddenly OUR fault.
Anne Lazaretti--This whole Oprah thing makes me nuts. She is after all just another person and if a store is closed it should be closed for everyone and not just open because of her status. Everyone is placing too much importance on her. She shouldn ' t be humiliated, she should be humbled and realize the world does not revolve around her.
Gretchen Lippitt-- If I actually knew Oprah, I ' d tell her something like this: Get a life! After all this time, are you still dealing with low self-esteem issues? How else could this be " humiliating " ? You were too late-deal with it.
Kevin Berta-- Thank you for your very insightful look at the Oprah issue. Forget Tom Cruise and his Scientology, I think Oprah should start her own "look at me" religion. She could call it Oprahology. Then everyone could bow to her for good reason!
Sick of Celebrities
Kevin Kobets, Chicago-- As I was reading this story last week, I kept waiting for some " humiliating " injustice to be revealed about this incident. Once I reached the end of the article I found myself wondering how this was even news?
Of course I wasn't there to witness the event, but everything I have read so far seems fair. I don't know who she thinks she is, but c'mon, Oprah, get over yourself already. The store was closed, they were preparing for an event ...
I don't see the injustice that occurred here. Is there something that I am missing? Did they yell profanities at her in French and spit at her as she left?
I just don't get it. What's the big fuss about?
Terry Fagan -- I absolutely loved your piece! I am sick of celebrities thinking that their **** doesn't stink. I realize that famous people often do get special treatment-and that is fine. I consider it a perk for them. However, they should appreciate it when it happens, not simply expect it or have the nerve to get angry when it doesn't!
Daron Rodriguez, Cedar Rapids, Iowa--I wish more people would write about stuff like this as all celebrities think they should get preferential treatment. It's about time their treated like every other human being. They've got wads of money and glamour, and they can deal with what us "normal" citizens deal with on a daily basis.
God forbid they're inconvenienced like the rest of society and faced with challenges the almighty dollar won't do away with. Money is power, but also ignorance.
Ellen Grover, North Carolina-- I too was taken aback at her reaction, but celebrities here in the States feel they are privileged and don't hesitate to pull rank. My question is: why didn't someone in her "entourage" (a.k.a. Gayle King) call ahead to check on store hours or set up a special appointment for Ms. Winfrey to buy that present for Tina Turner?
And I agree that to wait to air this is a definite attempt to get the ratings that day. If this is one of her most humiliating experiences, I feel sorry for her!!! Give me a break.
Doug Stutzman--No one is going to open a store for the average man just because we want them to. These celebrities are spoiled rotten and need to grow up and understand the world doesn't revolve around then; or does it?
Maybe the real problem is Americans treat celebrities like royalty. I am really disgusted at the suggestion that not opening the store was racially motivated. I like Oprah and I am saddened that she would stoop to this level.
Cindy Pepple, Galena-- It's good someone finally said out loud what many of us have wanted to say even if it is the Divine Oprah. They wouldn't have let me in either, and I'm white.
In fact, I doubt I'd get much service even if they were open. They'd recognize the Wal-Mart wear and immediately realize I was in way over my head. Does that mean I'm being discriminated against?
Maybe people like me need a show about all the "crashing" that's going on that we just haven't noticed because we're so busy working, taking care of kids and trying to fit in our shopping while the stores are actually open. To think all this time we could have demanded that we get let into Target after hours because we should be treated the same as celebrities.
Thanks for the good work.
Anticipating the Upcoming "Oprah" Season
Jean Bandemer-- I ' m so happy that you wrote this article - I actually wrote to her on her web-site but I doubt if that would of gotten to her.
You pretty much said everything I did to her -the thing you left out was maybe she should be wearing a watch to tell time when the store was closing.
Thanks for writing that piece
Darren Malek Portage, Michigan-- So how much stuff do you think Hermes is going to be forced to give Oprah, her staff and her studio audience to keep from being scorched on her show?
No name--At least we pretty much know that this year's Oprah Show season opener won't be: "YOU get a Birken bag, and YOU get a Birken bag, and YOU get a Birken bag . . ."
Telling Tales
Chantel Riha-- I wrote Oprah years ago about meeting my terminally ill niece. At first I just wanted tickets, but was told my niece was too young, so I asked if Oprah would meet her, quickly, after a taping. I was told no.
Then Oprah decided to do a show about terminally ill children and the people close to them. Her producer called me and then my niece and asked questions. She (the producer) told my niece she would be on a show and meet Oprah.
A couple of weeks later when we had heard nothing else, my sister-in-law called. She was told they changed their minds, but the mailed my niece a coffee mug.
A coffee mug to a 10 year old with a fatal brain tumor.
So if Oprah didn't get her present I say good, what goes around comes around.
Patricia Pillow, Woodridge-- It was a few years back when my brother and I were at a restaurant in the City waiting for our table. It was a Saturday afternoon and we had been patiently waiting for 45 minutes.
