Oprah and Hermes - was she right to get mad?
 

I did a search for this topic and did not see one, so I started this thread.

Do you think Oprah was right to get angry for not being allowed in the Hermes store?

My thoughts - No. Just becasue she makes a kazillion dollars and sure, her endorsement can mean alot for a product, I think she needs to realize that not everyone in the world likes / loves her and respect what she does. I mean, how cocky is she that she thinks she can just walk up to any store at anytime and they cater to her needs!!!

I think the store was right to refuse her. They (if true) already had a planned event in progress and did not have to open the door for anyone not associated with the event.

I think Oprah got a nice reality check.

Re: Oprah and Hermes - was she right to get mad?
 

http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/sh...ah#post1039651

my other post too

I think it is more a reaction to a slap in her ego than a racial undertone. My experience...

I was a guest on her show in 1996 and quit being a "fan" after that experience. She was WAY catered to as in obviously the boss...ie, she says to no one in particular (sort of out to the air) "I want a cup of tea" and one just appears out of no where....there was a small glitch with a video segment and she says again "we *will* have a meeting about this" and several people were all scrambling to get to phones etc.

She was not all that friendly with the audience during the commerical breaks being all business and she seemed to interact with certain African American members of the guests more than us normal audience crazies (white or black). Actually one very *fine* AfricanAmerican man in particular otherwise she bare acknowledged we were in the room during the commerical breaks.

She *doesn't* allow photos with guests UNLESS her official photographer does the photos..and he is ONLY there when it is a celebrity (from the producer of my segment).

When I had my make up done, I told the makeup artist NO mascara I would do my own - I don't share. She insisted to using her stuff and I ended up with a HUGE eye infection. I let the producer know this happened and they never even acknowledged my correspondence. Seriously, you think she could either afford to supply fresh for her guests OR she could work a deal with revlon, etc to have samples for guest to use that aren't reused.


So when I heard about her interaction with the Paris shop, my first thought was "I bet she thought they should have opened for her simply because she said to" and when they wouldn't she decided that they were going to "regret" it. I think she is pretty damned used to getting what she wants, when she wants it, and isn't used to being told "No, you aren't the most special" person around.

Well, I mean...if it was a private event, I wouldn't have expected to be let in, either. But wait, I'm not Oprah, either...

I hate to be mean and sarcastic because up til now Oprah has seemed like nothing but the most generous, down-to-earth person despite the fact that she has something like 47 kajillion dollars, but if this is true, then I think she did need to be taken down a notch. Sorry.

I thought she had called the store ahead of time & they told her it'd be ok for her to come on in. I think it'd be more of a case of discrimination against Americans than her being black. However there is a lot of discrimination and prejudice going on in Western Europe and especially France due to an influx of immigrants. So either way I wouldn't be surprised, and I'd be afraid to make Oprah an enemy if I were Hermes! She has the power to get anything she mentions to be the hottest thing & they can't keep it on the shelves ,whether its a book by Tolstoy or a lotion at Bath and Body Works.

I'm not at all surprised by Sage's story. I think in the Hermes case, Oprah was PO'd that she was not reconized as the star she believes herself to be and is carrying on as an "ugly American" would.
I used to like Oprah, waaay back when she was doing the trash-TV. Now, I find her to be very phony (and don't get me started on Dr. Phil!). I'm *really* annoyed that she was not fined, nor given any consequences for the show on oral/anal sex - yet Howard Stern can no longer say the word "anal."

Granted, there are like 4 or 5 stories goling around but according to this one, which was first reported (and posted in the AKA news thread)......

