Oprah Winfrey and Swiss racism

This video from the USA is called The Butler Official Trailer #1 (2013) – Oprah Winfrey, Forest Whitaker Movie HD.

From Contactmusic.com:

Oprah Winfrey Had A Brush With Racism In Switzerland

by WENN | 09 August 2013

Oprah Winfrey was the victim of racism during a recent trip to Switzerland when a retail assistant allegedly refused to serve her in an upmarket store – because she was black.

Winfrey, who has earned $77 million (£51.3 million) since June last year according to Forbes Magazine‘s new list of the highest paid TV personalities, was in the country for pal singer Tina Turner‘s wedding last month (Jul13) when a foolish and snooty shop assistant in Zurich failed to recognise her.

And when the media mogul asked to be shown a luxury purse, the saleswoman refused several times, claiming that it was too expensive for her.

Winfrey, who quietly left the store, tells Entertainment Tonight, “I was in Zurich the other day, for Tina Turner’s wedding… (and I went by myself to) a store whose name I will not mention. I didn’t have my eyelashes on, but I was in full Oprah Winfrey gear… But obviously The Oprah Winfrey Show is not shown in Zurich.

“I go into a store and I say to the woman, ‘Excuse me, could I see the bag right above your head?’ and she says to me, ‘No. It’s too expensive…’ So I left the store… There’s two different ways to handle it. I could’ve had the whole blow-up thing… but why do that? (Racism) still exists, of course it does.”

Oprah is currently promoting her new movie The Butler, which chronicles America’s civil rights battles and race riots.

See also here.

The name of that Swiss upmarket store becomes apparent from this: Oprah Winfrey ‘Victim of Swiss Racism’ Over Handbag Price in Zurich’s Trois Pommes Store.

See also here.

The fashion industry got a wake up call on race five years ago amid complaints that many shows and magazines only featured white models. In response, Vogue published a long article on race in fashion, Italian Vogue published an issue with only black models, and a series of panel discussions were held on the topic. There was a “notable increase” in the hiring of black models, the New York Times reports. But today they still face low odds of being hired in the fashion industry – and things have gotten even worse: here.

Related articles

• Oprah Winfrey victim of ‘racism’ in Switzerland (telegraph.co.uk)
• Oprah talks to ‘Entertainment Tonight’ about Paula Deen, racism (boston.com)
• Oprah ‘suffers racism’ in Zurich (bbc.co.uk)
• Oprah On Racism With Larry King [VIDEO] (getitwrighthere.com)
• Oprah Winfrey falls prey to ugly ‘racist’ incident in Switzerland (dnaindia.com)