The host had just announced that our table was ready, when all of a sudden the door blew open and in flies Oprah and parks herself at our table. My brother very graciously said: " Excuse me, but we were just given this table. "
She whips her head around and says: " Do you know who I am? " and my bro said, " I really do not care who you are; you are sitting at our table. "
Obviously, she did not like that response. " I am Oprah Winfrey. " We both exactly knew who she was, just testing the water. " This is my table and I am not moving, " said Oprah.
The host offered another table to us for an additional wait of 45 minutes, and we said, no, see ya, and will never be back.
So that's why I think she is obnoxious and nothing like how she thinks she portrays herself.
Thanks for listening. Hope you had a good laugh, I always do when I think about it.
The Defenders
Charles Baker --After reading your column on Oprah's incident at Hermes in Paris I was left with two trains of thought.
One thought is you are just another racist idiot.
After reflection my second thought was maybe being a White Male you can't understand the rage and humiliation of being treated like trash because of the color of your skin.
First off, Oprah was not refused admittance because the store was closed. She was refused admittance because she and some of her entourage are Black.
Your suggestion that she not do a show about the incident because it would have more impact now and her show shouldn't benefit is utter stupidity.
This woman has access to millions of homes and is adored by many. Why take the chance that some idiots in the media would change the story around to make it seem as she wronged Hermes or provoked this incident herself for financial gain (as you have tried to insinuate).
Oprah is one of the few who actually has the forum and experience to detail what exactly happened to her.
If Oprah can be the victim of racism than now maybe more people will understand how permeable racism is in society. Maybe after watching Oprah detail her humiliation, more victims of racism will stand up and hold the responsible parties accountable.
Too often minorities are afraid to stand up to racism because of fear that we will be accused of using the so-called "race card."
Also the time and expense of proving such allegations usually are just not worth it ... .
By trying to minimize Oprah's racist humiliating treatment you have only exemplified why she should address the situation herself on her show.
Hermes apologized because they were wrong and did not want to lose such an influential customer.
I applaud Oprah for not going along with Hermes whitewash lie of what happened. I also applaud her even more for refusing to shop anymore at Hermes.
Lastly I applaud her for not caving in to idiotic so-called journalists who want to demean her and begrudge her success.
As a middle-classAfrican American male I understand what it means to be a victim of racism as well as how much preservation, and faith it takes to overcome it. You do yourself and your readers a disservice by making the comments you have.
Shani Blackwell-- I realize it was a stretch for you to even imagine that Oprah ' s incident in Paris might have anything to do with race ... .But try to imagine that such a humiliation may not be something she wants to talk about right now.
And why exactly must Oprah help make her experience "a learning moment for us all. " I didn't know she had such a responsibility. This actually has nothing to do with Oprah, it transcends her. Her show maximizes the "learning moment for us all" as it reaches people who may otherwise think "racial incidents " are something out of "Mississippi Burning."
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Reggie Dean-- Eric Zorn/Mark Caro: One day some of you so called Journalists/bloggers (is there a difference?) will grow up. I don ' t appreciate the fact that you posted that silly blog from that Mark guy.
Oprah is a celebrity and she is in the public eye. In fact the public on a regular basis bombards her, therefore why shouldn ' t she be allowed the privileges that come with having celebrity status? Especially since other celebrities like, Donald Trump are allowed to flaunt their arrogance on a constant basis.
I am amazed at how bias some of you people can be when it comes to certain celebrities as opposed to the ones that you like personally. I realize more and more each day that there are a lot of jealous people who would love so see Oprah fall.
Guess what? It will never happen, so stop wishing. Stop trying to low-rate Ms. Winfrey. She is an outstanding individual, a quality that you rarely find in celebrities these days.
Hopefully one day you guys will be in the same category as Oprah, but I doubt it. It takes humility and a glorious spirit...characteristics that people like you and that Mark guy will never obtain.
No name-- I am more amazed than ever that all of a sudden people like yourself are using this incident to display all of the real deep-seeded hatred that you have toward Oprah. She didn ' t ask to be so successful and popular that it drives you silly; nor did she ask you how she should react to a situation that she feels deeply troubled by.
Remember last week she was kept out of Hermes in Paris, and to you it was no big deal...Next week she might be kept out of a hospital in Paris where she might bleed to death. You see she is striking a blow for fair and equal treatment not based upon her celebrity status as you suggest, but more based upon her non-celebritated [sic] race. African-American.
Finally, A Good Joke:
John Shack, Germantown, TN-- She had to buy a present for Tina Turner? Well, that makes all the difference in the world. It reminds me of a joke I heard about 30 years ago:
An elderly woman is standing by the seashore in Miami yelling: "Help! Help! My son the doctor is drowning!"
I think Caro is off base. Gayle King was with Oprah at the time. It's common practice for stores to have after hours for celebrities and other wealthy people.
Many of the people who take umbrage ath Oprah's claim of racism most likely never experienced any racism in their lives. As such, they don't know the subtle and infuriating ways people inflict it on others.
