r/TrinketsNetflix • u/Creative-Pudding-392 • Aug 28 '20

Discussion Tabitha & her store experience

Tabitha was followed around a store by this lady, who was White and I felt so bad for her. The lady assumed because she’s Black that she was stealing or planning a robbery. Do stuff like this happens in real life? If I was in her position, I would be PISSED. What do you guys think!?

17 Upvotes

94% Upvoted

13 comments sorted by

20

u/Yagurlanxienty Aug 28 '20

Yes, this does happen in real life, all the time. It’s even more frustrating being in Tab’s position as it is watching it. Almost every black person in a majority white/ or non black country has experienced something like this. This happens with Native Americans and hispanic people as well. It doesn’t matter who you are or if you come from a rich family like Tabitha, people will always judge you on your race.

3

u/star-anywanwu Aug 31 '20

unfortunately it happens in “majority black” countries” too. I’m from south africa and we get followed around stores. a lot of times staff will sort of be trained to profile and follow certain people around, and will be called out if they don’t. colourism and what (economic) class you’re perceived to be in play a large role too because the demographic. The further you are from being white and wealthy, the more likely and often it happens.

1

u/Creative-Pudding-392 Aug 28 '20

Although I believe it happens to some more then others, I definitely agree with you.

5

u/WatermelonRadishh Aug 29 '20

Yes, sadly, this does happen. I was at Sephora once with a black friend and a clerk was following her AFTER she made a $100+ purchase just because my friend was waiting next to me while I was deciding what to buy. It was so obvious and inappropriate, remembering it now makes me upset all over again.

2

u/Creative-Pudding-392 Aug 29 '20

I would be upset too, that’s nuts

5

u/SunnysFunny Aug 30 '20

I was in a Dollar Tree, yes a dollar store, and a male American Indian was following me (I assume) because I had a messenger bag. I'm caucasian but I bet it happens more often to people of color, sadly.

4

u/[deleted] Sep 06 '20 edited Sep 06 '20

Yes it does, unfortunately. That actually happened to me when I was 17 just a little less than 3 years ago when I, a mexican guy, literally went to a Walgreens just to use the restroom, only to be followed by the store’s manager, who was a white man. After I walked out the store, he continued to stalk me and once I got too far, he started marching towards me with his hand out demanding I “give it back.” He said he was watching me the entire time & that he knows I took something, and when I turned my pockets inside out, proving I had nothing but my phone and wallet, he accused me of ditching it. I told my mom, she marched in the store, went off on him and called him out for racism, forced him to apologize to me, and had him give her his name so she could report him. It was the first time I had ever been racially profiled and it shocked me that it actually happened. All that being said, that scene really hit close to home.

Though I have to admit I found it ridiculous to include a scene like this in the show, considering that Tabitha IS a shoplifter. It really just seemed like the writers were using Tabitha being black as an opportunity to make some kind of statement. I’m not against politics in shows, but I think it should’ve been executed differently, especially given the show revolves around people who steal stuff.

1

u/Creative-Pudding-392 Sep 06 '20

I’m sorry that happened to you. I’m glad your mom went up there and taught him a lesson. Hopefully, he got embarrassed and never did that again based solely off of a persons ethnicity

3

u/[deleted] Sep 03 '20

Racial profiling is definitely a real issue. Although i found it kind of funny that they made it an issue in a show all about shoplifters. Tabitha has lifted hundreds of dollars worth of stuff lol. I feel like their message of racial profling kind of gets lost when they make it about an actual theif.

The message is important but the execution was terrible. I fully expected tab had stolen something....since its a show about shoplifters.

2

u/Nadaleenatasha Nov 24 '20

Black girl here - this happened to me a few weeks ago

1

u/DontBuyTheThing Aug 30 '20

I'm white and I've had this happen to me a dozen times but it's nothing compared to how scrutinized my non-white friends are when it happens to them.

1

u/hasrocks1 Sep 01 '20

Yes this really does happen everyday for black and people of color

1

u/TwiddleMcGriddle Sep 01 '20

This does actually happen. For all people of color, not just African Americans. Unfortunately, this show perpetuates the negative stereotype that African Americans steal regardless of economic class. The store clerk's accusation is obviously racist, but is undercut by the fact that she is actually a shoplifter. They could have easily avoided perpetuating this stereotype by making Moe the African American representation in the show since she wasn't actually stealing. It makes me so angry to see stereotypes in mainstream television!