Friday, August 20, 2010

Controversy over Dr. Laura: what was SO wrong?

  So, of course, when Dr. Laura protests that she's ready to throw in the towel because she's sick of the harpies on the left protesting every little thing she says and does and that she wants her first amendment rights back, Yahoo have to run over to a first amendment rights "expert" and get an explanation that will make Dr. Laura look petulant, in errata, and very right wing. You can read their so-called "research" here.
  Lots has been said about the rant that caused Dr Laura to pull the plug on her radio show at the end of the year; what's most interesting, if you haven't heard it, is to actually read the verbal exchange between Dr. Laura and her black caller. (Is it okay to say that? Black caller? Or is it wrong to designate race, even when that's the reason the woman is calling and that's the point???)
  The entire conversation is over at Radio Equalizer. Dr. Laura's point was that people are too sensitive about language and that many times people choose to be offended by mere words. The caller took offense. Here's the exchange, which you can view over at Radio Equalizer. You can also view the liberal crowing over Dr. Laura's scalp:

CALLER: How about the N-word? So, the N-word's been thrown around --SCHLESSINGER: Black guys use it all the time. Turn on HBO, listen to a black comic, and all you hear is nigger, nigger, nigger. 
CALLER: That isn't -- 
SCHLESSINGER: I don't get it. If anybody without enough melanin says it, it's a horrible thing; but when black people say it, it's affectionate. 
CALLER: So it's OK to say "nigger"? 
SCHLESSINGER: -- and not enough sense of humor

CALLER: It's OK to say that word? 
SCHLESSINGER: It depends how it's said

CALLER: Is it OK to say that word? Is it ever OK to say that word

SCHLESSINGER: It's -- it depends how it's said. Black guys talking to each other seem to think it's OK

CALLER: But you're not black. They're not black. My husband is white

SCHLESSINGER: Oh, I see. So, a word is restricted to race. Got it. Can't do much about that.
CALLER: I can't believe someone like you is on the radio spewing out the "nigger" word, and I hope everybody heard it. 
SCHLESSINGER: I didn't spew out the "nigger" word. 
CALLER: You said, "Nigger, nigger, nigger." 
SCHLESSINGER: Right, I said that's what you hear. 
CALLER: Everybody heard it. 
SCHLESSINGER: Yes, they did. 
CALLER: I hope everybody heard it. 
SCHLESSINGER: They did, and I'll say it again -- 
CALLER: So what makes it OK for you to say the word? 
SCHLESSINGER: -- nigger, nigger, nigger is what you hear on HB -- 
CALLER: So what makes it -- 
SCHLESSINGER: Why don't you let me finish a sentence? 
CALLER: OK. 
SCHLESSINGER: Don't take things out of context. Don't double N -- NAACP me. Tape the -- 
CALLER: I know what the NAACP -- 
SCHLESSINGER: Leave them in context.

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