Dr Laura N-Word On-Air: (AUDIO) Listen Here; Plus, Dr Laura Schlessinger Apology!
Dr. Laura Schlessinger Says Sorry for Insensitivity: Saying N-Word On-Air was "Wrong"
Dr Laura N-Word Controversy: Is Her Apology Enough? (AUDIO HERE)
Caller Jade explained to Dr. Laura that, as a black woman, it bothered her that her husband does nothing when his friends make rude comments about black people. The main point of Jade's call honestly seemed to be less about race by itself, and more about how rude and culturally insensitive people can be, often without even realizing it. (Irony, anyone?) Her second point appeared to center around her husband not backing her up, which can be a touchy subject whether we're talking about race, the in-laws or disciplining the kids.
What Dr. Laura Schlessinger said next seemed to genuinely upset Jade; and, it seems, half of America. Dr Laura sounded dubious and almost confrontational when she responded to Jade, who was obviously seeking support and validation with her call. Dr. Laura (N-word audio here) began questioning the caller's ability to read a room and accurately judge a social situation. "Can you give me an example of racist comments? Because sometimes people are hyper-sensitive."
When the caller explained what offended her, Dr. Laura Schlessinger countered everything the woman said, essentially giving her the "nothing to worry about, dear" treatment. When the caller, Jade, asked Dr. Laura about her views on the N-word, Dr Laura had no qualms with being frank on the subject. "Black guys use it all the time. Turn on HBO, listen to a black comic, and all you here is nigger, nigger, nigger."
(Hear it for yourself: Dr. Laura Schlessinger N-word audio available here!)
When the female caller expressed she didn't appreciate the N-word being used, Dr. Laura shrugged her off. Flippant and dismissive, Dr. Laura told the caller, "If anybody without enough melanin says it, it's a horrible thing, but when black people say it, its affectionate. It's very confusing." You could almost hear her rolling her eyes as she spoke.
Dr. Laura has since publicly apologized twice for her insensitive treatment of Jade, saying "I always tell my listeners when they mess up, they need to follow the four R's: take responsibility, have true remorse, try to repair it, and don't repeat it. Yesterday, I messed up. Today, at the top of my program, I will apologize to my listeners."
Two full Dr Laura Schlessinger apology statements regarding the N-word incident on Tuesday are available here on the Dr Laura blog.
How do you feel about the whole Dr Laura N-word issue? Was an apology warranted, and does Dr. Laura need to do more than just apologize for using the N word? Did she even do anything wrong? After all, Dr. Laura didn't call anyone a "nigger", so is it any more wrong for her to say the world out loud than it is for me to type it here? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Source:
Re-written from Examiner.com article by the same author
Dr Laura Schlessinger web site - Dr Laura blog: N-word apology
Published by Jennifer Waite
Jennifer Waite is a freelance writer and photo-journalist; she covers local news for Tucson, national news, celebrity and music news, and more. Jennifer Waite is also the Tucson Rock Music Examiner on Exami... View profile
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22 Comments
Post a CommentFreedom of speech is a precious thing!
Mr. Obama, Yes I voted for you. I want to know what your going to do to stop this injustice. Did she lie? NO, she stated an opinion. Did she mis-represent what Black comedian's say? NO. I can gurantee you this, If Laura loose's her Job over this, I won't vote for you again!!!
She was asked a question and for advice and She answered it without tip toeing around racial lines or mixing words. She only said the Things half of America is thinking. If this was reversed and it was "How do you white people do things" and Honky Honky Honky! None of this would be happening. NONE OF IT!
When will white people learn that just because black people use the N-word amongst themselves, it will never,ever be acceptable for them to use that word.. yet some throw it around and suffer the consequences.wise up people!
I hope Dr Laura was fired, instead of her giving up her radio show. It's too bad that she doesn't see that one black person cannot speak for all black people. I know a lot of women that call other women bitches. OK, Dr. Laura is it OK to call you a bitch?
Oh puleeezzz! Tempest in a teapot. Who is the racist here? She should not apologize at all. She did not call anyone the "N" word! We hear this word used all the time by African Americans to each other, comics, actors, on the street. A white woman repeats the word and you'd think it was the holocaust. What's with the hyper-sensitivity. White people are always "racist" when they say something that couldn't even reasonably be construed to be racist yet non whites can say whatever they want about whites. And the world wonders why our nation continues to be so divided. Get over yourselves.
Dr Laura didn't call her the "N" word. But, her husband and friends did. Where is the problem at home or at the Dr Laura show.
when is the sister going to "fire" her husband. Sounds like her problem is with her husband and not Dr. Laura. She needs to go home and talk with her husband and not go on tv. Why can her husband make remarks and it is okay.
Well done but the only word I'd want to hear Dr Laura say is "goodbye"
It doesn't make sense that people are so worked up about her use of the N-word. As my mother used to tell me, "It is not always about WHAT you say, it is HOW you say it". I think that some people have missed Dr. Laura's point. She never called anyone a "nigger". She never said that it is acceptable to use the word to disparage someone. Dr. Laura was definitely rude and insensitive in the way that she dealt with the caller, but it doesn't make her racist. She seemed to espouse some very politically conservative ideas, but that is her prerogative. We need to be more concerned about bigger issues, like actual hate crimes and bonafide instances of racism and discrimination. It reminds me of the time that this White guy used the word "niggardly" in a speech and it caused a backlash. It's pure idiocy. Can’t we just all get along and get a life?