Real nice. Make a thread about unsubstantiated gossip while injecting borderline racist terms that were never funny in the first place. Why the outrage over this? It is clear someone is lying, but I have a hard time believing Oprah would have any reason to slander a Paris boutique that she could buy and sell many times over if she wanted to. I’m not aware of her lying about anything like this, and it wouldn’t make any sense to. The first account of the story includes the following quotes:
The store’s account is as follows:
While it is clear someone it lying, I doubt it’s Oprah’s people. First, if they had recognized her as Oprah Winfrey, the billionaire media magnate, would they have let her in despite their having to set up a PR event? I’m 99% sure they would have because she probably would have spent an absurd amount of money. Most businesses that sell overpriced designer stuff cater to celebrities, and I see no reason why they wouldn’t do the same for her if they recognized her. I think her version makes more sense because I can’t imagine they would turn a billionaire celebrity away no matter what was going on inside. In fact, I’m kinda surprised she didn’t make them aware of who she is, to gain entry. All you people saying she expects to be catered to and is self obsessed should think about that. Had she gone up to the people and said, “I’m Oprah Winfrey,” what do you think would have happened?
All the evidence leads me to believe they didn’t recognize her, and turned her away. You guys keep implying that Oprah’s people made it a race thing. The race factor was reported by the New York Post after, in all likelihood, speaking to someone on the inside (or just making it up because, after all, the Post is a shit newspaper). They don’t say that Oprah’s people said they were told they were “having a problem with North Africans lately.”
I’m sure you can find plenty of valid reasons to hate Oprah without having to make them up.
Harpo Production is Oprah’s production company. The production company she owns. A spokeswoman for Harpo Productions said it was race related. THAT’S why we keep saying Oprah’s people made it into a race thing.
You know, I used to really hate Oprah, back in the eighties and early nineties, when I figured she was just a run-of-the-mill daytime chat-show host.
Over the last couple of decades, though, it kind of crept in by osmosis that she’s an awesome Force For Good in the world. (I think the first chinks in my anti-Oprah armour came when the resentment I felt that so many great books had “Oprah’s Book Club” emblems printed on them slowly gave way to the understanding that they were there because she was actively promoting capital “L” Literature.)
Then I began to realize that whenever I noticed her, it was because she was on the right side of something.
I don’t watch daytime TV, but I’m glad Oprah’s there. She kicks ass.
I don’t believe for a second that she’d have any part of racializing an innocent incident. She’s just not an “Us vs Them” person. Not at all.
There is a lot of ethnic tension regarding North Africans in France right now – much of it stemming from anxiety about radical Islam. It’s much easier for me to believe that a Hermes employee feared that the attempt to come in at the end of the day was part of a possible robbery (or terror) plot and had a disconnect between his/her brain and tongue than to believe that Oprah would vindictively fabricate a racial element, which couldn’t be farther from the character that she has consistently displayed for decades.
–taps fingers impatiently on the interrogation room table-- I suppose you’re now going to tell us all that you didn’t know there was a store called The Loop, right??? :rolleyes:
As far as Oprah goes, feh. There are many more insidious and negative and dangerous elements on American television than she. She’s not harmless, but she’s also not harmful, IMHO.
I’m with Larry Mudd, and for much the same reason. As much as I like making fun of daytime talk show hosts, when I realized that Oprah was using her influence to get the slack-jawed masses to read things like “100 Year of Solitude” and “Anna Karenina,” all my resistances melted. I mean, that’s just fookin’ cool, no matter how you spin it.
shakes head This is just plain disgusting, even for Oprah. And even worse, Hermes conceded to her to protect themselves from being percieved as racists. Say the word, and I will release vitriol with impunity in the Pit.
OR… it was race related and her feelings were cemented after she read the Post article. You are basing your judgment on something that hasn’t happened yet. She hasn’t said a word about it as far as I know.
What’s more likely.
A. That they told the black woman they were discriminating against that they were having problems with North Africans.
B. That they told a black woman they knew to be Oprah that they were having problems with NAs.
C. Oprah made the whole thing up
D. Oprah felt as though her appearance (no makeup, etc.) and race was a major factor in her being told she could not shop there, and then had those feelings confirmed when she read the articles about the incident.
Unless you believe that Oprah made the whole thing up, there would be no reason for any employee there to have told Oprah that they were having problems with NAs. That, IMO, came from an employee after the fact. It was probably along the lines of, “Oh my God, my dumbass boss though Oprah was one of those North Africans we have been having problems with. What’s Liz Smith’s number!”
There is no good reason Oprah would have publicized this, or lied about what happened. I repeat, the injection of race into this was not Oprah’s fault. If the NA thing came from her camp, they would have said so. Just because Oprah might decide to talk about the possible racial aspect of it on a show that won’t be on for months means nothing. Initially, Oprah’s people didn’t comment on the story at all.
I’m not willing to call anyone as powerful and influential as Oprah harmless. Her potential for harm is incredible, and, I would argue, insidious is a great word for it. As others have said, Oprah says the word, and an author is made or broken. Oprah for all I know has been self-monitoring fairly well so far. What would happen if she one day decided not to?
Do you really think Oprah would pull a stunt like the one you suggest? Oprah has never made a big deal about race. She has never tried to use her race to her advantage. She hasn’t lied about things to gain power or influence. Sure, her show can be fluffy, but a lot of people appreciate it, and she has dedicated plenty of her time and money to help others. She’s helped everyone from African orphans to struggling authors and restaurateurs. What more do you want from the lady. I don’t get what exists in people to make them hate Oprah other than being a jealous joyless prick. Or any other celebrity that for that matter. I’m not saying you have to love her or her show, but all this vitriol is misplaced. You guys should direct it toward someone who has actually done something to deserve it.
How about: E. Somebody from Oprah’s company managed to get hold of some random employee of the store in question, who mentioned a ‘problem with north Africans’.
Which is what they should have done, since they had been closed for fifteen minutes, and Oprah is a complete twat for expecting them to cater to her whims, even if they HAD recognized her.
Race problem my ass-they were closed and that was that.
IMO, as I mentionned above, it would have got her a blank stare… Hopra Who???
I looked at her picture, and she doesn’t look north-african. So, I don’t see why they would have turned her down for this reason.
And despite you stating that she would have no reason to make a fuss about a shop she could easily buy many times over, I personnally have no problem picturing someone, wealthy or not being pissed off just because he doesn’t get the special priviledges he somehow thinks he’s entitled too.
If she actually came up after opening times, she has zero basis for complaining (even though I’m pretty certain they would have accomodated a celebrity had they knew she was one).
The African diamond industry is a nasty, ruthless, bloody EVIL entity, it is a cancer on the continent of Africa. The African people are being brutally murdered and mutilated just for some shiny rocks. If Oprah cares about African orphans, perhaps she shouldn’t be supporting the very people who oppress them.
I’m reminded of the Jane Goodall Institute’s response to Gary Larson’s cartoon with the female ape grooming the male ape and going, “Well well well… another blonde hair. Conducting some more ‘research’ with that Jane Goodall tramp?” They threw a hissy fit and sent threatening letters, but failed to ascertain the fact that Jane Goodall herself loved the cartoon.
