Someone Finally Called Out Oprah For Buying a $38,000 Handbag

[question everything]

Fresh from the It’s About Damned Time file, someone finally called out Oprah Winfrey for her attempted impulse buy of a $38,000 purse.

By now you know the story: during a trip to Zurich for Tina Turner’s wedding, Winfrey told Entertainment Tonight last week, she was denied the purchase of $38,000 Tom Ford handbag by a store clerk who doubted could afford it. This incident served as an unfortunate encapsulation of racism’s ability to leak through economic, national, and even celebrity barriers, a reminder that no one, even those who make $70 million per year, is ever safe from its scourge.

But the stink of prejudice combined with Winfrey’s inexhaustible generation of goodwill to obscure what an ostentatious display of status and wealth Winfrey’s story was offering in exchange for sympathy. Or, in the words of MSNBC host Melissa Harris-Perry: “Denied her right to buy a $38,000 handbag! The outrage!…This particular slight might be well categorized as "one-percenter problems.”

While rightfully acknowledging racism’s acidity no matter your economic strata, Harris-Perry placed Winfrey’s purchase into much-needed socioeconomic perspective by unveiling the “Nerdland’s Guide To Spending $38,000,” which included a two-story house in Buffalo, a year’s tuition for the show’s intern, or, most pointedly, thirty months of food for a family of four, which would also work out to eleven years of SNAP benefits for an average family. Many people, Harris-Perry was saying, are prevented by systemic inequality from getting enough to eat, let alone an exorbitant status symbol; and for them, the obstacles to food and shelter is more than just a snooty shop clerk.

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/someone-finally-called-out-oprah-for-buying-a-38000-handbag/

[madaboutharry]

1. Melissa Harris-Perry has a way with words.

[pnwmom]

37. It didn't have a price tag on it. How would Oprah have known what it cost?

And she didn't buy it, or even attempt to buy it. All she did was ask to look at a purse with the price unknown.

[Cleita]

81. When stores don't have price tags on their goods, only those with

fat bank accounts go into them, so Oprah new those bags were pricey and that she could afford them.

[pnwmom]

84. A thousand dollar purse could have been locked up, too. Yes, she could afford whatever she wanted.

But that doesn't mean that she'd have purchased a $38K purse, once she knew the price.

[PotatoChip]

85. Actually, no.

When stores don't have price tags on their goods, only those with
fat bank accounts go into them, so Oprah new those bags were pricey and that she could afford them.

I'm not familiar with stores in Switzerland, however many foreign countries don't have price tags on their items for sale. Therefore, people of all income levels go into them, either to just look (as Oprah did) or buy.

Stores with no price tags does not necessarily mean that their merchandise is pricey.

[uponit7771]

88. Ummm, no

[live love laugh]

95. IF ONLY SHE KNEW WHAT SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT--OPRAH DID NOT BUY A $38K PURSE. nt

[donco]

2. MEH

to Oprah its like spending a nickle.

[Warpy]

33. Except when she found out later how much it cost, she said it was too much

The whole controversy is a class issue, people of color ASSumed to be in the lowest socio economic class. The sales clerk who refused to show her the bag was acting on that ASSumption.

But yes, to most of the 0.1%, it's just a modestly priced trinket.

[flvegan]

3. How many bombs does $38k buy?

Just curious so I know just how many times I can call out our president and congress over the bullshit this government spends money on. You know, the money they take from us that SHOULD be funding the programs mentioned in the OP that don't because they're too bought and paid for to do the right thing. At least Oprah was ready to spend HER money on a single luxury.

Health care? Food for the poor? Proper care for vets? Let me know when Oprah has that sort of power. Until then, tell the powers we elect to get their heads in the real game. Feckless bunch of morons.

[avaistheone1]

47. Oprah is the 1%.

She has plenty of power. She is one of the richest people in this country.

[flvegan]

48. Did you even read what I wrote?

Or did the talking point auto-generator get the better of you?

