OPRAH- It's Not Because You Were Black! Get the Hell Over It! (lame)

The BBQ Pit
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A lame rant about classism perceived as racism:

Oprah announced through her publicisit that she will dedicate an episode to what happened to her at Hermes in Paris. For those who aren’t familiar with the story, Oprah attempted to shop at Hermes and the clerks and managers all came out, yelled racial epithets, pelted her with rocks and garbage, chased her down the Champs d’Elysee while wearing Klan robes and farted in her general direction.

Oh sorry, the above is a typo: it should read "Oprah attempted to shop at Hermes and the clerks would not let her into the store AFTER HOURS and give her SPECIAL TREATMENT. Quelle horreur… first Rosa Parks and now this. When will we put the hatred behind us.
OPRAH, Boopaleh— I am white. I am, like, really really white- my skin sends light beams yelling for their Mama. I will wager you your choice of my kidneys that if I knocked on the doors of an exclusive expensive boutique in Paris AFTER THEY WERE CLOSED and asked to be let in to buy my friend Tina Turner a bag (because Tina Turner can’t buy her own expensive goods, poor thing), they would treat me as or significantly more “rudely” than they did you. It’s not race: it’s because they don’t know me and I don’t look rich (mainly because I’m not).

Now, you’re in that odd level of fame just like Johnny Carson was: there’s maybe a few thousand Americans who don’t recognize you, while at the same time there are only a few thousand Europeans who do recognize you. If I were a business owner and you wanted me to open the shop for you at 3:15 a.m. rest assured I would most certainly do it, not because I love your show (I don’t) but because it’s generally known that you’re richer than God.
The French clerks didn’t know that.
Paris has long enjoyed the reputation of being one of the least racist cities on the Earth- it’s where black people like James Baldwin and Josephine Baker went to get away from racism. If you didn’t know that their high end boutiques are snooty to people they think aren’t rich, then shame on you. But get off your freaking Super Sized cross baby because no one wants to see you in a loincloth.

It’s not because you’re black, it’s because they didn’t know you were rich and famous. You’re not pissed because you were discriminated against, you’re pissed because you didn’t receive PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT. You’re being an ass and making Americans look bad, and frankly Hermes is a lot nicer than I am in that they gave you an apology while I’d have said “Look baby, the store was CLOSED! Yes, there were people in there shopping- it was prearranged.” It wasn’t personal, it wasn’t racist, it was arguably classist, but whatever it was the damage was Tina Turner didn’t get a handbag.

:rolleyes:

First she has to go onstage and sing after Ike has broken her jaw, now this. How does she keep coming back?

Oprah, go back to explaining chakras to housewives and praising books you haven’t read and giving handjobs to already over exposed celebrities who are just as self important as you are and leave real racial discrimination to the ACLU, NAACP and other acronyms. There are no eyes weeping for you.

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Indeed.

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Thanks for writing this. Your eloquent vitriol is a shining beacon for we paltry mortals. Plus Oprah is a mildewed dessert item prepared with the use of too much olive oil and low-quality baker’s chocolate.

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…I know I’d seen this before I wrote my piece of praise…
Well, whatever, this is still a well-written Pit thread. :slight_smile:

[sub]cough I double post too much… cough Must learn how to function without the ability to edit my posts… cough[/sub]

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Tina is keeping her car keys and lipstick in an old paper bag because Oprah couldn’t get her one from Hermès in time!

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I actually like Oprah, but she has been known to have a weighty finger or two on the hair-trigger of racism, as when she interviewed the infamous Omarosa, and gave her one-sided delusional story much undeserved airtime. However, this from the article’s linked article…

…reminded me of a scene from the Brady Bunch movie. Marsha has a sudden realization and exclaims, “Oh, my gosh! I’ve told two boys that I’ll go to the dance with them. This is the worst mess I’ve ever gotten myself into! Ever!”

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Oops! (I only checked in the Pit because it seemed more Pittable.)

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Oprah is a wimp.

Tina Turner would have busted down the door and kicked some Parisian ass.

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I’m picturing Tina as The Acid Queen Who Says NIH!

“I demand a… handbag! From Hermes… something in a basic color with a change compartment and not too expensive” and poor Oprah must bring it before she’s allowed to do the Interview.

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I’m sure that in France, there’s a musician or a TV host or some other celebrity known by almost everyone inside the country. That celebrity really, really, really needs to go to the filming of Oprah’s Very Special Episode and demand to be let into the studio audience. They need to have some hidden cameras with them, filming their attempt.

Daniel

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Perhaps Oprah should have gone for one of these. Cheap, practical, colorful, and oh-so-very French. :wink:

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I’d like to see Tina and Oprah go at it to the death in a cage.
Two divas enter. One diva leave.

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Sampiro, how on earth do you know what happened? Were you there? I’m not being a dick, but this is a classic “who do you believe” situation.

Are you aware that boutiques like Hermes routinely open up after hours for celebrities so the they don’t have mix with the great unwashed and/or the papparazzi?

Maybe Oprah is being a prima donna. Maybe the store people thought she was a North African shoplifter. Who knows?

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In spike heels.

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The point, as the OP oh-so-clearly explained, is that the French DON’T KNOW WHO OPRAH IS. She is not famous in Paris.

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So because they do on occasion, they’re obligated to whenever anyone asks, ever?

I’ve driven friends a couple hours to Chicago when they were in need before, does that mean I have to open up a taxi service and come when anyone calls?

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Are you still on this? Nobody besides Oprah and Hermes knows what happened. It is very possible that she was discriminated against because she is black. I wouldn’t be the first time a high-end store did something like that, and it won’t be the last. Her story is far more plausible than what the store is claiming. Why don’t you wait until she actually talks about the incident on her show before you claim she is lying.

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Yep. Apparently, worse than being raped and molested by a relative.

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According to Agence France-Presse, that’s not true. Her empire is global, and her show airs in more than 100 countries, including France. The store clerks recognized her.

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IIRC, when asked about the incident, the store manager apologized and said “We’ve been having problems with North Africans lately,” as if that were an excuse.

Sounds like racism to me.

–Cliffy