READER COMMENTS ON

"'N-Word' Rant Ends Dr. Laura's 30-Year Radio Career"

(26 Responses so far...)





COMMENT #1 [Permalink]

... BlueHawk said on 8/18/2010 @ 5:28 pm PT...





Media Matters also reported that Dr. Laura quit in order to "get her first amendment rights back" She's managed to make herself the victim...

COMMENT #2 [Permalink]

... Hankydub said on 8/18/2010 @ 5:58 pm PT...





Now Laura will have time to go see a real shrink and start sorting through her issues. Unfortunately she will probably just write a book about what a poor, poor victim she is. Either way she won't be able to warp the minds of the poor saps who called her show for so many years. http://www.bartcop.com/laura-naked6.htm

COMMENT #3 [Permalink]

... AD Powell said on 8/18/2010 @ 7:15 pm PT...





Dr. Laura was totally out of line. Of course, she has no real credentials for counseling people. Her PhD is in physiology. She really runs an entertainment show in which callers enjoy hearing her pass moral judgments on others in the name of so-called traditional morality. That said, it is also wrong to give blacks the right to use the "n-word" any way they wish while crucifying every white or other non-black who uses it, regardless of the context.

COMMENT #4 [Permalink]

... BlueHawk said on 8/18/2010 @ 8:07 pm PT...





AD Powell says That said, it is also wrong to give blacks the right to use the "n-word" any way they wish while crucifying every white or other non-black who uses it, regardless of the context. As a black man I say...you're full of chit. What gives you the right to think you can dish out permissions ? I don't care who uses the 'N" word...it helps me identify the user. If a white person uses it they're racist, if a black person uses it they're ignorant.

I identify anyone who supposes to give permission for another person's behavior as delusional.

COMMENT #5 [Permalink]

... CambridgeKnitter said on 8/18/2010 @ 8:16 pm PT...





I will disagree with one point. Anyone is allowed to use the word to refer to the title of Dick Gregory's autobiography. As I recall, having read it many decades ago (it was published in 1964), he dedicated it to his mother and said that every time someone called her that from then on they'd be advertising his book.

COMMENT #6 [Permalink]

... Hamranhansenhansen said on 8/18/2010 @ 9:17 pm PT...





Racism is when you think there is more than one race. Period. I came to America 10 years ago, haven't met anyone who wasn't racist yet.

COMMENT #7 [Permalink]

... BlueHawk said on 8/19/2010 @ 6:18 am PT...





Hamranhansenhansen To acknowledge another's genetic differences is not racism. Racism is to assume your genetic differences make you better than the others. Granted...humans are humans no matter the race and that which we term racial diversity is actually cultural, not genetic. But to deny that there are Africans, Latinos, Asians, Europeans and Arabs etc. and even different racial components in those groups is just blind. Where we miss the point is to assign the differences in living conditions for ourselves as racially based...when in fact they are culturally based. And today we're living with another factor...class...the major differences now aren't race, and less cultural. Class bias is the elephant in the room that no one wants to acknowledge. The powers that be don't want us to come together on class issues (which transcend race or culture), hence we're pounded with wedge fear based issues that lead to disdain and mistrust of those we should actually be uniting with. Plutocrats are two steps ahead right now...unless we wake the hell up.

COMMENT #8 [Permalink]

... Ernest A. Canning said on 8/19/2010 @ 9:56 am PT...





Hamranhansenhansen @6: I must respectfully disagree. Acknowledging the scientific fact of racial and cultural differences does not make one a racist. We should rejoice in our diversity, while simultaneously recognizing our common humanity. In the end, ours would be a better world for it.

COMMENT #9 [Permalink]

... Adam Fulford said on 8/19/2010 @ 12:45 pm PT...





Dr. Laura Schlessinger (Ph.D. in physiology)?! Using the title "Dr." in the context of giving out advice is downright fraud. Good riddance, "Dr." Laura Schlessinger (KKK in attitude)

COMMENT #10 [Permalink]

... Gos said on 8/19/2010 @ 1:48 pm PT...