[question everything]

89. And she is a king, er, president maker

Almost immediately after the 2004 elections, and our loss, she expressed her opinion that a relative unknown senator from Illinois - Barack Obama - who was the keynote speaker at the 2004 Democratic convention, should be the next president.

[gollygee]

4. She only asked to look at it and didn't know it cost $38k

She went to a shop that sells handbags of various prices. She had no idea it cost $38k. She asked to look at a bag that looked nice, without knowing it's value, and she's getting "called out for buying a $38k handbag?"

[question everything]

5. I can assure you that it did not look like a $10 bag. Or even a $100 one.

You recognize an expensive store, or an expensive wing of a store and you recognize an expensive item.

[gollygee]

6. That doesn't mean she had any idea it cost $38k

She tweeted that she had no idea it cost that much. Most of their bags probably go for a couple hundred to a couple thousand dollars. Still pricey for handbags, but that doesn't mean she had any idea it was $38k. She's being attacked for doing something she did not do. Jennifer Aniston has actually bought this bad. In fact, it is called "The Jennifer" after her. No one attacks her for having this bag. Everyone attacks Oprah for asking to look at it when she didn't even know how much it cost.

[kcr]

11. The truth doesn't matter.

Oprah is to be crucified for buying a 38K bag. It was decided, in the beginning and that is how it will be. The outrage must rage on, damn the facts.

[kestrel91316]

43. [phone]. Once again, DUers are making fools of themselves over

manufactured outrage originated by the RW memo generation system.

[FSogol]

53. ^^^^ THIS ^^^^

[malaise]

68. Bet they don't question Jennifer Aniston for buying said bag

or any of the bankers or rich guys buying yachts or fancy cars.
The only issue here is how dare this black women be so rich.
Oprah gives more to charities than most

[kestrel91316]

71. Indeed. Oprah's just another uppity black person like Obama.

[malaise]

74. Ding ding

[question everything]

91. From Melissa Harris-Perry? (nt)

[uponit7771]

75. +1

[uponit7771]

73. +1

[Generic Other]

7. Ultimately the question of whether racism played a role in this exchange

can only be addressed if we step inside the mind of the clerk to ascertain her motives. Circumstantial evidence and an intuitive feelings are brushed aside. Once again like so many times when such an accusation is raised, the hue and cry against the victim is the loudest, with cries for hard proof of racist intent and evidence that could stand up in court, and these voices drown out all else. That is exactly how it went down in the Trayvon Martin case. We pretty much all conclude Martin was profiled and killed. The court says otherwise. But did the court automatically sway all opinions? No Did it even uncover the truth? I don't think so.

I know that where race is part of the accusation, this is how it often plays out. The victim is forced to accept that her "perception" is wrong because she can't prove otherwise. Only the clerk. Only Zimmerman know the truth. Ambiguity is when something could have more than one interpretation. Clearly, Oprah has chosen to accept this explanation. But the truth is that in her heart she can never know, can she? And neither can any of us.

I am surprised that more do not see this.

[gollygee]

9. We can't even know that

but we do know that she never bought that bag, and I really question why people keep attacking her for buying it when she didn't, and when she didn't even know how much it cost. She just saw a pretty bag and asked to see it.

[PotatoChip]

87. Yup. People keep saying that Oprah bought the bag,

including the OP of this thread, despite the fact that every article about the incident says otherwise. And as you also pointed out, she didn't even know how much it cost when asking to see it.

[markiv]

16. I assume this wasnt in a Wal mart?

and she wasnt shocked that the store would have goods in that price range, even if she didnt know that particular bag was that much?

[hollysmom]

28. I am with you,

she didn't buy it, maybe she wanted to know where it was made to call out people, or maybe she is not perfect 100% of the time. This is just plain stupid. I looked at a 400 dollar shirt once, should I be killed?