FRENCH MANNERS
DON'T expect Oprah Winfrey (above) to accessorize with Hermes bags any time soon. Spies in Paris report that, in a stunning display of ignorance, the Hermes store in the City of Light refused entry to the talk show queen. "Oprah didn't have her hair done," says a source. "When she tried the door, they refused her entry because they have been 'having a problem with North Africans' lately' (this has no racial overtones to it? :confused: Maybe they meant North-north Africans) and obviously had no clue who she was." A rep for Winfrey says: "Oprah is in Paris," but declined further comment. Hermes didn't return calls.

~~~~~~~~

We're not talking about you or me being refused at the local Bloomingdales because let's face it - we're a dime a dozen :p If I was Oprah I would be upset. Don't think for a second that she is the first millionaire that has wanted to shop there afterhours - even IF they were setting up for a PR event, she could have still been shown a few handbags, watches or something. Stores like this go out of their way all the time for their customers because they will be plunking down $10,000 or more FOR ONE PURSE. :eek:

If I was Oprah, I would use my billions to buy out Hermes and fire everyone and hire whomever I wanted. Seriously what else does she use her money for? The dream bus? Come on Oprah, do it!

-Rudey

This is a public relations nightmare for Hermes.

I really don't know what happened, but it makes me think of that scene in Pretty Woman where they won't help Julia Roberts. She returns the next day and says to the sales clerk, "You work on commission, right? Big mistake, big, huge. I have to go shopping." Somebody at Hermes made a pretty big mistake.

It is, but it won't effect their sales whatsoever. Let's be honest, most of Oprah's viewer did not or will not be buying Hermes' products.

You know, ordinarily I might tend to agree with you, but this is Hermes, a store that not a lot of people can afford anyhow, so just because Oprah says it was the most humiliating experience of her life some people won't shop there? Fine. It's not like their business was dependent on her to begin with. They will continue to do business as usual and I will continue to shop there while in Paris if I so choose.

Secondly, if it's closing time in France, it's closing time. The sales people at Hermes aren't going to open the doors for someone just because they are famous and they are previously closed for an event anyhow. The doors to Hermes, (to those of you who have not had the opportunity to check it out before) are not "closed" to everyone, you can just walk right in like it's a regular store.

Thirdly, Oprah isn't famous in France. Why should they know who she is anyhow? It's not discrimination against Americans, it's called reality Oprah, join it.

Oh I'm jealous, I wish I could shop at Hermes. Being a horse rider, I appreciate all of the equestrian touches and absolutely fell in love with the store when I took a trip to Vegas this past spring break (Though I've known about it forever as a place to get good ties for Dad or bags for Mom, the only interest I took in the store until recently was a gorgeous saddle). Lucky you! :)

Hey I have a Hermes Birkin that I inherited- you want it? It's ugly and looks like a Doctor's bag.

:eek: Don't tempt me!! I would sell my soul for a Birkin!

I have reasonable doubt about these last two. Obviously I can't speak with any authority on the subject, but I know that the majority of stores will open up (even if they're closed) to famous people. Don't you watch any E! specials? ;) Furthermore, while Oprah's show doesn't air in France and thus the average citizen probably has an excuse to not recognize her, do you honestly think that salespeople at these designer stores don't recognize the foreign celebrities that come in repeatedly? Come on. . . .

Furthermore, I think that the majority of people need reading comprehension tests because many of them are talking about Oprah's complaint that Hermes is discriminating against North AMERICANS (wtf?) when in reality it was North AFRICANS. Race not nationality, kids.


And while I agree with moe.ron that Oprah's general audience may not be too influential with Hermes, it's not them I'd be worried about -- it's the fact that she has a number of friends among the rich and famous and could hold some sway with them.

I find that North African comment interesting. Aren't North Africans from countries like Egypt and are more Middle Eastern in appearance?

I actually got into it because of my mom who was a horsewoman. She used to train and ride for the better part of her youth and until we moved to California. She has quite a few scarves that she got from friends/family that have horse themes. I've shopped at Hermes for her...not me. I have two little scarves. =)

Typically yes, and in France they are specifically referring to people from Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia as those were previously French colonies and many of them have emigrated to France. Many many issues in France stem from this such as the last presidential election between Chirac and the far-right anti-immigrant Jean-Marie Le Pen (psycho!), but that is a completely different discussion.

