Here's a rough translation of the statement of the salesperson who, according to Oprah Winfrey, didn't want to sell her an expensive handbag because said salesperson was being racist.
The Gods know this country is xenophobic and racist at times, but both sides should be heard, and Oprah isn't right just because she has a huge audience. So here's a
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Interestingly, if the case is as the saleswoman describes (and as you say, it's illogical that she should have acted in any other way), the racism actually is Oprah's, because in her mind, "It's far more expensive" + said to a black person = black people can't be rich = "It's too expensive for you" + racism. With a healthy dose of "Everybody speaks English perfectly"...
Ah, if only the poor saleswoman had said "It's the same bag like the one I'm holding in my hands, but made of crocodile leather. Would you like to see it?" But then, Oprah would probably have called PETA. Sometimes you just can't win. :P
(No, I'm not an Oprah fan. Not for "racist" reasons, but simply because I don't care for talk shows.)
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I also mitigated it with humor - "I've got to GO now" - the same way Oprah could have by saying "Oh, I can afford it."
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Clearly, though, the poor sales girl is being martyred for not being psychic enough to realise that Oprah wanted to hold/feel the croc bag. She actually told her that it was the same as the bag she had in her hand, but for the material it was made from, I assume she was telling her that in case Oprah was curious about different dimensions or pockets or something.
But seriously, why Oprah couldn't have said, "Actually, I'd really like to get a feel of that bag..." instead of causing an international Incident over nothing? This gives me such retail ragefeels.
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(This could have happened at the rides in a German amusement park as well, by the way. Though probably a bit more discreet.)
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It is a textbook example. I don't know much about OW, but I guess she experienced a ton of horrible racism in her life, and is now always on her guard. So her alarm bells might go off even if there was no racism involved. But I don't know about her life.
I could imagine some sort of culture clash is at work here as well. Oprah is an icon in the US, here, people don't know her (the salesperson didn't either). Maybe she interpreted the lack of extra-enthusiasm which most people would show if meeting one of their idols as negative?
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And yes, I expect that was part of it, too!
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