[mwrguy]

29. She thought it was only a $25,000 handbag

Rookie mistake

[Capt. Obvious]

67. She can get the same one on a NYC street corner

better deal

[uponit7771]

72. Nuck FACTS!!! Who needs em /sarcasm

[Vinnie From Indy]

8. This article is kind of silly!

"But the stink of prejudice combined with Winfrey’s inexhaustible generation of goodwill to obscure what an ostentatious display of status and wealth Winfrey’s story was offering in exchange for sympathy."

This passage is pure horseshit! In the first place, the stink of prejudice was the point of her story and, as far as I could tell, was not being offered in any way for sympathy. Oprah does not seem to be the type of woman that gives a shit what people think of her at this point of her life. The author appears to believe that a wealthy woman that is the victim of racism is worthy of being mocked. It would be interesting to know if Harris-Perry would be less inclined to diminish Winfrey's experience of racism in this matter if this had happened over a cup of coffee or a sandwich.

[aikoaiko]

10. Phew. I had been holding my breath waiting for someone to call out Oprah.

What would I have done had no one called out Oprah over her interest in a purse.

[leftynyc]

56. Why? What's it to you?

It's her money - she can spend it any way she likes and it's nobody else's business.

[aikoaiko]

61. I was being sarcastic.

[leftynyc]

62. So sorry

But as you can see, there are many with just that attitude right here on this thread.

[TDale313]

12. The title is blatantly false.

Oprah never bought the purse. She was not called out for buying the purse (cause she didn't) And yes, I realize this is the fault of the author of the article, not the OP or MHP. But facts matter.

[bravenak]

13. You mean for trying to look at a $38,000 purse.

Right? Didn't Jennifer Aniston actually buy the purse that Oprah wanted to LOOK at? Lets call her out too.

[Beacool]

22. Nope, she didn't.

Tom Ford designed the purse for Jennifer Aniston, that model is called the "Jennifer" and it comes in a couple of sizes and in various types of leather. Jennifer's is not made of crocodile skin. The one Oprah wanted to look at is, thus the high price. Jennifer's retails for around 3K.

[bravenak]

23. Ok.

Stand corrected. Facts crooked.

[Beacool]

26. No problem.............

[bravenak]

30. Thanks.

[warrant46]

55. Jennifer's retails for around 3K.

Meanwhile the elderly poor eat cat food----sad

[dionysus]

70. do you like crocodiles, Bea? if so, i got something for you...

[Beacool]

93. Yes, I love them.

I'm a Gator.



Thank you!!!

Hugs!!!

[MrMickeysMom]

14. Where was this store again?

Reason I ask is that if it were Macy's or some large box high end store, you just KNOW that the profits are not local.

I wouldn't care if she spent lots of her money and said proceeds went to the manufacture (who was not off-shore)... get it?

[Beacool]

25. Zurich.

The saleslady, whose native language is Italian, said that she never told Oprah that she couldn't afford it. She said that she told her that it was very expensive and tried to show her some others. The store said that they only sell two per year of the crocodile handbags.

[Beaverhausen]

15. Way to miss the point!

And I really like MHP but the cost of the bag is not the point of this incident.

[Orrex]

18. What do you see as the point, exactly?

And must there be only one point?

[Behind the Aegis]

17. She wasn't "denied the right to buy a $38K purse" she wasn't SHOWN the purse!

Unless she was in sweats and baseball cap, why did the salesperson decide "she couldn't afford it?" And hell, for that matter, who cares if she were in sweats, if you are a salesperson, your job is to sell shit! Was it racism? It sure sounds like it could have been, but all this noise coming about because of the price of the purse sure sounds like "she deserved it." I don't care if she has millions, no one deserves to be a target of racism.