sugarandspice- No, I know for a fact that you can just pull the doors and walk in to the store in Paris, I've been shopping there for my mom. And while some stores may open specifically for celebrities, doesn't it just seem a tad bit odd that Oprah had a camera crew with her to catch her every shopping move? And no, I don't watch E...I gave up on them when Talk Soup wasn't funny any more. ;)

If she shopped there regularly I'm sure the sales people would have known her and not made the comment about North Africans - which for all we know is heresay. Oh, and we get to see it on TV? Great...editing is a good thing for anyone to prove a point.

I have lived in France and I had many problems with North African men specifically, for example following me home from the metro, touching my hair, making sexual comments, grabbing me in the metro and even getting mugged by a group of them outside my apartment. Aside from the fact that closing time is closing time in France, I've tried to go into stores two minutes before closing time over there and they didn't let me in, so does that mean they don't like blond white people?

IF the store was really closed I can see why they didn't open the door. IF it wasn't then it's a whole different story. The thing about the French in general is though, they are not as psychotically star struck as Americans, so no I don't believe that they(sales associates) would open the doors for a star, I mean let's face it, while Oprah has a ton of money, she's not well known like Halle Berry, Nicole Kidman, or Gwenyth Paltrow because she is not an actress or singer.

It sounds to me like a case of "Don't you know who I am?" by Oprah, and she is pissed that she couldn't use her star power to get in the door when the store was closed.

I agree with most of what you said except this. Oprah, or any of the actresses you named, would not necessarily need to be known to the French as a famous person. It has to do with SHOPPING and how much money she has spent in Hermes in the past. There are plenty of non-famous people with a LOT of money, and I would expect Hermes to treat them with the same "star" treatment as they would an actress, just because of the potential for them to drop thousands of dollars.

But if Oprah had dropped tons of cash in Hermes, then wouldn't the sales associates know who she is? I don't know. I'm not going to second guess her at all. I can't stand her. Even though I don't have a load of cash, they were always really nice to me at Hermes.:)

My bet is Oprah has a stylist and a personal shopper who does that for her. I just can't imagine she takes times off during the week to shop for everything she wears....and that is ONLY once. She wears NOTHING TWICE, at least on the air.

Also may high ticket stores will send a crew with selections to your hotel, office, or home for you to shop there instead of even having to go out and do it yourself. I am sure she has availed herself of that service too.

Re: Oprah and Hermes - was she right to get mad?
 

whoa

let me ask you if you read the story and know what REALLY happened?

it seems like you didn't

and your post was VERY ignorant

I don't think ANY of us know what really happened or why exactly it happened

no I mean from the articles

Oprah was denied entrance because they thought she was a North African

and North Africans have been accused of stealing

that is discrimination and you can't say it isn't

and it was WRONG

I'm glad Oprah refuses to purchase anything from them

and I'm sure she'll do a show on this issue of discrimination

that store doesn't need to be in business

how can you deny a person the right to patronize your store?

Just because an article says something doesn't mean it's true.

And if the store was already closed, they have every right to deny someone entrance. A store is privately owned property and they can deny entrance to anyone they wish, just as you can deny anyone from entering your home. A store can deny whoever they want and for whatever reasons they want.

If it was based solely on her race, yes, that is wrong, but it seems that there are several factors involved here. I'm also not familiar with French law so it might not even be illegal there. I'm just saying that no one should be quick to believe one side or the other just based on articles.

I do think Hermes committed a HUGE faux pas when they mentioned the problems with North Africans. No matter how you slice it, that just comes across wrong.

Re: Re: Oprah and Hermes - was she right to get mad?
 

Let's be a little gentle with the name calling.

I haven't read anything in this thread that "proves" anything on either side. Just a lot of conjecture.

who said it was closed?

and I do believe it was based on her race

Did YOU read the articles? She arrived just after the store closed and they were preparing for a PR event.

You can believe what you want. Some people believe that we were created by aliens. Doesn't make it true one way or the other.

You can believe whatever you want, if the store was closed why should they let anyone in? :rolleyes: Here's the article if you would read it.http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/TV/06/22/oprah.apology/

