Because Oprah shouldn't be the only one with an audience.

[joyful_molly]

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

Comments

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[classics_lover]

No sales assistant is *EVER* going to refuse to show a customer the most expensive item in the shop, because in a recession, if someone looks interested in it, it could mean a sale for them. Oprah's just living in Cloud-Oprah-Land where she's the centre of the universe and the sales advisor wasn't psychic enough to know what Oprah wanted before she had a chance to ask.

I don't care what happens, I am on the side of the sales girl. I have had one good experience with someone famous in retail (my only experience where I knew who the person was) and she was lovely not because she was famous, but because she's just a nice girl (Google Amy Huberman if you don't know of her - and why should you? She's only well-known here). Sinead O'Connor came into the store and acted like a spoiled child, and that is the behaviour I expect of most "celebrities" these days. Oprah Winfrey included.

What strikes me from your translation here, is that Oprah was looking at the hard-to-reach overhead displayed bag, and maybe wanted to hold it, look at it, but said nothing of the sort. The girl, seeing her interest explained to her about the design and cost of it, and moved on to show her the rest of her products. That's just what it looks like to a casual observer.

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[joyful_molly]

Yes, I think some sort of culture clash was involved. I remember I had to go shopping with some big star ages ago while he was in town (when I was still working at the concert agency), who made a big fuzz about dressing up and wearing a hat etc. so nobody would recognise him. People recognised him, anyway, but couldn't be bothered to approach him. Needless to say, he was really pissed about the lack of bothering! ;)

Sinead O'Connor

Howwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwl... you poor woman. We had her at a festival, and while she was tolerably professional, her entourage wasn't, plus we had to deal with loyalist bomb threats (it was her bible ripping and Mary insulting phase). Fun all around... *groan*

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[classics_lover]

My colleague put Sinead into her place - in a yes I do know who you are, and no, you can't jump this whole queue of patient people waiting to be served way. :)

I suspect Oprah wanted the poor girl to grovel at her feet, or take down the entire display for her, whether she intended purchasing or not, and got miffed that the girl just gave her the straight information about the bag without the hard sell. For all we know, the girl might have been under strict instructions to take the croc bag down only if someone expressed direct interest in purchasing it. I can imagine PETA people trying to destroy the thing (not that I blame them given that it seems a waste of an animal - but I was hassled going to buy a leather jacket, and I wear leather because I eat the damn cow! :P)

The unfairness of it all staggers me, and the fact that the press has got hold of it and is making a mountain out of nothing, as it seems to me, probably endangering this poor girl's livelihood in the process.