Dr. Laura's "N word" Rant

[Sky Dancer]

This husband sounds like an assdouche. if he's fine with letting his friends use insults around his wife even after she's told him how it makes her feel, then they've probably got some deeper issues than any phone call to a radio personality could ever fix. i don't get why people even call in to those shows?

You deserve Dr Laura's pay for the day.

 

[Sky Dancer]

MikeK, two words: shut up. The word is wrong. What don't you understand?

Like I said, the PC Police are in full attendance and suited up in riot gear.

this is a little of a derail, but, do you call women ***** in real life?

Does Dr Laura? I hope not.'

Go ahead Dr Laura, feel free to say the N-word, the F-word, and any other ugly and hateful word that's in your heart, because pretty soon you'll only be talking to the walls in your home.

 

[Sheldon]

Like I said, the PC Police are in full attendance and suited up in riot gear.

this is a little of a derail, but, do you call women ***** in real life?

Does Dr Laura?

I have no idea. it's just hard for me to imagine anyone tossing around that word in real life like the way CL does on here. i think the internet is a refuge for people to express their closeted feelings about gender and race and general bigotry without concern for any serious repercussions. You get to see what people really feel.

 

[Foxfyre]

Dr. Laura asked the woman for examples of racist comments and she didn't use '******' as an example. She used an example of a neighbor asking how black people look at something or what do black people think about whatever. I think you may have missed that. When Dr. Laura wouldn't take her side that this was a huge deal, she then said, "what about ******?" or something to that effect, but there was nothing to indicate that the word had ever been used in her house as a reference to her or anybody else.

Yes, I would expect my husband to take offense at anybody calling me any kind of derogatory name whether it be '****' or '******' or whatever. That was not the case in this scenario. The issue was social ineptedtude and insensitivity, but nothing hateful was intended. It was something a mature grown up would shrug off as stupid insensitivity that was not intended to be malicious.

Thanks for clarifying the origin of the topic issue. I didn't hear the Dr. Laura broadcast so my impressions are based on what I've read and it seems to me the caller is beginning to realize her marriage to a White man was a mistake and she is not compatible with White society.

If she has cause to believe her husband's friends and relatives are being thoughtlessly offensive to her then she has a simple decision to make -- either learn to live with it or leave. Or did she expect Dr. Laura to advise her on how best to indoctrinate all of her new friends and in-laws on the way Black people want White people to think and behave in their presence?

The inevitable effect of this constant lament about the insensitivity of White people toward Blacks is to cause White people to avoid contact with Blacks whenever and wherever possible.

In other words, who needs it?

I linked in this thread a clip of the entire exchange earlier this morning. My impression was that Dr. Laura was her usual abrupt self--anybody who calls her show should expect that. It isn't her job to conform to how somebody else thinks she should respond. And my instinct was to agree with Dr. Laura that this woman was hypersensitive about a stupid remark that a mature grownup would generally just roll her eyes and let slide. Especially in reference to a guest in her home.

But you're right that it is as stupid for a black person to expect white people to conform to the exact language and verbal content and demeanor that the black person wants them to use as it is stupid for white people to expect black people or anybody else to see things as they see them. Such is its own insidious form of elitism and prejudice and devoid of any sense of tolerance.

The woman was within her rights to expect her husband to defend her or anybody else in their home who was being personally insulted. She is hypersensitive to expect her husband to correct a guest in their home who is just saying stupid things without any intent to be personally insulting. If it is serous enough that she has a problem with it, she should take their neighbor aside and explain to him how his comments make her feel. Otherwise grownups let people be themselves.

If a person is too socially inept to be enjoyable, then you don't invite them into your home. People you do invite into your home should be treated as guests and not students to be disciplined or chastised.

 

[CurveLight]

MikeK, two words: shut up. The word is wrong. What don't you understand?

Curvelight: "Like I said, the PC Police are in full attendance and suited up in riot gear."

This is not a case of how one says potato or potatoh, CL. The word is about human decency, not political correctness. The use of the word reveals the most indecent sides of an individual. This is not about nuance for those who don't grasp it, the issue is about decency and dignity.

