The Controversy of Dr Laura
Posted: Saturday, August 21, 2010
by Grace O'Malley
After a few days of being bombarded in the media about Dr. Laura Schlessinger and her rant using an offensive word on her radio show I thought it was time to actually listen to what was said.
First I want to point out the fact that every article I read and every pundit I heard used the term N-word as to be politically correct and not offend. I point this out because after listening to Dr. Laura and her discussion, that is what the whole brouhaha is about. I will do the same.
For the uninitiated, Dr. Laura Schlessinger was a family counselor who rose to fame when a local radio program she hosted was picked up for national broadcast. She is best known for being a conservative commentator on politics and family matters. Her radio show centers around current events and taking calls from her listening audience.
On the day in question, a woman by the name of Jade called in and asked Dr. Laura for help concerning a situation Jade found unsettling. The circumstances, according to Jade, were that she is black, her husband is white and whenever they as a couple are around others who make racial comments, Jade's husband never says anything about it.
Dr. Laura asked Jade to give two examples of what she considers racial comments as some people are known to have thin skin. Dr. Laura used the example that her bodyguard and good friend is black and when Dr. Laura wanted to play basketball she asked her bodyguard to be on her team since "white people can't jump". Some may find that offensive and to Dr. Laura those people would be considered thin skinned. She sees it as funny.
Moving on Jade repeats a few comments made by a neighbor where the neighbor prefaces his questions by saying what do blacks think about this, what do blacks think about that. This is the moment where Dr. Laura makes the infamous "rant". In response to Jade, Dr. Laura asks why that would be offensive to her. She goes on to point out the fact that anyone can watch shows on HBO where black men say N****r, N****r, N****r to each other yet if a white person says it, it becomes offensive. Dr. Laura wanted a reference on what is too much and what is not.
At this point there is a commercial break. Coming back from break Dr. Laura asks Jade what she was thinking about during said break. Jade was shocked that Dr. Laura used that word on the air not just once but three times and repeated the words herself. Dr. Laura pointed out that it was a reference, talked about how we now have a black president, had hoped that would calm racial tensions, gave her viewpoint on current tensions, repeated the reference and asked Jade not to take it out of context.
For this the Doctor has now retired from a radio program began in 1979.
While I may not be a fan of Dr. Laura Schlessinger personally, this whole situation has me now shaking my head. Is this state of affairs being blown into the stratosphere because the woman was insensitive or is it due to something else?
What say you?
For those who have not heard the entire six minute and forty second discussion, Media Matters has the entire audio available here.
First I want to point out the fact that every article I read and every pundit I heard used the term N-word as to be politically correct and not offend. I point this out because after listening to Dr. Laura and her discussion, that is what the whole brouhaha is about. I will do the same.
On the day in question, a woman by the name of Jade called in and asked Dr. Laura for help concerning a situation Jade found unsettling. The circumstances, according to Jade, were that she is black, her husband is white and whenever they as a couple are around others who make racial comments, Jade's husband never says anything about it.
Dr. Laura asked Jade to give two examples of what she considers racial comments as some people are known to have thin skin. Dr. Laura used the example that her bodyguard and good friend is black and when Dr. Laura wanted to play basketball she asked her bodyguard to be on her team since "white people can't jump". Some may find that offensive and to Dr. Laura those people would be considered thin skinned. She sees it as funny.
Moving on Jade repeats a few comments made by a neighbor where the neighbor prefaces his questions by saying what do blacks think about this, what do blacks think about that. This is the moment where Dr. Laura makes the infamous "rant". In response to Jade, Dr. Laura asks why that would be offensive to her. She goes on to point out the fact that anyone can watch shows on HBO where black men say N****r, N****r, N****r to each other yet if a white person says it, it becomes offensive. Dr. Laura wanted a reference on what is too much and what is not.
At this point there is a commercial break. Coming back from break Dr. Laura asks Jade what she was thinking about during said break. Jade was shocked that Dr. Laura used that word on the air not just once but three times and repeated the words herself. Dr. Laura pointed out that it was a reference, talked about how we now have a black president, had hoped that would calm racial tensions, gave her viewpoint on current tensions, repeated the reference and asked Jade not to take it out of context.
For this the Doctor has now retired from a radio program began in 1979.
While I may not be a fan of Dr. Laura Schlessinger personally, this whole situation has me now shaking my head. Is this state of affairs being blown into the stratosphere because the woman was insensitive or is it due to something else?
What say you?
For those who have not heard the entire six minute and forty second discussion, Media Matters has the entire audio available here.
This Article has been viewed 458 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)Grace, I'm not sure what you mean when you say was it something else? I think her behavior was shocking.I had myself thought it was shocking until I listened to the conversation. Since she did not refer to someone in those terms nor use it in a derogatory reference, is using that word totally off limits? That's why I wonder if more is being made about this than need be. How she conducted herself was in her normal condescending manner, but was it a rant?Grace
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