I can't stand her either, for the reasons most of the above posters have mentioned. I think she's a hateful, reactionary mouthpiece for the ruling class. It's pretty stupid that got kicked off the air for this though. She at no point did anything but say that black comedians on HBO say the word nigger allll the time. Which they do. So, while I think she's a mean-spirited harpy, and I'm not particularly sad she's off the air, the reasons behind it are largely politically correct BS. Chris Rock can say this: http://www.youtube.com/w...ex=44&has_verified=1 and it's not racist, but if a white person does it somehow is? C'mon.

COMMENT #11 [Permalink]

... Senorita Bonita said on 8/19/2010 @ 2:40 pm PT...





I think the single comments that MOST highlighted charges of her racism was the doc's claim that Obama received the votes ALL blacks (in the USA) * m Afr Amer and no doc didn't vote for Obama

COMMENT #12 [Permalink]

... Brad Friedman said on 8/19/2010 @ 4:19 pm PT...





Gos @ 10 said: It's pretty stupid that got kicked off the air for this though. She didn't get "kicked off the air", Gos. She quit. More on that now here.

COMMENT #13 [Permalink]

... Gos said on 8/19/2010 @ 11:29 pm PT...





Brad, She wouldn't have quit without the relentless pressure put on her. For whatever reason, the fact remains that she used what apparently has become a banned word (depending on the race of the speaker), and thus was reflexively condemned and pressured off the air because of it. My point is that she's probably said things more blatantly stupid and racist over her years on the radio than this latest bit. ALL SHE DID WAS QUOTE WHAT BLACK COMEDIANS ROUTINELY SAY! Doesn't it bother you that she's being condemned for essentially QUOTING people? This outrage is stupid and unthinking. God knows that Michael Savage says things wayyy worse than this about liberals and Arabs on a regular basis without there being public outcry to this degree. Same with most of the right wing radio hosts, there's subtle race baiting that's far more insulting and racist than what Laura said that goes on on a regular basis on most of those shows. I listen, I know. Vermin is not an uncommon word to describe libs/arabs. It's just stupid that of all the garbage that right wing radio hosts spew on a daily basis, THIS would be the one thing that would result in one of them being forced out. Why did this PARTICULAR outrage get so much attention? It just seems like a distraction to me, a partisan and divisive circle jerk. For all I know she was already ready to retire, and this was all planned to give the dopey NPR liberals the feeling that there's some kind of justice in the world. Not for the "sand niggers" or anything, since they're the U.S.'s enemies. But for those that share the race of the president that's more than happy to send unmanned aerial drones to blow them up and defend freedom. Oh God yes, let's gnash our teeth and worry about racism towards African Americans when clearly, so long as they play ball, they can be elected to the highest office in the nation. You think an Arab could achieve that? And I'm sorry dude, but it's pretty weak of you to pretend that she voluntarily quit. You really think she would have quit without the "public outcry" over this? C'mon dude.

COMMENT #14 [Permalink]

... Gos said on 8/19/2010 @ 11:41 pm PT...





IN ADDITION, it's been over a year. Don't you think maybe it's time that you let my posts go up WITHOUT MODERATION? I thought you were a free speech guy, guy.

COMMENT #15 [Permalink]

... Ernest A. Canning said on 8/20/2010 @ 7:56 am PT...





Gos, what is wrong with "public outcry" over a disgustingly racist rant? The "public" has a right to register its displeasure with obnoxious dialogue. As the Los Angeles Times observed in Dr. Laura in Denial, responding to Sarah Palin's idiotic suggestion that Dr. Laura's First Amendment rights were violated: "It's frightening that a former governor and candidate for the vice presidency thinks that public dissent is either un-American or unconstitutional. Schlessinger isn't quitting because she can't say what's on her mind; she just couldn't take the heat after she did it." I'm amazed by the hypocrisy of the radical-right. Daily, they spew hate-speech over the the airwaves, insensitive to the hurt they lay on others. But, like most bullies, the moment someone calls them on it, they have the audacity to play the victim card.

COMMENT #16 [Permalink]

... Brad Friedman said on 8/20/2010 @ 10:49 am PT...





