Urban legends?

[Boxlicker101]

I just received this in an email. I don't know if they are true or not. The second sounds like some kind of "urban legend" and the first, if it is true, would be well known. Somehow, I can't believe anybody would say such a thing as Tommy Hilfiger is alleged to have said. Even if he felt that way, he would not have said it on a national TV show.

1) I'm sure many of you watched the recent taping of the Oprah Winfrey

Show where her guest was Tommy Hilfiger. On the show, she asked him if
the statements about race he was accused of saying were true.
Statements like"..."If I'd known African-Americans, Hispanics, Jewish
and Asians would buy my clothes, I WOULD NOT have made them so nice. I
wish these people would *NOT* buy my clothes, as they are made for upper
class white people."

His answer to Oprah was a simple "YES".
Where after she immediately asked him to leave her show.

My suggestion? Don't buy your next shirt or perfume from Tommy Hilfiger.
Let's give him what he asked for. Let's not buy his clothes, let's put
Him in a financial state where he himself will not be able to afford the
ridiculous prices he puts on his clothes. BOYCOTT.
PLEASE SEND THIS MESSAGE TO ANYONE YOU KNOW. Then send it to the whole community that's not white people and see the result. We have to see the
result of unity.

Let's find out if Non-whites really play such a small part in
the world. Stop buying any range of their product, perfume, cosmetics,
clothes, bags, etc.,

2) Scene took place on a British Airways flight between Johannesburg and London.

A White woman, about 50 years old, was seated next to a black man.
Obviously disturbed by this, she called the air Hostess. "Madam, what is
the matter," the hostess asked. "You obviously do not see it then?" she
responded. "You placed me next to a black man. I do not agree to sit next to
someone from such a repugnant group. Give me an alternative seat."
"Be calm please," the hostess replied. "Almost all the places on this
Flight is taken.

I will go to see if another place is available." The Hostess went
away and t hen came back a few minutes later. "Madam, Just as I thought,
there are no other available seats in the economy class. I spoke to the
captain and he informed me that there is a seat in the business class.
All the same, we still have one place in the first class." Before the woman
could say anything, the hostess continued: "It is not Usual for our
company to permit someone from the economy class to sit in the first
class. However, given the circumstances, the captain feels that it would be
scandalous to make someone sit next to someone so disgusting." She
turned to the black guy, and said, "Therefore, Sir, if you would like to,
please collect your hand luggage, a seat awaits you in first class."
At that moment, the other passengers who were shocked by what they had
Just witnessed stood up and applauded.

 

[BlackShanglan]

The Hilfiger story, at least, is false. The airways story is probably apocryphal, but who knows?

http://www.snopes.com/racial/business/hilfiger.asp

http://www.snopes.com/travel/airline/obnoxious.asp

Snopes is an excellent resource for tracking down urban legends and media fairy tales.

As for the latter story, it's hard not to hope it's true.

Shanglan

 

[Stella_Omega]

I always figured the Hilfiger story was started by Guess or some other fashion rival. It's a cutthroat business!

 

[BlackShanglan]

I always figured the Hilfiger story was started by Guess or some other fashion rival. It's a cutthroat business!

It's amazing the legs these things can have. Evidently Proctor and Gamble have resorted to legal actions against people continuing to spread the claims that they support Satanic groups; the utter absence of any factual basis hasn't stopped that one from carrying on for nigh on twenty-five years now.

 

[Huckleman2000]

A former colleague of mine moved from San Francisco to NYC. She's a pretty smart woman, and hard working - she's got a job with a top Wall St. analyst firm now - but she's also very attractive. On a good day, she looks like J. Lo.

When she moved to NYC, her friends there told her she needed to be careful for the sewer reptiles, and sent her a link to an official-looking website from the NYC Dept. of Public Works or something about how to deal with them.

She was very concientious about it, LOL.

 

[Liar]

I always figured the Hilfiger story was started by Guess or some other fashion rival. It's a cutthroat business!

Or, provided he knows enough about the nature of urban legends, maybe by Hilfiger.

 

[oggbashan]

The airline story has inconsistencies.

Fifty years ago there was no such thing as British Airways, nor economy class, business class and first class. A flight from South Africa would be by BOAC, British Overseas Airways Corporation (as opposed to BEA, British European Airways or Back Every Afternoon. I've forgotten what BOAC was also supposed to mean).

The attitude of the air stewardess would have been right for pre-1939. When US GIs arrived in England, we had to be taught that non-white GIs had to be treated differently. Rural communities close to US bases treated all GIs the same. The cartoonist Giles used to play piano at the jazz sessions in his local public house with locals and black GIs until the black GIs were consistently beaten up by white GIs for monopolising the attentions of the village women.