You just demonstrated a serious moral and ethical flaw in your character with your words above.

I have a ton of character flaws you dumbass but that doesn't have anything to do with the stoopid reactions to what happened. She didn't use it in a derogatory manner in any way so stop whining over nothing.

 

[CurveLight]

MikeK, two words: shut up. The word is wrong. What don't you understand?

Like I said, the PC Police are in full attendance and suited up in riot gear.

this is a little of a derail, but, do you call women ***** in real life?

This isn't real life? Are you a real person posting? I am. Do you imply it is not "real life" because we can't see each other? Wake the fuck up you stoopid ****.

 

[Sky Dancer]

this is a little of a derail, but, do you call women ***** in real life?

Does Dr Laura?

I have no idea. it's just hard for me to imagine anyone tossing around that word in real life like the way CL does on here. i think the internet is a refuge for people to express their closeted feelings about gender and race and general bigotry without concern for any serious repercussions. You get to see what people really feel.

Yeah. People are vicious sometimes. I think if you listen to a steady diet of hate speech on tv or radio you become insensitized to it.

 

[Foxfyre]

And, as I said earlier, I knew I was going to regret wading in on this one. People who WANT to see racism in anything and everything won't be able to see this particular incident objectively and those who demand that others agree with them in order to be acceptable aren't likely to even understand what the issue actually is. But sometimes I'm a glutton for punishment.

I still think that anybody who can't find the irony, humor, and substance in that "All in the Family" clip have no sense of humor at all. I think mature grown ups, black and white, are most likely to laugh at demonstrating absurdity with absurdity and will be able to appreciate the dynamics at play and won't feel personally offended in the least. There are no doubt exceptions.

 

[Sheldon]

Like I said, the PC Police are in full attendance and suited up in riot gear.

this is a little of a derail, but, do you call women ***** in real life?

This isn't real life? Are you a real person posting? I am. Do you imply it is not "real life" because we can't see each other? Wake the fuck up you stoopid ****.

You're playing dumb. Typing **** on a keyboard isn't the same as looking a woman in the eyes and calling her one. two way different things, imo. One you can get neg repped for, the other you can get smacked for.

 

[Sky Dancer]

And, as I said earlier, I knew I was going to regret wading in on this one. People who WANT to see racism in anything and everything won't be able to see this particular incident objectively and those who demand that others agree with them in order to be acceptable aren't likely to even understand what the issue actually is. But sometimes I'm a glutton for punishment.

I still think that anybody who can't find the irony, humor, and substance in that "All in the Family" clip have no sense of humor at all. I think mature grown ups, black and white, are most likely to laugh at demonstrating absurdity with absurdity and will be able to appreciate the dynamics at play and won't feel personally offended in the least. There are no doubt exceptions.

Thirty years ago I would have found the clip funny. I don't find it funny now, but I do see the irony in it. How come you haven't changed in thirty years?

 

[Madeline]

And, as I said earlier, I knew I was going to regret wading in on this one. People who WANT to see racism in anything and everything won't be able to see this particular incident objectively and those who demand that others agree with them in order to be acceptable aren't likely to even understand what the issue actually is. But sometimes I'm a glutton for punishment.

I still think that anybody who can't find the irony, humor, and substance in that "All in the Family" clip have no sense of humor at all. I think mature grown ups, black and white, are most likely to laugh at demonstrating absurdity with absurdity and will be able to appreciate the dynamics at play and won't feel personally offended in the least. There are no doubt exceptions.

foxfyre, we all have a public face and a private face. Mebbe you'd feel comfy saying the n word to people you were friends with, who could trust you had no malice behind it. That's a far cry from getting on the radio, broadcast nationally, and spewing the n word eleven times, telling a black women she shouldn't marry outside her race, and announcing you call one of your employees "n*gger".

I don't think you fully appreciate this, but in some contexts the word is still terribly painful. Not just to blacks...the turmoil and struggle of the last 50 years did not happen only to blacks. I was hurt by what Dr Laura said. I am delighted she's been forced off the air. Not only will she not repeat it, but others will have their impulse to speak this way cooled as well. There'll be a little less hate, a little less pain and little more civility.