Gos said: And I'm sorry dude, but it's pretty weak of you to pretend that she voluntarily quit. You really think she would have quit without the "public outcry" over this? C'mon dude. Okay, dude. Let's review. You originally said: It's pretty stupid that [she] got kicked off the air for this though. To which I replied: She didn't get "kicked off the air", Gos. She quit. To which you replied in kind (as quoted in full above): it's pretty weak of you to pretend that she voluntarily quit. She quit. She's a quitter. She chose not to fight. She chose to quit. She's faced far longer, more sustained "public outcry" and complaints and advertiser boycotts in the past (most notably when she described homosexuals as having a "biological error") and she did not quit. This time, she quit. Period. And, to paraphrase, you: I'm sorry dude, but it's pretty weak of you to pretend that you didn't just get it wrong, innocently enough, acknowledge your error and move on. Dude.

COMMENT #17 [Permalink]

... Gos said on 8/21/2010 @ 1:12 am PT...





Eh, I suppose you got me there Brad, well done, she quit, she didn't fight. Nevertheless, I maintain that the outrage over her "racism" was not principled or well thought out. And I'm sure that some of those beating the drum for her ouster for her "racist rant" were doing so in bad faith. Again, her use of the word nigger was not racist in and of itself in the context in which she used it. For example, am I a racist if I use the word nigger in the following sentence: In spite of the fact that I'm white, I find it highly objectionable when white people use the word nigger because I have black and mixed relatives. What if I were to say, "I don't think that white people should use the word nigger, ever." Is that racist? I mean I used the dreaded n-word, so apparently it must be, right? How about if I were to say, "I'm fairly certain that Martin Luther King would prefer not to be called a nigger. However, if he were, I feel certain that a man of his stature would not have his dignity sullied by such a base and ignorant attack; in fact it's much more likely that the person resorting to such base attacks would reveal far more about their lack of character." Now what if I were to say, "The problem with African-Americans is they're stupid, welfare collecting, promiscuous, un-evolved baboons that can't be trusted with the rights and responsibilities of a white citizen because they don't have the intellectual capacity to make good decisions for the populace as a whole." I think it's pretty obvious that the statement that did not include the word nigger was the most racist and vile of the bunch. So yeah, unless you can show me something that she said that was racist in some way other than merely using a WORD, I'm going to have to go ahead and call bullshit on your supposed outrage here, dawg. Somehow I have a feeling that I'm not telling you anything you don't already know tho.

COMMENT #18 [Permalink]

... Gos said on 8/21/2010 @ 1:26 am PT...



COMMENT #19 [Permalink]

... Ernest A. Canning said on 8/21/2010 @ 9:14 am PT...





GOS @17 wrote that "the outrage over her 'racism' was not principled or well thought out." Say what? Do you even think before you write? In that sentence, you conceded that "Doctor" Laura was a "racist" but contended that it was unprincipled to be outraged "over her 'racism.'" And, in case you didn't bother to actually read the content of my article, let alone read or listen to the content of "Doctor" Laura's racist rant, her racist views entailed a great deal more than the mere fact that she dropped the N-bomb 11 times. I consigned the N-bombs to item #3 of my piece. Items 1, 2, 4 & 5 all entail examples of "Doctor" Laura's obnoxious racism which did not include her use of the N-word. Each of those four items were offensive in and of themselves. In addition to those four items, "Doctor" Laura's comments about interracial marriage were absurdly ignorant --- especially from someone purporting to give marital advice over the radio. I am both the product of and a partner in an inter-ethnic marriage. My late father was British. My mother was a Russian Jew. My wife is Chinese. (When my son looks at my wife, he doesn't see her as my Chinese wife. To him, she's simply "Mom"). If "Jade" had called me, my first advice would have been to tell her to (a) let her husband know how she feels about his friends' insensitive remarks; (b) about his failure to speak up on her behalf and (c) on her own need to immediately call out these insensitive idiots on the spot rather than internalize the hurt. If someone uttered an ethnic slur about Chinese in my wife's presence, knowing my wife, the only question would be whether she or I would be the first to let the racist fool have it. Media Matters' assessment was spot on. "Doctor" Laura's rant was "bigoted, ugly and hateful." The public revulsion in response to her hate speech was appropriate, and "Doctor" Laura's effort to play the "victim card" was weak, despicable and cowardly.

COMMENT #20 [Permalink]

... Brad Friedman said on 8/21/2010 @ 11:13 am PT...





