Oprah Faces Racist Sales Assistant at Zurich Store, Receives Apology from Switzerland
August 10, 2013 by Mike Siegel
If you think racism is no longer an issue in the world today then please read ahead.
According to the Daily Mail, Oprah Winfrey recently made a trip to Zurich, Switzerland when she stumbled upon an unspecified boutique. The 59-year-old talk show host went in and requested to a see a pocketbook, but was denied such by an assistant in the store because it was “too expensive” for her (it cost $40,000). Ouch. What is that supposed to mean? After all, Winfrey could probably buy the entire city of Zurich and then some if she really wanted to. And even when she tried to insist to see it, the assistant refused to do so, repeating things like “you don’t want to see that one…that one will cost too much,” the Daily Mail reported. Thus, Winfrey came to the conclusion that she was racially targeted even in 2013, and left the store without making a scene. Even though the store’s manager Trudie Gotz apologized for the incident and claimed that it was a misunderstanding, not a racist remark, Winfrey is persistent in reporting that racism is still an issue. And she is definitely right.
Now, the entire country of Switzerland is trying to get back on Winfrey’s good side. TMZ reported that the country’s national tourism board issued an apology saying, “We are very sorry for what happened to her.” TMZ also reported that the tourism board even took to Twitter to plead forgiveness from the billionaire, noting that the store’s saleswoman acted in a horrible manner.
Is the Switzerland national tourism board sincere with their apology or do they just want to impress Winfrey? What do you think? Comment your thoughts below.