Oprah has pulled the race card before .. just in time for a movie release in the past.

[lostinblue 1,989]

Luxury store apologizes to Oprah Hermes' Paris store had rebuffed talk show host

Wednesday, June 22, 2005 Posted: 2348 GMT (0748 HKT)

A spokeswoman says Oprah Winfrey will discuss the incident on air when her show resumes production.

(CNN) -- Luxury store Hermes on Wednesday apologized to Oprah Winfrey for turning her away last week, saying that its Paris store was closed to set up for a public relations event when the talk show host stopped by.

"Hermes regrets not having been able to accommodate Ms. Winfrey and her team and to provide her with the service and care that Hermes strives to provide to each and every one of its customers worldwide," the store said in a statement.

"Hermes apologizes for any offense taken due to such circumstances."

The store said the incident occurred on June 14 around 6:45 p.m., about 15 minutes after the store closed. It said Winfrey and her team arrived at a time when "a private PR event was being set up inside."

Harpo Productions spokeswoman Michelle McIntyre said Winfrey "will discuss her 'crash moment' when her show returns from hiatus in September."

"Crash" is a film dealing with race relations. The phrase "crash moment" refers to situations where a party feels discriminated against on the basis of skin color.

The New York Daily News cited sources close to Winfrey as saying the talk show host was first rebuffed by a clerk and then a store manager. The Daily News reported Winfrey had gone to the store to buy a watch for singer Tina Turner, her dining partner that night.

McIntyre confirmed that account for CNN.

The New York Post, in its Monday Page Six gossip column, reported she was turned away because the store had been "having a problem with North Africans lately."

In comments to CNN, an Hermes spokeswoman categorically denied that allegation.

"There was never any discussion of North Africans," she said. "The story is not true."

The spokeswoman said Winfrey came to the store 15 minutes after closing and a security guard informed her the store was closed and gave her a card, telling her she could come back the next day.

Surveillance videotape of the encounter supports the store's account, according to the spokeswoman.

She said the CEO of Hermes has called Winfrey's people to explain "the situation" and invited her to come back to shop in the store.

In 2005 while trying to draw attention to another race driven movie, The Crash, she had almost an identical claim. The 2005 victim of her accusations was located in Paris, France. The store was “Hermes”:

Last week Oprah Winfrey claimed she encountered racism in Switzerland while shopping for $30,000+ purses.

She made these claims while trying to draw attention to her soon-to-be-released movie “The Butler”; another race-based grievance movie.

Two weeks ago, drumming up attention toward her movie, Oprah Winfrey made the bizarre claim that millions of African Americans were lynched. Millions. The true figure is 4,743 with one in four being white (1882-1968).

http://edition.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/TV/06/22/oprah.apology/

Edited August 14, 2013 by lostinblue

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

The clerk denies it so if you believe Oprah you are racist.

Anyway the story is not plausible. Black woman goes into a store and is happily looking at $28,000 PURSES and then asks to see a $38,000 PURSE and the clerk says "No, I tnink that is too expensive for you"

THAT's racist? I mean it isn't like the other purses were $5.99 So what is the cut-off point for it being racism? Any purse above $30,000? Yeah, anything above $30,000 for a PURSE, is not for black people. Right.

This nonsense is not even in the realm of possibility. Retail hacks will step all over their dicks to apologize to customers when they did nothing wrong, so will tourist offices. So what?

Its Oprah's word against a little, hard working clerk.

[Darnell 8,478]

cool. two events make a pattern. Yay!

So, for OW to follow the advice of her publicist, I'm so happy !!!!

Keep stirring the pot, there will be more.

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

The clerk denies it so if you believe Oprah you are racist.

Anyway the story is not plausible. Black woman goes into a store and is happily looking at $28,000 PURSES and then asks to see a $38,000 PURSE and the clerk says "No, I tnink that is too expensive for you"

THAT's racist? I mean it isn't like the other purses were $5.99 So what is the cut-off point for it being racism? Any purse above $30,000? Yeah, anything above $30,000 for a PURSE, is not for black people. Right.