This is not about the First Amendment. No one has a First Amendment right to be employed as a radio host. Apparently her station thought that it was no longer profitable to employ her. I'm delighted by this as well.

 

[Foxfyre]

And, as I said earlier, I knew I was going to regret wading in on this one. People who WANT to see racism in anything and everything won't be able to see this particular incident objectively and those who demand that others agree with them in order to be acceptable aren't likely to even understand what the issue actually is. But sometimes I'm a glutton for punishment.

I still think that anybody who can't find the irony, humor, and substance in that "All in the Family" clip have no sense of humor at all. I think mature grown ups, black and white, are most likely to laugh at demonstrating absurdity with absurdity and will be able to appreciate the dynamics at play and won't feel personally offended in the least. There are no doubt exceptions.

Thirty years ago I would have found the clip funny. I don't find it funny now, but I do see the irony in it. How come you haven't changed in thirty years?

I've changed a lot in 30 years. I've learned what is important and I have learned not to be hypersensitive; i.e. not to give stupid people power over what I will think and feel.

What gives you authority or credentials to judge me or know whether or not I have changed about anything or anything else about me that I have not chosen to reveal here?

 

[JakeStarkey]

Foxfyre, shove the situational ethics. The words are wrong, pure and simple; there is no nuance of irony and satire. You cover yourself with manure, then you smell like manure: period.

 

[Foxfyre]

And, as I said earlier, I knew I was going to regret wading in on this one. People who WANT to see racism in anything and everything won't be able to see this particular incident objectively and those who demand that others agree with them in order to be acceptable aren't likely to even understand what the issue actually is. But sometimes I'm a glutton for punishment.

I still think that anybody who can't find the irony, humor, and substance in that "All in the Family" clip have no sense of humor at all. I think mature grown ups, black and white, are most likely to laugh at demonstrating absurdity with absurdity and will be able to appreciate the dynamics at play and won't feel personally offended in the least. There are no doubt exceptions.

foxfyre, we all have a public face and a private face. Mebbe you'd feel comfy saying the n word to people you were friends with, who could trust you had no malice behind it. That's a far cry from getting on the radio, broadcast nationally, and spewing the n word eleven times, telling a black women she shouldn't marry outside her race, and announcing you call one of your employees "n*gger".

I don't think you fully appreciate this, but in some contexts the word is still terribly painful. Not just to blacks...the turmoil and struggle of the last 50 years did not happen only to blacks. I was hurt by what Dr laura said. I am delighted she's been forced off the air. Not only will she not repeat it, but others will have their impulse to speak this way cooled as well. There'll be a little less hate, a little less pain and little more civility.

This is not about the First Amendment. No one has a First Amendment right to be employed as a radio host. Apparently her station thought that it was no longer profitable to employ her. I'm delighted by this as well.

Again you know I love you Maddie.

I didn't hear Dr. Laura tell her she shouldn't marry outside her race. I heard her tell the woman that if she DOES marry outside her race, outside her religion, etc. she should expect some additional shit or stupidity in her life. That is not a racist or insensitive observation. It is an honest statement of the reality of life. We all know that. There will always be somebody who will make an issue of it or get stupid when we make choices that are seen as outside the mainstream.

There is no inherent right to be accepted on our terms.

My father had to go to our smalltown redneck barbershop with my dark skinned Italian brother-in-law to be sure he got a haircut there. Otherwise he would have been branded a 'wetback' and refused service. Stupid? Sure. Racist? Absolutely. Fact of life. That too. That WAS decades ago and would no longer be the case in that town, but it was the case then. And those weren't bad or hateful people who would intentionally be hateful to anybody. They were just culturally conditioned to think that certain things should be a certain way. Perhaps a few still think that way and they are nevertheless lovable, generous people that we can choose to accept for who they are or we can choose to condemn for thinking they way they do.