It also states that it was the gossip column in the NY Post that brought the north African comment to light...so how true is any of it? And she won't discuss it until she comes back on air in September? Seems to me that Ms. Winfrey is acting like a publicity whore with this one.

Hey Moe Ron, add this quote to your little hate people thread.

I HATE OPRAH. She promotes depression, fat people, and fat people being depressed. Only fat housewives that eat bon bons with nothing better to do watch Oprah. Her and all of her audience drool over whatever male celebrity that she and they can never have because they are out of her league. Her interviews suck ass and she is not funny. And her stupi shitty sap stories are way to pansified. If you watch oprah, you are probably pale, a size gazillion and think back upon those days when you were nominated for HS homecoming queen. Only to lose to Ginger Reynolds because she slept with the QB.

Eat that OPRAH! Oh yeah, she probably will. Why won't she just go and make out with freakin Rosie O Donnel or something

And screw you Dr. Phil! This is the sum of his piece of shit advice.

" Ok, so...let me get this straight. YOu aren't happy with your life. You aren't happy wtih your husband, you hate your life and you abuse your kids. Well, let me tell you something sister. Just STOP IT *AUDIENCE CLAPS*"

Piece of shit baldy with a made up accent.

I think it's all a ploy to convince Hermes to supply her audience on the next "Oprah's Favorite Things" episode ;)

As much as I dislike Oprah, I would do nearly anything to get in the audience the day of one of her favorite thing shows.

I think Oprah has experienced stuff in the early part of her life that makes her think peopel despise her because she's black.

Re: Re: Oprah and Hermes - was she right to get mad?
 

Originally posted by ChangePlease
whoa

let me ask you if you read the story and know what REALLY happened?

it seems like you didn't [/QUOTE]

Yes, I read the *stories* and watched endless reports on it on a few news / entertainment stations. Actually, it was a wonderful break from TomKat news.

and your post was VERY ignorant [/QUOTE]

ignorant, smignorant - if you think what I said was ignorant, then don't read any more posts on GC, you might come across one that will make you think this place is a bastion of stupidity :p

At the last Oprah's favorite things, one was a Phi Mu I know really well. The exciting part this time is paying taxes on the "gifts" you get....joy job.

When she gave away the cars, several people had to either not accept them, or sell them out right to pay the gift tax on them $7000 on a $27,000 car.

Some fun being a favorite eh....?

The media seems to be all over this, like Oprah on a baked ham.

She's spoiled, pampered and just plain rude. Closed means closed. What's so hard to understand about that.

Can any one of us go barreling into a store like Hermes (or Wal-Mart for that matter) after it's CLOSED. I think not.

And for her to say it's racist is the height of absurdity. Comparing her need for another pair of $1,000 shoes to sitting at the front of the bus.

I posted this in the same thread in the News and Politics forum

I'm not convicned that we are getting the whole story. Oprah doesn't strike me as the type of person to get all bent out of shape because people don't recognize her celebrity status and won't let her shop whenever she pleases. Granted, I don't know her personally, so she could very well be like that. I just think there's way more to the story then we are getting. But I don't udnerstand why Oprah won't come out and just tell people her side of the story. It's all very cryptic.

Yeah so if they sold a $27,000 car and paid $7,000 in taxes on it and ended up with $20,000 in free money, I'm sure they were reeeeally reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeally upset.

-Rudey

In a couple of cases, they couldn't afford to register or pay the taxes to transfer the title...remember tax has to be paid at time of title transfer. So they COULDN'T get the $20K free...they got nothing.

I'm right there with ya! :) I can't even began to imagine walking around with a $20,000 purse on my arm.

No complaints here about receiving her favorite things for free.

What "team" was with her? I know Gayle King was there...when is she not. Were cameras there...if so, why?

I doubt O called up to say what time do you close...so why didn't she know the hours before hand.

If a store is closed for a pr event..esp 15 minutes, then tough luck! If it closed for another reason, then it is also at the store's perogative.

I rarely watch O but I have noticed how she seems diva-like on occasion. Yes, I've always known about taxes on show "gifts"...heck, my neighbor was on The Price is Right decades ago and had to pay taxes on a vaccum!

Yes, I definitely think her show will put her spin on it..which may not necessarily be the truth....didn't the article say that the store camera supported the store's version?

Hey, I wasn't there, but if there was a camera crew with her, you've got to wonder why.

Please don't say she was doing a segment for her show. That would have been set up in advance.

If the crew was there, someone was trying to make a point.