Og

 

[dr_mabeuse]

Both stories are true.

They happened to a coworker's brother-in-law's friend's cousin.

 

[Boxlicker101]

The airline story has inconsistencies.

Fifty years ago there was no such thing as British Airways, nor economy class, business class and first class. A flight from South Africa would be by BOAC, British Overseas Airways Corporation (as opposed to BEA, British European Airways or Back Every Afternoon. I've forgotten what BOAC was also supposed to mean).

Og

British Overseas Air Corporation

 

[oggbashan]

British Overseas Air Corporation

No. I was right with the official title. I meant the politically incorrect acronyms made up for BOAC. I found these for BEA and BOAC:

BEA
Better Eat Afterwards
Back Every Afternoon (as opposed to BOAC: Better On A Camel)

BOAC (British Overseas Airways Corp.)
Better On A Camel
Bloody Old and Careless
Bail Out And Crash
British Overseas Air Catastrophes
British Overdue Airways Corporation
Bring Over American Cash
Britain's Only Airborne Circus

The full list of derogatory airline nicknames can be found here:
Nicknames

Og

 

[gauchecritic]

and it's virtually impossible to stand up out of your seat on a BA plane.

 

[oggbashan]

I flew BEA on Vikings and Viscounts.

The Vikings had to fly around mountains...

Og

 

[minsue]

and it's virtually impossible to stand up out of your seat on a BA plane.

Indeed.

 

[zeb1094]

Not in Business Class!

 

[Huckleman2000]

I flew BEA on Vikings and Viscounts.

The Vikings had to fly around mountains...

Og

I remember those! The Viscounts, I think - they had the four engines mounted two on either side of the tail.

Never flew on one, though.

 

[sweetnpetite]

The airline story has inconsistencies.

Fifty years ago there was no such thing as British Airways, nor economy class, business class and first class.
Og

It wasn't fifty years ago- it was a 50 year old woman.

 

[Guest]

The Hilfiger story, at least, is false. The airways story is probably apocryphal, but who knows?

http://www.snopes.com/racial/business/hilfiger.asp

http://www.snopes.com/travel/airline/obnoxious.asp

Snopes is an excellent resource for tracking down urban legends and media fairy tales.

As for the latter story, it's hard not to hope it's true.

Shanglan

Actually, No. 1 is true. He later explained that he meant that he didn't make clothes for people who could afford them, and that he was disgusted with the fact that for a while there, lower income groups would forgo things they needed or resort to crime to get the status his clothes had come to signify.

Don't mean to argue, Shang, but that is one I know to be true. :S

 

[BlackShanglan]

Actually, No. 1 is true. He later explained that he meant that he didn't make clothes for people who could afford them, and that he was disgusted with the fact that for a while there, lower income groups would forgo things they needed or resort to crime to get the status his clothes had come to signify.

Don't mean to argue, Shang, but that is one I know to be true. :S

I'm curious why Oprah would deny he was on her show. Was his statement on a different show, or in a different venue?

 

[dr_mabeuse]

How come there aren't any rural legends?

 

[Liar]

How come there aren't any rural legends?

There are. They got pixies, trolls, witches and leprechauns in them.

 

[oggbashan]

It wasn't fifty years ago- it was a 50 year old woman.

OOPS! Thanks for pointing that out... Og made a big mistake.

Goes back to sleep thinking of young 50 year old women, but not that one, she's a bitch.

Og

 

[Guest]

I'm curious why Oprah would deny he was on her show. Was his statement on a different show, or in a different venue?

Apparently, he was guest filling in a spot, and she was so furious that she found someone else to replace him and cut him out of the episode. *sighs* I do know that I've seen, somewhere (and for the laugh of me I cannot remember where) that clip thast she had cut out. I remember thinking "You're getting very irate for someone who buys his clothes for the label yourself, you dumbbitch" while Oprah got very... pissy with him and he looked surprised, then annoyed, and finally disgusted..

All of this was... hmm.. at least five years ago, if I remember correctly. As I was never a Hilfiger wearing type, I remember it because all my friends/family were banging on about it. I noticed about a year ago that people were suddenly wearing his clothes again and denying it ever happened, and I have to smile. For a very long time, no one believed that the Inquisition really happened (or rather, happened on such a large scale) thanks to the lovely proganda machine.

*shrugs* Hilfiger clothes are a lot of money without a lot of quality, IMHO. The seams are half-assed and the fabric is only so-so. I stick with Levis.

 

[BlackShanglan]

I checked the website for the Oprah show with this amusing result: no confirmation or denial of Hilfiger's presence on it, but she does sell his linens.