This nonsense is not even in the realm of possibility. Retail hacks will step all over their dicks to apologize to customers when they did nothing wrong, so will tourist offices. So what?

Its Oprah's word against a little, hard working clerk.

So what basis does the clerk have for telling Oprah or anyone for that matter what they can't afford? Please explain why she couldn't afford it.

[Peikko 1,575]

I have zero interest in Oprah and her doings, but is it possible to criticise the things people do without using pejorative language? It is very offputting to read 'pull the race card' every time a black person does something you do not agree with. There are many genuinely discriminatory actions that take place and to just dismiss it all as some kind of con job is unhelpful. Sure, criticise specific people for specific actions all you want but really, 'race card' every time? enough.

Edited August 15, 2013 by The Truth™

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

I have zero interest in Oprah and her doings, but is it possible to criticise the things people do without using pejorative language? It is very offputting to read 'pull the race card' every time a black person does something you do not agree with. There are many genuinely discriminatory actions that take place and to just dismiss it all as some kind of con job is unhelpful. Sure, criticise specific people for specific actions all you want but really, 'race card' every time? enough.

They can't, but you know how it is.

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

Luxury store apologizes to Oprah Hermes' Paris store had rebuffed talk show host

Wednesday, June 22, 2005 Posted: 2348 GMT (0748 HKT)

A spokeswoman says Oprah Winfrey will discuss the incident on air when her show resumes production.

(CNN) -- Luxury store Hermes on Wednesday apologized to Oprah Winfrey for turning her away last week, saying that its Paris store was closed to set up for a public relations event when the talk show host stopped by.

"Hermes regrets not having been able to accommodate Ms. Winfrey and her team and to provide her with the service and care that Hermes strives to provide to each and every one of its customers worldwide," the store said in a statement.

"Hermes apologizes for any offense taken due to such circumstances."

The store said the incident occurred on June 14 around 6:45 p.m., about 15 minutes after the store closed. It said Winfrey and her team arrived at a time when "a private PR event was being set up inside."

Harpo Productions spokeswoman Michelle McIntyre said Winfrey "will discuss her 'crash moment' when her show returns from hiatus in September."

"Crash" is a film dealing with race relations. The phrase "crash moment" refers to situations where a party feels discriminated against on the basis of skin color.

The New York Daily News cited sources close to Winfrey as saying the talk show host was first rebuffed by a clerk and then a store manager. The Daily News reported Winfrey had gone to the store to buy a watch for singer Tina Turner, her dining partner that night.

McIntyre confirmed that account for CNN.

The New York Post, in its Monday Page Six gossip column, reported she was turned away because the store had been "having a problem with North Africans lately."

In comments to CNN, an Hermes spokeswoman categorically denied that allegation.

"There was never any discussion of North Africans," she said. "The story is not true."

The spokeswoman said Winfrey came to the store 15 minutes after closing and a security guard informed her the store was closed and gave her a card, telling her she could come back the next day.

Surveillance videotape of the encounter supports the store's account, according to the spokeswoman.

She said the CEO of Hermes has called Winfrey's people to explain "the situation" and invited her to come back to shop in the store.

In 2005 while trying to draw attention to another race driven movie, The Crash, she had almost an identical claim. The 2005 victim of her accusations was located in Paris, France. The store was “Hermes”:

Last week Oprah Winfrey claimed she encountered racism in Switzerland while shopping for $30,000+ purses.

She made these claims while trying to draw attention to her soon-to-be-released movie “The Butler”; another race-based grievance movie.

Two weeks ago, drumming up attention toward her movie, Oprah Winfrey made the bizarre claim that millions of African Americans were lynched. Millions. The true figure is 4,743 with one in four being white (1882-1968).

http://edition.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/TV/06/22/oprah.apology/

Did you all hear some white guy named George shot a black kid in Florida ?

