Shopping While Black--- Doesn't matter if you are a billionaire

[amarain]

BP, like I said, I am inclined to believe the store because Oprah's story makes no sense. She (her people, whatever) is saying that the clerk and the manager knew who she was, flat out said "we know who you are," but refused to let her in "because they've had a problem with North Africans lately". So they deliberately offend one of their wealthiest and most influential customers solely because they are just so incredibly racist they would rather get bad publicity and hurt their business than refrain from making an offensive remark.

[_____]

BP, like I said, I am inclined to believe the store because Oprah's story makes no sense. She (her people, whatever) is saying that the clerk and the manager knew who she was, flat out said "we know who you are," but refused to let her in "because they've had a problem with North Africans lately". So they deliberately offend one of their wealthiest and most influential customers solely because they are just so incredibly racist they would rather get bad publicity and hurt their business than refrain from making an offensive remark.

But if they knew who she was, why would they even bring up North Africans?

Anyone who knows who Oprah is KNOWS she isn't North African, and so keeping her out due to problems with North Africans would be a moot point.

I'm sure this sort of thing is a problem, but this particular instance strikes me as a stretch...

[One Step Ahead]

BP, like I said, I am inclined to believe the store because Oprah's story makes no sense. She (her people, whatever) is saying that the clerk and the manager knew who she was, flat out said "we know who you are," but refused to let her in "because they've had a problem with North Africans lately". So they deliberately offend one of their wealthiest and most influential customers solely because they are just so incredibly racist they would rather get bad publicity and hurt their business than refrain from making an offensive remark.

But if they knew who she was, why would they even bring up North Africans?

Anyone who knows who Oprah is KNOWS she isn't North African, and so keeping her out due to problems with North Africans would be a moot point.

I'm sure this sort of thing is a problem, but this particular instance strikes me as a stretch...

hmm

store clerk: Madame, ce n'est pas possible
Oprah (or most likely someone her entourage) Mais Monsieur, vous ne rendez pas compte de qui vous parlez
store clerk: si, je sais.  mais je ne peux rien fait pour vous.

[_____]

hmm

store clerk: Madame, ce n'est pas possible
Oprah (or most likely someone her entourage) Mais Monsieur, vous ne rendez pas compte de qui vous parlez
store clerk: si, je sais.  mais je ne peux rien fait pour vous.

ooh, ooh, did I get it right?

Clerk: Maam, that is not possible.

O or entourage: But sir, you don't understand who you're talking to.

Clerk: Yes, I know.  But I don't [ won't do this ? ] for you.

[One Step Ahead]

hmm

store clerk: Madame, ce n'est pas possible
Oprah (or most likely someone her entourage) Mais Monsieur, vous ne rendez pas compte de qui vous parlez
store clerk: si, je sais.  mais je ne peux rien fait pour vous.

ooh, ooh, did I get it right?

Clerk: Maam, that is not possible.

O or entourage: But sir, you don't understand who you're talking to.

Clerk: Yes, I know.  But I don't [ won't do this ? ] for you.

Yes, I know but I can't do anything for you (my hands are tied)

[_____]

hmm

store clerk: Madame, ce n'est pas possible
Oprah (or most likely someone her entourage) Mais Monsieur, vous ne rendez pas compte de qui vous parlez
store clerk: si, je sais.  mais je ne peux rien fait pour vous.

ooh, ooh, did I get it right?

Clerk: Maam, that is not possible.

O or entourage: But sir, you don't understand who you're talking to.

Clerk: Yes, I know.  But I don't [ won't do this ? ] for you.

Yes, I know but I can't do anything for you (my hands are tied)

Ahhh... Speaking Spanish is so handy--you can basically understand French, Italian, and Portugese... YAY

[amarain]

A new version of this story is saying that Oprah was in her limo the whole time. One of her entourage went up to the store, told them that an American journalist wanted to shop, and she was told that it was not possible, she would have to come another time. According to this account, Oprah never got out of her limo and the Hermes people never knew who it was.

[One Step Ahead]

When I worked in retail, we counted down the minutes til closing time.  Screw you, Oprah and your late night shopping spree.  My feet are killing me and I want to get home to my kids.   

I think it is pretty clear that they did it because they've had “a problem with North Africans lately.”  granted the French can be very anal about closing times, but I guarantee you if Tom Cruise had shown up they would have been fawning all over themselves to help him

I don't think this is necessarily true.  I'm quite sure someone in the store knew who Oprah was.  The French tend to be VERY snobby about certain types of things, and waiting on rich Americans, regardless of their race, is one of them.  French nationalism excludes everyone non-French, not just Africans.  If it had been an Italian, Japanese, Hispanic or Brit in there, they'd have done the same thing (if in fact, they hadn't really shut down for a private event). 

I can also tell you that after working in retail for several years, when the store's closed, the store's closed.  GET OUT because I don't get paid overtime for your inability to make a quick decision, even if you are Oprah Winfrey.  Frankly I find it more annoying that she'd have used her celebrity status to make a store stay open past closing anyway. 

I don't think we want to have a run-off contest on who has a better understanding behind the underlying discourse surrounding French nation.  Suffice it to say that it is HIGHLY doubtful that an Italian would be treated that way given the common latin heritage as well as long history of Italian settlement in France.  Many French people can trace their origins in the movement of Spanish, Italian, and even Polish immigration so necessary for the Frech workforce in the wake of losing many of their potential workforce is the 'Grande Guerre.'  The Japanese are wildly regarded as the backbone of the French tourism industry.  Hispanic -American you might be somewhat on the right track.  But if you are taking Spain, Argentina, again the latin influence is still strong.  I find the more melanin in one's skin the more the French are able to play with the imaginary of what consitutes citizenship.  It is easy to pretend that all of our ancestors are the Gaullois (as no doubt I'm sure, you realize all French students as well as students in the various DOM-TOMs were taught) when the person *looks* like he could be decendant.  Much harder to say it to the Senegalese boy with a straight face.  

[angelus]

I smell a book or tv deal on racism starring oprah, written by oprah, directed by oprah.
This may have been a cleverly planned publicity stunt.

just looking at all the options.

[One Step Ahead]

Yeah, making accommodations like this for celebs is totally standard.  It is odd that they didn't care if Opera talked up their handbags.

They frankly don't need another celebrity talking up their handbags.  They're Heremes. They've been around before Oprah, and they'll be around long after no one cares what bag she has.  I was just at Louis Vuitton and they have an inch thick binder filled with tabloid cutouts so people can figure out which bag they saw which star with and buy it.  I'm sure Heremes isn't going to be that hurt if Oprah starts carrying Chanel instead. 

Yeah, I'm sure it was that kind of attitude that got them where they are.  Look, it's definitely not the smartest way to go to piss off ANY celeb...esp. one like Oprah to whom other celebs listen.  How much you wanna bet her friend Julia Roberts stops shopping there too?

I hate to break it to you, but they look at EVERYONE that way in those kinds of stores. I'm white as can be and I feel incredibly uncomfortable at those high end places, even when I'm there to actually shop. There's also a huge difference in the way someone carries themselves and presents themselves. If I walk into Gucci wearing Adidas pants and a tshirt, I don't get looked at the same way I do when I walk in wearing a leather coat and button-down. There are always black people in the Louis store nearest me, and the ones who look like they have money are treated with kid gloves, and the rest (black and white) aren't. There are black women in there all the time dressed to the nines, and they have salespeople drooling over them. I also guarantee that if I took my lily-white self to a store in an all black neighborhood, I'd get more than a few looks.

Racism and skepticism is not a white or black characteristic. It affects everyone.

I hate to break it to you, but I'm not just referring to Hermes-esque places here.  When was the last time you were followed around a fish market?  Happened to me more than once.

Yes, people might look at you funny if you walked into a Black-owned establishment in a Black neighborhood.  But how often do you shop there?  Conversely, if I want to eat I have to go to a White-owned grocery store.  If I want clothes, I go to the White man's store.  If I want hair products, even in my own neighborhood, the Koreans own them - and they even follow us around?  Racism and skepticism may affect us all, but they *hardly* affect us equally.

watch out Mobell.  you are starting to get a little militant there.