[hollysmom]

32. reminds me of when I was house shopping with my husband

He was kind of a belated hippie, with the unkemp beard (I just cared if it was clean) and his love of old pants and shirts, I would thrown them in the garbage and he would dig them out. , so I stopped and just washed them.) I was wearing jeans and a t-shirt is there supposed to be a style of clothing for house shopping? Anyway, we went from Realtor to realtor in a bad market and people would not wait on us. Finally we went into a small shop and the guy there treated us with respect and as we talked, he was shocked at what we were planning on spending and that we had a pre-approved mortgage. This poor young guy was in a desperate shape, had not sold a house for a long time and just had a baby, he kept asking how we got our mortgage approved when no one else could in our state - long story - it was when there was a mortgage freeze on. Anyway, when we bought the third house he showed us, he was pretty much in tears - and the others, who would not wait on us - screw 'em.

[deutsey]

54. I remember hearing a story about Doug Kenney, co-founder of National Lampoon

He became extraordinarily wealthy from NatLamp and especially from Animal House (which he co-wrote), but he apparently still wore scruffy jeans, long hair, etc.

He went to an upscale car dealer looking very much like a countercultural misfit and said he wanted to buy a very high-end sports car on display there. He got the same reaction from the salesman as Oprah got until he apparently plopped down a few stacks of cash that covered the cost of the car.

I don't know if that's true, but I always liked the story.

[Squinch]

19. She didn't buy it. I once looked at a $100,000 necklace.

I guess a family of four won't eat for 3 years because I did that.

MHP was unforgivably lazy here. I'm sure there were many purchases by famous people that would have made her point, which was an important one. This non-purchase did not make her point.

[fishwax]

20. people have been calling her out on that from the beginning

(Also, she didn't buy a 38000 handbag.)

[matt819]

21. Sorry, folks, but it's none of our business how she spends her money for personal purposes

Yes, even though she's a public figure, it's none of our business how she spends her money on personal things. Political spending, sure. Gang up. But where do you draw the line? Is a $5,000 suit too much? Not enough? What's the right price for a living room sofa? How much are we going to let her spend on underwear? Will we require her to shop at TJ Maxx? Did she fly on a private jet? Is that permissible? Should we require her to fly coach.

Is it foolish? Maybe. Maybe not. If you're the handbag selling company, maybe not so much. I read that she made $77 million last year. Is that obscene? Sure it is. But it is what it is. That $38,000 handbag is less than pocket change. Does she spend money on charitable things? Probably. And that's great. Should she spend all of her money on good works? If she wants to. And if she doesn't, that's fine, too. In either case, her spending is not corrupting our country in the way that the Koch brothers are with their political spending.

So, whether you like her or not, it's not our business.

[tblue37]

38. She probably spends much more on good works than most other super rich do.

I have a post (#36) a little further down in this thread about some of what she has done as a philanthropist--and it is impressive indeed!

[laundry_queen]

44. Um, she talked about it in public

so that made it our business. She's a public figure and if she didn't want it talked about, then maybe she shouldn't have shared her story.

[matt819]

83. So what

Her point wasn't about a ridiculously expensive handbag. It was about a sales person's assumption that an overweight black woman can't afford to even be looking at an expensive handbag. The issue wasn't the bag, it was the apparent racism. So, no, the handbag and Oprah's purchasing preferences are still irrelevant. This incident is relevant only to the extent that it revealed what in her view, at least initially, was the racism revealed by the sales person's actions.

[leftynyc]

58. Amen

I can't believe how people are responding to this part of the story. It's nobody's fucking business what she spends her money on.

[uponit7771]

76. +1

[question everything]

92. Just curious: Would you have the same reaction of we were talking about Ann Romney?

On these pages rich people who spend gobs of money on items that most of us cannot even consider are chastised and ridiculed.

And I've never heard anyone saying that it was not our business.

[matt819]

94. Same reaction

What she wants to spend her money on for personal reasons is none of our business.

[bhikkhu]

24. I've looked at a $10k handbag myself

...at the Gucci store in Seattle. And I've looked at plenty of other really expensive stuff too. Like Oprah Winfrey, I didn't buy the handbag. Should I be publicly shamed?

In most cases the most expensive designer stuff like that is handmade of the best materials by the best craftsmen. Should there be no expensive materials, and no highly skilled craftspeople?

Should all things be mass produced by machines, by the lowest paid workers possible?