My sister and brother-in-law had to have three weddings. The first for themselves. The second in the Methodist Church to appease my parents who thought her marrying an Italian was bad enough but would not tolerate her marrying a Catholic in a Catholic Church. The third wedding was in the Catholic Church to appease his parents who would not tolerate him marrying a Protestant at all. Utlimately all the families got together and did fine, but meanwhile, we just dealt with people the way they are. That's what grown ups do.

And the first relative who came out as gay? AND brought home his significant other? OMG!!! How were we to deal with that???? But those of us who didn't have a problem with it made sure everything stayed light and changed the subject as appropriate. And the couple themselves, both mature and smart young people, were able to turn the inappropriate comments aside with humor and eventually won everybody over. And eventually everybody got comofortable with it and accepted it as routine and just the way it is. Does that mean there is never an awkward or insensitive comment? Of course not. But we get around it without making the environment toxic.

Until we decide that we aren't going to let other people's prejudices and stupidity have power over us, it isn't ever going to get much better. And I think that is what Dr. Laura was saying in all of this. She didn't do it tactfully. Dr. Laura is not a tactful person. But I do think she is being hung for the wrong crime here.

 

[JakeStarkey]

None of that, Foxfyre, takes away the smell or the sickness.

 

[CurveLight]

And, as I said earlier, I knew I was going to regret wading in on this one. People who WANT to see racism in anything and everything won't be able to see this particular incident objectively and those who demand that others agree with them in order to be acceptable aren't likely to even understand what the issue actually is. But sometimes I'm a glutton for punishment.

I still think that anybody who can't find the irony, humor, and substance in that "All in the Family" clip have no sense of humor at all. I think mature grown ups, black and white, are most likely to laugh at demonstrating absurdity with absurdity and will be able to appreciate the dynamics at play and won't feel personally offended in the least. There are no doubt exceptions.

foxfyre, we all have a public face and a private face. Mebbe you'd feel comfy saying the n word to people you were friends with, who could trust you had no malice behind it. That's a far cry from getting on the radio, broadcast nationally, and spewing the n word eleven times, telling a black women she shouldn't marry outside her race, and announcing you call one of your employees "n*gger".

I don't think you fully appreciate this, but in some contexts the word is still terribly painful. Not just to blacks...the turmoil and struggle of the last 50 years did not happen only to blacks. I was hurt by what Dr laura said. I am delighted she's been forced off the air. Not only will she not repeat it, but others will have their impulse to speak this way cooled as well. There'll be a little less hate, a little less pain and little more civility.

This is not about the First Amendment. No one has a First Amendment right to be employed as a radio host. Apparently her station thought that it was no longer profitable to employ her. I'm delighted by this as well.

You're one of the sooper-sensitive people Laura was talking about and you twisted what she said to justify you're self-righteous rant.

 

[CurveLight]

Foxfyre, shove the situational ethics. The words are wrong, pure and simple; there is no nuance of irony and satire. You cover yourself with manure, then you smell like manure: period.

Fuck off with the whiny soap-box shit.

 

[SuMar]

Larry King is such a moron. To say it's ok for blacks to use the "n" word but not ok for whites to use it. Such a hypocrite!! It's not ok for anyone to use it. It's just an ignorant word period.

That being said, if a white guy wants to use the word as well as a black guy use it, then buy all means use it! It's not against the law to say that word. Just ignorant.

Larry King Live - - CNN.com Blogs​

 

[CurveLight]

this is a little of a derail, but, do you call women ***** in real life?

This isn't real life? Are you a real person posting? I am. Do you imply it is not "real life" because we can't see each other? Wake the fuck up you stoopid ****.

You're playing dumb. Typing **** on a keyboard isn't the same as looking a woman in the eyes and calling her one. two way different things, imo. One you can get neg repped for, the other you can get smacked for.

Oh I see, you're guilty of living double standards you accuse others of having. If a woman smacks a man that is okay but if a man smacks a woman that is assault. Dumbass.

 

[CurveLight]

Madeline, please quote from the transcript where Dr L said she referred to an employee as a "******."