Gos @ 17 said: I'm sure that some of those beating the drum for her ouster for her "racist rant" were doing so in bad faith. In truth, I don't know that anybody was "beating the drum for her ouster". There were a few that began calling for complaints to and/or boycotts of her sponsors, but she announced she was quitting within 48 hours or so, before most had even heard about the attempted campaign against her sponsors. But I heard nobody calling for "her ouster" in that time (though it's possible they did, and I just missed it.) unless you can show me something that she said that was racist in some way other than merely using a WORD, I'm going to have to go ahead and call bullshit on your supposed outrage here, dawg. For a start, dawg, I don't believe I expressed any "outrage", supposed or otherwise, one way or another. Secondly, there was far more racism in the rest of her comments, than in her repeated use of the n-word, as Ernie has now pointed out to you. (I was going to do so earlier, but didn't have time to comment until now, so glad that Ernie did that heavy lifting for me.) Whether you or I choose to be "outraged" by it is of little interest or consequence, frankly.

COMMENT #21 [Permalink]

... Gos said on 8/22/2010 @ 12:25 am PT...





Yo, big Ern. I read your piece. It doesn't really move me that much, sorry. I'll address each of your points tho, because I'm a hell of a guy. 1. Are you freaking kidding me? There's a big difference between assuming that every member of a race thinks exactly the same way and acknowledging that members of different races have diverse cultural experiences that differ from your own. I'm white. I don't know what it's like to grow up black, mexican, jewish, or chinese. It's not racist of me to ask members of any of those socio-cultural groups what their experiences have been like in an effort to better understand them. It is however, naive, idealistic, and kind of stupid to presume that their experiences and opinions are exactly like mine, no matter how much I wish that everyone was the same and race didn't matter. 2. You can't possibly be this naive. You do realize that no matter how much you might want the world to conform to your idealistic paradise, it's not like that, right? Do you even know any black people? You're godamned right a shit ton of blacks voted for Obama because he was black. I know conservative black lovers of Rush Limbaugh that voted for Obama because he was black, among other reasons. They simply felt that, as a race that has been oppressed and abused by the largely white power structure in this country for centuries, that it would be a HUGE step forward for their race to have a black man elected president. Now, the problem with Schlesinger and her ilk is that they seem to want to suggest that even if Obama's rhetoric had been the same as Bush, McCain, or Palin that blacks would have still voted for him en masse, which is probably not the case. So I suppose I agree with you on this point, to some degree, but I also think that you're living in a fantasy world if you believe that people don't vote for those that they identify with based on socio-cultural indicators, including race. Everyone does it, not just blacks. 3. So, if the color of your skin is black, you can say a word. But if the color of your skin is white, you can't. Explain to me how this is not racist? And no, I'm not being willfully obtuse. I can't speak for others tho... 4. Yeah, I agree, the right has been as sleazy and slimy as they always are with the dog whistle anti-black racism. I think they're far worse in their racist attitude towards Arabs, and considering that that particular ethnic group is being slaughtered by our armies in the middle east right now, I find the racism towards them of greater IMPORT than racism towards blacks when we have a black president. I also think that the racism towards arabs is extremely underpublicized in the media in comparison to racism against blacks or any other ethnicity whose people and countries we are not actively invading. And considering that the end result of our dehumanizing of the Arab people has been wanton slaughter and invasion, I would think that racism towards Arabs is of greater import currently then racism towards blacks. 5. She's an idiot with an agenda. I agree with you here. In summation, I think this is largely a silly kerfuffle that serves no purpose but to distract from much worse things that are happening in the world and the country, particularly the Arab genocide that has taken place in Iraq and Afghanistan. It would be nice if we could worry more about the racism that has resulted in the real loss of human life than some dipshit radio caller with hurt feelings. I suppose it's a matter of priorities tho, isn't it?

COMMENT #22 [Permalink]

... Ernest A. Canning said on 8/22/2010 @ 8:02 am PT...





With all due respect, GOS, I suspect that much of your defensive rant @21 flows from your own inability to confront racist patterns within your own thinking. As to your comment about conservative blacks who support Rush Limbaugh: 1. Rush Limbaugh is not a conservative. He's a billionaire-funded, reactionary fascist propagandist. 2. The reference to African-Americans who support Rush calls to mind the distinction Malcolm X made between the house slave and the field slave. The house slave so identified with the master that when the master got sick, the house slave would say, "Master 'we' be sick!" I would agree with you that there is a higher degree of anti-Muslim, anti-Arab propaganda at present than there is as against African-Americans. So what? How does that justify anti-African-American racism when it emerges from the lips of our "Doctor" Laura? Finally, you still haven't answered the question I posed @15--what is wrong with a "public outcry" over a disgusting racist rant?