[Jacque67 7,328]

I have zero interest in Oprah and her doings, but is it possible to criticise the things people do without using pejorative language? It is very offputting to read 'pull the race card' every time a black person does something you do not agree with. There are many genuinely discriminatory actions that take place and to just dismiss it all as some kind of con job is unhelpful. Sure, criticise specific people for specific actions all you want but really, 'race card' every time? enough.

+1

[spookyturtle 9,465]

Did you all hear some white guy named George shot a black kid in Florida ?

No way! When?

[Harsh_77 716]

So what basis does the clerk have for telling Oprah or anyone for that matter what they can't afford? Please explain why she couldn't afford it.

1st - The incident did not even happen in US, so I am not sure why she is making a big deal about it in US.

2nd - Its her word against clerks, many stores have policy not to hand out items over certain amount to any customer may be Oprah just took it wrong way.

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

1st - The incident did not even happen in US, so I am not sure why she is making a big deal about it in US.

2nd - Its her word against clerks, many stores have policy not to hand out items over certain amount to any customer may be Oprah just took it wrong way.

1st. Larry King asked her did she still experience racism. He never asked her where.

2nd. If that was store policy, she would have informed her of that. Oprah made it clear what she wanted and she was denied. The store clerk's job is to take care of the customer. It's not her place to tell anyone what they can or can't afford.

[SMOKE 1,426]

1st. Larry King asked her did she still experience racism. He never asked her where.

2nd. If that was store policy, she would have informed her of that. Oprah made it clear what she wanted and she was denied. The store clerk's job is to take care of the customer. It's not her place to tell anyone what they can or can't afford.

ok she recieved poor customer service. where is the racial element?

remember.. this is coming from the same person that proclaimed saint skittles is the emmitt till of our era. emmitt till was murdered for talking to a white woman. saint skittles was shot because he attacked an armed man...the two are night & day different.

she is full of it.

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

ok she recieved poor customer service. where is the racial element?

remember.. this is coming from the same person that proclaimed saint skittles is the emmitt till of our era. emmitt till was murdered for talking to a white woman. saint skittles was shot because he attacked an armed man...the two are night & day different.

she is full of it.

A better question is why was she refused service. Let's look at the whole picture:

Folks here say maybe she didn't want to make commission off a $38,000, who wouldn't want that?

Folks say maybe she wasn't dressed properly. She had on a Donna Karan dress and top, the cheapest dress I could find was in the $2,000 range, so that eliminates the sweats and Jordan theory .

Someone said maybe it's against policy to show a hand bag of that price to anyone. If that were true, she could have just said that. Yet she refused to show her the bag after being asked 3 times.

The storekeep's words: She told the newspaper, "I explained that this was exactly the same bag as the one I had in my hand. Only much more expensive. I would happily show her other bags, I said." If Oprah had asked to see that bag, she should have shown it to her, plain and simple.

In Oprah words: Nobody is going to come and call me the N-word to my face, unless they are a thug on Twitter or Facebook," she said.

"It shows up for me differently, it shows up (when) I'm in a store and the person doesn't obviously know that I carry the 'black card' and so they make an assessment based upon the way I look and who I am." It appears Winfrey is referring to the exclusive American Express Centurion card, which is issued by invitation only to an exclusive group of the rich and famous.

Winfrey said she was dressed in a Donna Karan skirt and top but was not wearing obvious symbols of wealth such as diamond jewelry or designer shoes.

"You should be able to go into a store looking like whatever you look like and say 'I would like to see this' -- and that didn't happen," she said.

[SMOKE 1,426]

A better question is why was she refused service. Let's look at the whole picture:

no it isn't. the only question is. why is she claiming racism when the only racism involved is in her & other race baiter heads?

[Karee 4,190]

"It shows up for me differently, it shows up (when) I'm in a store and the person doesn't obviously know that I carry the 'black card' and so they make an assessment based upon the way I look and who I am."

American Express gave Oprah Winfrey a 'black card'? What a bunch of racists!! I bet if she was white, she would get a 'white card'