Let's think about this. Oprah is a billionaire. Why would she come forward and say this was racist unless she truly thought her experience was humiliating? There's no upside to her revealing this episode. She could have kept silent about it. Why would a powerful woman reveal that she was humiliated? Most powerful people don't expose their humiliations. They get revenge behind the scenes. Oprah could have called the company's CEO and complained until someone was fired. Instead, she told the public about this event to let people know that racism still affects even the most powerful person of color.
In another article talking about this event, the writer explained how other black/mixed-race people have encountered similar racism:
1) Condoleeza Rice was in a jewlery store and requested to look at diamond jewelery. The shopkeeper brought her costume jewlery.
2) Vanessa Williams was at formal gala wearing a gown when someone thought she was the made.
3) Danny Glover discussed his inability to get a cab in NYC.
4) Darius Rucker, lead vocalist of Hootie and Blowfish, is frequently searched and questioned when going through US Customs when returning from overseas.
The reality is that some Caucasians just can't empathize with the degradation of discrimination. They would rather delude themselves that people of color are paranoid about discrimination since "it's 2005 and surely there's no more racism." See no evil. Hear no evil. Speak no evil.
Posted: Thu 30 Jun 2005 14:40 Post subject: The poor, oppressed rich (Oprah)
All of these celebrity cases notwithstanding, these incidents do not prove that Oprah experienced racism in this instance; they only suggest that given past and present history of these kinds of incidents, people are willing to conclude racial discrimination in Oprah's case, including Oprah herself. This is like saying Tawana Brawley was really a rape victim because there have been black women who have been raped by white men. Or the black youth approaching me in the street is necessarily a mugger because my friend was mugged by a black youth last week.
Something to consider is the possibility that she expected the kind of star status treatment in France that she often receives here. She may not be as well known outside of the U.S., and not being known, the store was not willing to allow her to shop there after hours. Additionally, what may be a common practice here in the U.S. (the wealthy and famous shopping at stores after hours), may be uncommon or unheard of in other countries.
It should pointed out that many of the respondents to the article who thought this was an overreaction were black themselves and/or were cognizant that black people often face ill-treatment in upscale stores in this country. They were just unwilling to accept that this was necessarily the case with Oprah. Some also thought her claim that this was one of the most humiliating experiences of her life was overblown. I agree.
As a black woman from the south who is pushing 50, I suspect Oprah may have had experiences much more humiliating. Furthermore, she has gone on record in the mid 80s stating that upscale stores in Chicago would be wary of letting her and her entourage in during business hours if they were not dressed as if they had significant money to spend (this was before she became very popular in that city), which to me is much more humiliating that being denied access to an upscale store after hours in a foreign country where my celebrity status may not be common knowledge.
Oprah needs to stop "crying" about "alleged" incidents of "racism" that are questionable, and concentrate on her ignorance and open practice of a special brand of "racism" called ODR and its cousin Hypo descent.
Examples,
Oprah had Mariah Carey's mother on her show in which she practically saluted her for telling Mariah she is "black".
Oprah had Tiger Woods and, from mine and others observations, tried to subtly humiliate him by going over his choice of self-identification in a very condescending manner.
I know a saying that goes something like this; "Thats pretty bad, kind of like the pot calling the kettle black"
Joined: 16 Jun 2005 {Posts: 110 } Location: chicago
Posted: Fri 01 Jul 2005 18:43 Post subject:
Wortman_J wrote:
Quote:
oprah needs to get over it and stop crying wolf.
Amen, my friend.
Oprah needs to stop "crying" about "alleged" incidents of "racism" that are questionable, and concentrate on her ignorance and open practice of a special brand of "racism" called ODR and its cousin Hypo descent.
Examples,
Oprah had Mariah Carey's mother on her show in which she practically saluted her for telling Mariah she is "black".
Oprah had Tiger Woods and, from mine and others observations, tried to subtly humiliate him by going over his choice of self-identification in a very condescending manner.
I know a saying that goes something like this; "Thats pretty bad, kind of like the pot calling the kettle black"
My .02 worth
it's obvious that it bothers Oprah when someone like Tiger Woods dosen't consider themselves black.
Given that Oprah has had Mariah and Tiger on her show a number of times, I don't think that either one of them has a problem with her.
I recall when Tiger was first on her show, she wasn't condescending but expressed curiousity because in her generation people thought a different way. In terms of Mariah, Oprah had her on to talk to other biracial children.
Moreover, why is it so easy to believe the worst about her? Until she's spoken herself, shouldn't we withhold recriminations against her? Oprah's friend Gayle King was in France when the incident occurred. King explained that things were un-Kosher.
Why do we want to assume the worst about Oprah or other celebrities when they say something bad has occurred to them? Because someone is wealthy or successful doesn't diminish their human capacity to feel pain. What does Oprah have to gain from going public? She doesn't need public sympathy when she has public adoration. The ratings for her show have never been higher. She made $250 million in 2004. What benefit does she get from this?
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