Finally, someone who understands...

Richard Roeper, who probably has one of the most interesting columns in the Sun-Times, often invites readers to submit ideas. One such reader responded by writing:

Here is what Oprah might as well be telling her audience:

"Hey, Mr. and Ms. Consumer! People who work retail jobs are second-class citizens! Their time is NOT valuable. Yours is! And the customer is always right, so get out there and take advantage.

"Posted store hours? They're for suckers. You want something? Go get it. So what if that woman behind the counter is gonna be late picking up her daughter at day care? YOU are important! That sales clerk is not.

"It is NOT your responsibility to plan accordingly or to respect other people's schedules. If you get to that fancy store and it's closed, kick up a fuss.

"Remember: I was HUMILIATED at that Hermes store! If a sales clerk feels humiliated at having to stick around for us special people, that's his problem."

-Steve Graue, Chicago

What I love even more is Rich's response to the reader's comments:

Oprah says the store wasn't closed -- it was "in the process of closing." Of course, that means that, if you're in the store, you're encouraged to wrap things up but you're not kicked out. But, if you're OUTSIDE, you can't get in. If the staff lets people in while they're in the process of closing, they'll never actually close.

Oprah was turned away from a store that was no longer open, and maybe the clerk was rude. In other words, she experienced the same sort of minor confrontation that we all experience, all the time. Instead of letting it go, she played the Queen-of-the-World card and got the U.S. president of Hermes to grovel on television while her disciples applauded wildly.