Viva la France!

[MTI]

We've had our disagreements with our Franco friends . . . but leave it to the folks at Hermes (pron. "air mess") in Paris to snub Mega-Person Oprah Winfrey and her entourage! I may have to don a beret, just to tip it to them.

[J. R. B.]

Tell me more I missed this in the news. Anyone who snubbs Oprah Windbag deserves a shot of good bourbon or a beer.

One of the most humiliating moments of Oprah's life

"She will shop where people appreciate her business, and she doesn't believe that any longer includes Hermes," one of Oprah's close friend said.
French luxury store Hermes has apologised to American television celebrity Oprah Winfrey for turning her away from one of its Paris boutiques last week, saying when she came knocking the store was closed for a public relations event.

The U.S. talk show host and "an entourage" unsuccessfully tried to enter a Hermes boutique on the posh Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore at 6:45 p.m. on June 14, Hermes said in a statement.

"People were in the store and they were shopping. Oprah was at the door and she was not allowed into the store," said Gayle King, a friend of Winfrey who witnessed the incident, to American television program Entertainment Tonight. "Oprah describes it herself as 'one of the most humiliating moments of her life.'"

"She's really OK. Her position is, 'I will shop where people appreciate my business, and I don't believe that any longer includes Hermes,'" King said.

Normal closing time is 6:30 p.m., though high-end shops are known to make exceptions for celebrities. On that particular night, however, ``a private public relations event was being prepared inside,'' the Hermes statement said.

"Hermes regrets not having been able to welcome Madame Oprah Winfrey and the people accompanying her to give them all the attention and service that Hermes is committed to giving each of its clients in the world," said the statement released Tuesday. "Hermes expresses its sincere regrets for any misunderstanding that these circumstances could have caused."

[boneheaddoctor]

THe French hate everything and everyone who isn't bribing them.....


Doesn't surprise me at all.

[yal]

This is not the first time it has happened to Oprah. It also happened to her here in New York or somewhere else in the US, she talked about it on her show once.

I know they have a major race problem with North Africans in Europe so maybe they thought she and her groupies were a bunch of them.

[boneheaddoctor]

I think the biggest problem is she thought she was entitled to private after hours shopping......she found out otherwise.

[MTI]

According to a report in the New York Daily News, Winfrey believes she would have been admitted to the store had she been a white celebrity.

"If it had been Celine Dion or Britney Spears or Barbra Streisand, there is no way they would not be let in that store," a friend of Winfrey's told the Daily News. Winfrey's spokesperson confirmed the Daily News report.

The spokesperson also confirmed that store clerks recognised Winfrey when she asked to pop in for a moment to buy a watch for her friend, singer Tina Turner.

Celine . . . maybe . . . some love for the franophones. . . but you'd hope they'd slam the door on Britney or Babs.

[Brian Carlton]

Originally Posted by narwhal

I was in a Polo store in Chas, SC in the Omni hotel in college and Sylvester Stalone walked in and posted guards at the door and demanded that everyone be thrown out of the store. My friend was in line at the register and refused to leave before they checked him out. The manager told him to take the shirts and get out. Score!

This would really get me irate. He simply walked into the store, without prior notice, and expected everybody in the store to immediately leave the store?

What happens if I refuse to leave the store? It's a place of public conveyance, correct? I have no obligation to leave the store for this *******, AFAIK.

What is he going to do about it?

[MTI]

Originally Posted by Brian Carlton

It's a place of public conveyance, correct? I have no obligation to leave the store for this *******, AFAIK.

What is he going to do about it?

Incorrect . . . you are on private property and usually there are plaques imbedded in the sidewalks, floors and walls that say just that. Of course that won't stop the local government from exercising eminent domain . . . but that's another thread.

[Brian Carlton]

Originally Posted by MTI

Incorrect . . . you are on private property and usually there are plaques imbedded in the sidewalks, floors and walls that say just that. Of course that won't stop the local government from exercising eminent domain . . . but that's another thread.

Is that right?

So, the owner or manager of any retail store can kick you out of the store for no reason whatsoever, because it is private property??

I'm struggling with this.......................

[MTI]

The very same reason why, usually, you can't get a ticket from local law enforcement if you're speeding or blow thru a stop sign . . . in a mall parking lot. Of course you can get banned from the shopping center.

Originally Posted by Brian Carlton

Is that right?

So, the owner or manager of any retail store can kick you out of the store for no reason whatsoever, because it is private property??

I'm struggling with this.......................

yes and no, it depends on who's property it is, if your leasing the landlord holds the trump card.

BUT:

You can never kick people out of a store for race or ethnic origin but under circumstaces you can kick a person out for just about any other reason.

[boneheaddoctor]

Originally Posted by inetd

Say, I wonder if she is a Michelin fan?

I bet she never eats another french crueler..........

[MTI]

Originally Posted by MedMech

yes and no, it depends on who's property it is, if your leasing the landlord holds the trump card.

BUT:

You can never kick people out of a store for race or ethnic origin but under circumstaces you can kick a person out for just about any other reason.

Eh? Unless there's a specific priviso in the lease, usually any lawful activity can be undertaken by the retail tenant, including refusal of service to anyone, on private property. Not smart business-wise, but illegal?

The exception for race, color, ethnic background comes from the Civil Rights Act, but for some reason, while it includes restaurants, did not include retail stores, as part of businesses that could not discriminate on a racial basis. Unless I missed it, I don't think the Act has ever been broadened to include retail stores and Federal courts have routinely ruled against cases involving retailers.

Originally Posted by MTI

Eh? Unless there's a specific priviso in the lease, usually any lawful activity can be undertaken by the retail tenant, including refusal of service to anyone, on private property. Not smart business-wise, but illegal?

The exception for race, color, ethnic background comes from the Civil Rights Act, but for some reason, while it includes restaurants, did not include retail stores, as part of businesses that could not discriminate on a racial basis. Unless I missed it, I don't think the Act has ever been broadened to include retail stores and Federal courts have routinely ruled against cases involving retailers.

I'm not challenging but I would like to see that, the reason I mentioned leases is Mall leases are a mile long and usually state exactly what you can and can't do. Here's an example: a certain home improvement chain clearly states in the lease that Chinese restaurants cannot be on the same site. don't ask me who what or why, I won't answer it. In fact most national chains have that clause in a lease agreement.

Then state laws trump the CRA, like protecting gays and French people.