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See, the whole light skin-dark skin thing is mostly a Slave Trade/America's thing...where lighter skinned blacks/biracials were favored. This is Switzerland which had nothing to do with the Slave Trade.
Yes, in most countries, lighter skin among black populations is reveared as more beautiful but it's not an indicator of the ability/willingness to buy an overpriced purse. So I doubt skin tones within a black population would have much to do with anything.
Plus, Blacks (of any skin tone) in Switzerland are very rare so it's obvious that any Black person in that country is likely on vacation and has a decent amount of disposable income.
Not if you're a soldier stationed on a base in Germany. I'm guessing that's where the assumptions came in--if you're in Europe and you're a black American, you have to be with the military. It's a terrible stereotype to make, but I'm guessing that's where it comes from.
We will never have a definitive answer because we weren't there witnessing this exchange. So many people are taking Oprah's word for what happened. It is her interpretation of what happened.
I was wondering how Tina Turner feels about all this. We'll never know. This is Tina's home where she's built a life since the 1990s. Then her "friend" comes barreling into town and causes this commotion. Bummer for Tina!
Oprah has zero reason to lie about this incident. ZERO. She had nothing to gain from it.
I do think Oprah is a smart businesswoman whose network ain't doing too well and who saw the ratings increases for networks focusing on the Martin/ Zimmerman fiasco and might realize racism sells.
Simple answer. Have you ever been shopping in or around the Rodeo Dr. area? If you have, then you have probably experienced this sort of behavior yourself. It doesn't matter how you look, the clerks in the stores almost seem trained to be snobby and as unhelpful as possible. I do know this from experience. If they didn't see you pull up in front of the store in an expensive automobile that was then parked by a servant, they don't have time for you. It's not racism, you can be any color and receive this treatment. They are discriminating based on their perception of your wealth, not your color.
And most of the Europeans I know are much more "blunt" than Americans in certain things like this. It's not rude. It's not better or worse. It's simply culturally different in some places, and that's without even considering that a language barrier may have played a part.
It is not this sales clerk job to decide which customers can and can not see the $38k bag, it is her job to retrieve merchandise at a customer's request, provide additional information about the items and to complete transactions. Nothing more, nothing less.
Actually, it is up to the owner of the store what the saleswoman's job includes. The owner has sided with her employee. You pay her, you decide. Otherwise, myob.
Oprah has zero reason to lie about this incident. ZERO. She had nothing to gain from it.
Actually, these days, there's plenty to gain by playing the racism card. But I for one wouldn't say she's lying. I think she probably genuinely felt she was treated differently because of her color. I just don't think that was the actual reason, as I explained in my previous post. I could be wrong though, it has happened before
Well this is the issue for people in the public eye these days, isn't it? I mean, if she wants to use the opportunity to call attention to racism, she faces potential criticism. If she says nothing, then that raises other issues. It's like Jamie Foxx wearing that T-Shirt. At what point is a black celebrity/politician/whatever expressing an opinion that has something to do with race a "problem"? At what point is any celebrity expressing an opinion of something racially charged a "problem"? No matter what they do, they cheese someone off. So what are they supposed to do? I dunno.
Yes, and it's not just limited to Oprah. Gwyneth Paltrow didn't do much better with her must-have spring wardrobe that was a half-million dollars. I dunno. I just think right in the wake of all the recent controversy, a conversation over a $40K purse was not the one that needed attention called to the race card. And I'm okay agreeing to disagree on that one. I'm also saddened and disappointed because I've always thought pretty highly of Oprah. I knew she was rich, but I thought we had a lot of the same values. This has completely opened my eyes to how she really is, and not in a good way.
Quote:
Originally Posted by calipoppy
It is not this sales clerk job to decide which customers can and can not see the $38k bag, it is her job to retrieve merchandise at a customer's request, provide additional information about the items and to complete transactions. Nothing more, nothing less.
That's true only if the store's policy is that any old person off the street may handle any piece of merchandise. Including a 12 year old girl. Including a homeless person who walked in. Including someone like me who has no means to purchase it.
We don't know the store's policy. I am assuming they probably have something in place or else who would ever pay for a $40K bag that thousands of people had handled and potentially damaged?
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