[leftynyc]

59. No, but

apparently we should all walk around in rags and eat dirt because there are poor people in the country - at least that's the message I'm getting.

[lumberjack_jeff]

79. "most expensive designer stuff like that is handmade of the best materials by the best craftsmen"

This is a cliche.

If that were true, chinese factories wouldn't be turning out cheap and nearly indistinguishable counterfeits by the millions.

The value of the purse is the cost of the mall window in which its displayed.

Craftsmanship can't be counterfeited.

[rdking647]

27. even if she bought the handbag for 38k

she is worth 1b + dollars. a 38k handbag to her is like someone making 100k a year buying a 3.80 handbage

its her money she can spend it how she wants

[Ed Suspicious]

31. Exactly. What's the alternative? She horde her money? At least it's 38k making it back into the

economy.

[avaistheone1]

46. Yeah, that should trickle down.

It's the old Reagan trickle down theory. And that has really worked well, eh?

[Ed Suspicious]

63. Here's the thing. She has the money. Right now. How can we separate her from it? I guess getting

her to spend it would be effective. The inference that I'm all voodoo economics is insulting and not appreciated.

[lumberjack_jeff]

80. Why is it in society's interest to have people worth $1b plus?

What social good comes from it, and is that the best way to create that social good?

[KinMd]

34. With her own show on MSNBC..

and filling in for Rachael Maddow, I'm guessing if Melissa Harris-Perry isnt in the 1%, she no worst than than the top 2 or 3.

[HipChick]

35. I bought a $5K handbag..

I earned my money. I'd be damned if anyone is going to try and tell me how I spend my money....

[leftynyc]

60. Good for you

I did the same with jewelry and I wont apologize to anybody for it. I earned every dime.

[tblue37]

36. OK--Let's discuss how Oprah spends her money.

Here is one example:

That is a 9+ minute video showing the 30+ Black men--many of whom come from disadvantaged backgrounds, many of whom had serious run-ins with the law in their youth--who were able to become lawyers, doctors, businessmen, and philanthropists, because they were given scholarships to Morehouse College, by way of the $12 million endowment that Oprah funded.

Then their is that girls' leadership academy in Africa, which she funded to enable African girls, who had little to hope for before, not only to have a better life, but to become leaders in their own community to help improve the lives of everyone, especially women.

I just wish more of our wealthy liberals would put their money where their supposed values are the way Oprah does!

Certainly the right wing super rich are willing to fund the promulgation of their own values, but except for a few like Oprah, the super rich on our side don't pony up much to promote liberal values in the US or around the world.

[ohheckyeah]

39. I'm not a big Oprah fan...

I haven't seen her show in years but I think these attacks on her are ridiculous and a bunch of self-righteous crap.

She made her money. It wasn't handed to her on a silver platter and she doesn't owe anyone, especially reporters and Internet gossips, an explanation or apology for how she spends her money.

[Paladin]

57. +1000.

This $38,000 bag story is getting really tiresome. I think there's an ugly edge of misogyny involved, here---there are, without a doubt, plenty of well-known, hyper-rich MEN buying ridiculously expensive trinkets, but you don't see them being raked over the coals. Let's move on.

[YOHABLO]

40. Well the story is about racial discrimination ... do they not know of Oprah in Zurich?

[longship]

41. Somebody should call her out for being the queen of Woo Woo.

All sorts of ignorant idiots poisoning the airways on her program. Jenny McCarthy, Dr. "I was the worst marriage counsellor on the planet but I can do it on Oprah's show" Phil, Dr. Oz who apparently loves the fraud, John Of God.

Oprah can shove her 30,000 dollar purse up her bountiful ass. She has used her position in the media to spew the worst sort of newage (rhymes with sewage) pseudoscientific rubbish.

I don't care how many cars -- what is this, "The Price is Right"? -- she's given away, Oprah Winfrey is poisonous to rational thinking.

Can't stand her. She's ignorant and uses her position to promote more ignorance.

