Could Dr. Laura Quits Radio Show Over N-Word Rant Be a Publicity Stunt?

Dr. Laura is calling it quits on her radio show. Dr. Laura Schlessinger has been an installation in American radio for quite some time, and at one point her radio show was #2 only to Rush Limbaugh. Over the years, her popularity has waned. Her views on gay marriage and homosexuality have cost the show sponsors.

But perhaps the icing on the cake was her n-word rant. She has received a lot of criticism over a 5 minute segment in which she said the racial slur a whopping 11 times. According to ABC, here is what Dr. Laura says of the incident:

I want to be able to say what's on my mind and in my heart and what I think is helpful and useful without somebody getting angry, some special interest group deciding this is the time to silence a voice of dissent and attack affiliates, attack sponsors. I'm sort of done with that.

Of course, she plans on staying active through her books and on TV appearances. She also has plans to work on her blog and YouTube channel.

I cannot help but wonder how much credibility Dr. Laura has lost over this unfortunate scenario. After all, she's supposed to be sensitive to people's feelings, and she's supposed to be an expert on society. Shouldn't she have known better than to say the n-word...especially so many times?

In addition, I cannot remember the last time that I listened to a radio talk show. I remember Dr. Laura vaguely because my grandmother - many years ago - used to listen to her show on the AM radio. I spoke with my 18 year old cousin and she thought Dr. Laura was Dr. Laura Berman, of the women's sexual health fame.

That being said, is it even remotely possible that this whole "controversy" was staged to drum up interest in the famed talk personality? As she noted on the Larry King Live show, she plans on focusing on her YouTube channel and blog. What better way to get free advertising for her endeavors than to stage a controversy, and have the blogosphere go crazy. Then, score a couple of high profile interviews to keep the whole thing going.

I admit I could be way off base here. However, Dr. Laura is not a stupid woman, and I just cannot see her thinking it was justifiable to use the N word once, let alone 11 times in five minutes.

Sources:

Guardian UK

ABC.com