Rush Limbaugh: Maybe Oprah was denied handbag because she's "fat"

Switzerland has apologized to Winfrey for a clerk's racist actions, but shock jock Rush Limbaugh isn't convinced

Published August 9, 2013 8:45PM (EDT)

At long last, anthropomorphized blowfish Rush Limbaugh has offered his unsolicited opinion on Oprah Winfrey's unpleasant encounter with racism. On his radio program today, Limbaugh posited that perhaps a store assistant in Switzerland refused to show the celebrity a handbag "because The Oprah's fat."

Winfrey told "Entertainment Tonight's" Nancy O'Dell about the incident, during which she asked to see a $40,000 handbag several times, but was told "No. It’s too expensive.” The Switzerland tourism office, along with the store's owner, have issued Winfrey an apology. “I could’ve had the whole blow-up thing and thrown down the black card, but why do that? But that clearly is, you know … it (racism) still exists. Of course it does,” Winfrey said to O'Dell.

On his program, The Rush hypothesized that because "we don't know that the sales person based her judgment on The Oprah's skin color," the store clerk could have denied Winfrey on other grounds: "Maybe it's because The Oprah's fat? Well that's another -- how was The Oprah dressed? I mean she didn't look like The Oprah obviously. Was she wearing jump suit with tennis shoes? Maybe Air Jordans that weren't laced up?"

h/t Media Matters


By Prachi Gupta

Prachi Gupta is an Assistant News Editor for Salon, focusing on pop culture. Follow her on Twitter at @prachigu or email her at pgupta@salon.com.

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Related Topics ------------------------------------------

Conservativism Obesity Oprah Winfrey Racism Rush Limbaugh Switzerland Video Weight