Michele Obama: Someone Asked Me to Reach Something for Them at Target So That Was Racism

Or, as some are noting, just asking a tall woman to reach something on a high shelf.

This is an odd thing. I actually live in fear of asking someone for help at Target who doesn't work at Target. I have a phobia about asking someone where the vitamins are, only to have him turn angrily on me and announce, "Just because I'm wearing a jazzy red polo shirt and loose-fit khakis, does that mean you own me??!"

So I kind of don't ask people, unless I see someone else asking them. Or I see them stocking stuff.

But you can get into trouble that way, too. Because if you ask the guy stocking the Coke where the bacon is, he might go, "I don't work here, I work for the Coca-Cola distributing company. And go fuck yourself for that insult, Sirrah!"

Social horror.

Anyway, not making this up, I really do have a phobia about this.

On the other hand, I ask people for help who I know don't work at the store.

It's a weird thing. I get panicky about mistaking someone as store help, but I have little problem asking someone I know does not work for the store for information, just on the theory that hey, we're in this store together, why shouldn't we help each other out?

Have you ever been a male in the spice aisle looking for, I don't know, corriander, and not being able to find it (Yeah I know they're in alphabetical order, but just go with me on this), so you see someone who seems to be knowledgable, and sure, this person just happens to be female, so you ask, "Do you know where the corriander is?"

I always want to say, "I know you don't work here, but that doesn't mean you don't know the basic layout of this super-market you obviously come to twice a week" before asking them, but I don't.

Anyway, the point is, Michele Obama, sometimes people, get this, ask other citizens for help, advice, or information, not thinking they're (horrors!) an employee making only a dollar or two above the minimum wage (aah! the social insult! I shall not live), but just thinking, "This person could help me and I see no good reason why I shouldn't ask her for help."

But Michele Obama goes through life like a china shop in a stockyard, looking to be shattered by hoof-fall.

posted by Ace at 06:46 PM

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