I apologize if you do not agree, but I thought people might need to know more about her connection to looney toon woo woo.

[laundry_queen]

45. I agree

I mean, I don't disagree with every thing considered 'woo' on DU, but in the last few years of Oprah's show, it was unwatchable. She had con artist after con artist on to peddle their bullshit wares (all that wishful thinking crap ugh). It was so bad, that on one show, another rich guest proclaimed he was extraordinarily lucky to be where he was financially and Oprah poo-poo'ed him and said, "*I* wasn't lucky. *I* earned EVERY bit of what I have. I'm the one who made it happen. I'm the one who worked hard. I put my mind to it and worked my ass off and that's why I am where I am. Luck had nothing to do with it."

I despise that kind of thinking. So the poor chap down the street who works his ass off every day doesn't work as hard as she does, and isn't as deserving because he didn't 'put his mind to it' and 'make it happen'?

Her comment REEKED of arrogance and typical 1% thinking of how they deserve to be so rich they could never spend all their money.

Ooops, hit post without finishing....

I dislike how 1%ers think they are rich because they WORK HARDER. I'm sorry, they don't work 400 times as hard as the laziest employee even on a 'boss is gone today' workday.

[idwiyo]

51. +1

[Initech]

42. Man you could buy a Lincoln MKS for that much.

[B Calm]

49. I think her spending $38,000 to feed the homeless would have made more sense.

[The Link]

50. Melissa Harris-Perry is horrible.

MSNBC would do well to get rid of her.

[Cleita]

82. Now this is a racist remark. She's far better than many of

the white women who MSNBC has hosting shows like Mika on Morng. Joe.

[Shankapotomus]

52. I thought the whole incident

was a case of miscommunication borne out of a language barrier?

I heard the sales clerk thought Oprah wanted to handle the purse, which wasn't allowed by anyone because of its expense?

[Jamastiene]

64. I thought they never let her hold the bag, much less buy it.

So, if she wasn't even allowed to look at it, much less buy it, why is everyone saying she bought it?

[Safetykitten]

65. I love Melissa.

[CBGLuthier]

66. I drove by a million dollar house for sale today

does that make me a bad person.

this article is a load of horseshit.

[Sissyk]

69. For god's sake!!

Oprah did not buy a 38k purse. SHE DID NOT BUY IT. Remember, she didn't even get to look at it.

So Fucking what! If I had that damn much money, I'd buy what I wanted. It's her money.

I bet Tiger Woods has a 38k golf club of some sort. I bet Michael Jordan has a 38k pair of Nikes or a suit that cost that much. I bet Peyton Manning has a 38k football, or something. Who the hell cares????? We are the ones that watch them and make them rich and famous. They earned it, but we helped.

Also, Jennifer Anniston didn't purchase a 38k purse either! Someone posted a picture of her with a purse and damn if it didn't take off from there. It was around 3k. But again! Who the fuck really cares??

Everyone mentioned above gives millions to charities and to the poor in their own way. Let's quit whining because we feel they don't give 90% of their earned money, like we supposedly would!

Damn!

[dipsydoodle]

77. For comparison

which I learned from a friend last night.

He went to Miami years ago and breezed into the Armani store to buy a suit. Before he even asked for what he wanted he was told they would be unlikely to able to help him. He explained he was London only to be told they'd be even less likely to help him because their prices were even higher. He went the Hugo Boss store and bought two suits without any issues.

All companies are capable of employing shit heads and it was one such person the Oprah came up against.

[ecstatic]

78. Ummm, she was denied the opportunity to see the purse

How did haters make this about buying the purse? So nobody here has ever window shopped?

Perhaps her plan was to buy, perhaps she just wanted to look... Or maybe it all was dependent upon the cost, which the salesperson refused to reveal.

[uponit7771]

86. +1 and Oprah didn't know the price of the purse, this is more bullshit

[ellenfl]

90. so what. i bet she's spent more of her money on good deeds than those calling her out. eom