COMMENT #23 [Permalink]

... Adam Fulford said on 8/23/2010 @ 12:10 am PT...





... Ernest A. Canning said... My wife is Chinese. (When my son looks at my wife, he doesn't see her as my Chinese wife. To him, she's simply "Mom"). I recall you mentioning a trip to China and the state of medical care there. I got medical care in China once. I had a bizarre allergic reaction (to what, I still don't know) which involved breaking out in massive hives everywhere, including my face and neck. It was scary. It was so ugly taxi drivers were scared to pick me up. I eventually made it to a hospital. A doctor quickly treated me with an injection of I don't know what, but whatever it was made me faint on a busy street just outside of the hospital. So, I was carried back in and treated to a round of treatment for my treatment as well as the allergy. When I received my bill later, I was charged for the treatment that made me faint on the street, as well for the extra treatment for the treatment, along with taking care of my allergic reaction. I wasn't too impressed, to say the least. I'm just glad it didn't happen to me in the States or I would have been left completely broke if not dead.

COMMENT #24 [Permalink]

... Gos said on 8/23/2010 @ 12:41 am PT...





Why did you capitalize my "name"? Anyway, let's see. I agree with you that Limbaugh is a fascist propagandist. I don't know that I'd feel comfortable calling black supporters of modern republican fox news fascism house slaves. I think, like their white counterparts, they're merely misinformed and duped suckers. Do you really think that black supporters of the Democratic party are that much less of fools though? I have yet to see any democrat of high standing (I suppose Conyers and Boxer are notable exceptions) stand up against the routine disenfranchisement of minority democratic voters. Or the Acorn fraud, for that matter. Pretty amazing how with a democratic majority in both houses, and a democratic president they allowed one of their primary voter turnout groups to be defunded. Oh those wacky democrats, they're so good hearted and well meaning but they just don't know how to play hardball right? Please. They allowed it to happen because the last thing the democratic party wants is a vibrant progressive movement in this country. Personally I think that the democratic party is just there to represent the "good cop" or the fascist aristocracy that controls us. As to why I don't get all riled up over Laura's rant; what she said wasn't racist, so far as I can tell it's not overtly racist. Again, she's QUOTING what OTHER people say, namely black comedians. As to this, you say in your original post: "Not very "confusing," "Doctor" Laura. When an African-American comedian says it, "its affectionate." When the N-word spews from the mouth of the guy wearing the white sheets, it's a reflection of an ugly level of racist hate." Remember the Chris Rock routine I linked? The famous niggers vs. black people one? I'll quote from that now: "There's a civil war going on between niggers and black people, and niggers have got to go. Everytime black folk get together to try to have some fun niggers got to ruin it for everyone." Does that sound affectionate to you? Now, according to your logic, if I listen to that and laugh, I'm a white sheet wearing racist. But if I listen to it and I'm black, I'm not. So the same thoughts are either acceptable or unacceptable based on the color of my skin. Now then, regarding why I think that anti-muslim racism is of greater import than anti-black racism. It's interesting that you agree with this premise, but that your response to this fact is "so what". Are you really so blind that you cannot see how anti-arab racism plays a part in the two wars we're involved in? Not to mention the covert activity that's undoubtedly going on in Pakistan, Lebanon, etc. THAT'S WHY IT MATTERS MORE, BRO. WE'RE NOT SYSTEMATICALLY BEING PROPAGANDIZED AGAINST THE BLACK RACE WHILE WE SIMULTANEOUSLY INVADE PREDOMINANTLY BLACK COUNTRIES. I would think that this would be obvious. Perhaps the fact that it's not reveals some of YOUR racist patterns of thinking. Finally, you've called it a "disgusting, racist rant" over and over again. Could you explain to me exactly which part is racist? Remember Denzel Washington's character in Philadelphia? Explain it to me like I'm a 5 year old, because I'd really like to know. I'll grant you that it was insensitive already. I want to know why it's racist.

COMMENT #25 [Permalink]

... