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Many minorities identify with rebuffed Oprah's tale (LAUGH ALERT)
cHICAGO Sun-Times ^ | June 29, 2005 | ERIN TEXERIA

Posted on 06/29/2005 4:48:44 AM PDT by Chi-townChief

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 who say they are routinely treated poorly -- and sometimes with outright suspicion -- by sales staffs in this country.

The Winfrey case has sparked discussion of what many see as a chronic problem for minorities -- particularly in high-end stores -- no matter how educated, wealthy or accomplished the customer.

''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.

The incident occurred when Winfrey stopped by Hermes in Paris 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'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.''

'Clearly bigoted'

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.''

Emil Wilbiken, former editor of Vibe magazine, said it's not uncommon for black celebrities to receive poor treatment at high-end stores. 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,'' Wilbiken said. AP


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: doperah; doprah
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''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.

Just a second there, Brucie - this happened in highly sophisticated and tolerant Gay Paree so you better address your question to the French Fries.
1 posted on 06/29/2005 4:48:45 AM PDT by Chi-townChief
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To: Chi-townChief
Winfrey's friend, Gayle King, who was there, told "Entertainment Tonight," ''Oprah describes it as 'one of the most humiliating moments of her life.'''

If true... then: what a sheltered, pampered little media princess!

2 posted on 06/29/2005 4:52:13 AM PDT by KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle ("As a conservative site, Free Republic is pro-G-d, PRO-LIFE..." -- FR founder Jim Robinson)
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To: Chi-townChief
The incident occurred when Winfrey stopped by Hermes in Paris 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.

Yup, sounds like the poor woman was profiled.

3 posted on 06/29/2005 4:52:16 AM PDT by fml
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To: Chi-townChief

Maybe, just maybe there really was a private public-relations event taking place there, just like they said.

If someone - or a company - had paid big money to rent a store for a PR event after it was already closed and then a rich-person who happens to be a celebrity comes strolling by, without calling beforehand and demands to be let it, why is this such a big deal?

Are Oprah's ratings slipping? Does she need an excuse to look for some additioal PR here? Maybe its sweeps week coming up. There is more to this story and Hermes is going to suffer so Oprah gets some more viewers for a while.

But, I am glad that rich minorities are paying to this issue rather than something boring like genocide in Darfur.


4 posted on 06/29/2005 4:55:09 AM PDT by Einigkeit_Recht_Freiheit (“There is a law – a law of nature. Man is not the ruler.")
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To: Chi-townChief

If she were muslim this would have never happened.


5 posted on 06/29/2005 4:55:46 AM PDT by TGOGary (I would blow my brains out before ever wearing a blue beret!)
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To: Chi-townChief

Rich & powerful Oprah is used to locked doors being opened for her, so when they aren't, that's racism.


6 posted on 06/29/2005 4:56:41 AM PDT by RightWinger
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To: Chi-townChief

I remember when COSTCO wouldn't let me in because they were closing. There were people still inside too! I was never so humiliated in all my life.


7 posted on 06/29/2005 4:57:47 AM PDT by NotSoFreeStater
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To: Chi-townChief

No doubt the shop wouldn't have re-opened for me either. Must be because I'm a woman.


8 posted on 06/29/2005 4:58:19 AM PDT by anniegetyourgun
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To: fml

luv the media. I actually thought she was profiled in paris. Now I see it probably wasn't the case.


9 posted on 06/29/2005 5:00:11 AM PDT by traviskicks (http://www.neoperspectives.com/scotuspropertythieving.htm)
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To: Chi-townChief

It was France. Maybe they didn't let her in because she's American. Just a thought.


10 posted on 06/29/2005 5:00:50 AM PDT by EmilyGeiger
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To: Chi-townChief

The media is trying to turn a French racism problem into an American problem. Next it will be Bush's fault. The MSM is flipping this from the hypocrisy of those who opposed our response to 9/11 to our own alleged racism.


11 posted on 06/29/2005 5:00:58 AM PDT by Praxeologue
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To: NotSoFreeStater

LOL


12 posted on 06/29/2005 5:01:02 AM PDT by traviskicks (http://www.neoperspectives.com/scotuspropertythieving.htm)
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To: Chi-townChief

I often get stopped at the door, on my way to Tiffany's. The clerks tell me it's because of my meager bank account, but I know it's because I'm black!


13 posted on 06/29/2005 5:01:18 AM PDT by rabidralph
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To: Chi-townChief
''Puffy sends his people ahead to stores and shuts them down so he can shop privately, so this kind of thing doesn't happen,''

What if Oprah wants to shop while Puff Daddy is in the store?

Oprah leads a march of angry millionaires:


14 posted on 06/29/2005 5:02:39 AM PDT by Alouette (The only thing learned from history is that nobody ever learns from history.)
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To: Chi-townChief; hellinahandcart

"DiversityInc."

RETCH!!!


15 posted on 06/29/2005 5:02:58 AM PDT by sauropod (Polite political action is about as useful as a miniskirt in a convent -- Claire Wolfe)
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To: anniegetyourgun
How Oprah Winfrey sees herself:


16 posted on 06/29/2005 5:03:44 AM PDT by KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle ("As a conservative site, Free Republic is pro-G-d, PRO-LIFE..." -- FR founder Jim Robinson)
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To: traviskicks
It will be interesting to see if Oprah ramps up her race card. I'm thinking that if she goes way black, all of a sudden, the money machine might hit a speed bump. It could be interesting.
17 posted on 06/29/2005 5:03:56 AM PDT by Thebaddog (Dawgs off the coffee table.)
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To: EmilyGeiger
Maybe they didn't let her in because she's American.

This was certainly true in Japan when I was last there in the late 1960s. There were plenty of restaurants and stores displaying signs saying "No Americans".

18 posted on 06/29/2005 5:05:09 AM PDT by JoeGar
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To: Chi-townChief

Wow, imaging what would happen if all of Oprah's lackeys stopped supporting upscale boutiques.

THEY DON'T SHOP THERE.


19 posted on 06/29/2005 5:05:45 AM PDT by AbeKrieger (Islam is the virus that causes al-Qaeda.)
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To: Chi-townChief

Recently I became irritated that a Subway had closed at 8 PM, alegedly for workers high school graduation, rather than 10 PM. I was left outside with my wife annoyed we couldn't grab a sand wich. So using Oprah's logic they must have premptively closed in a racist response to the fact my wife is Russian right?


20 posted on 06/29/2005 5:06:02 AM PDT by kharaku (G3)
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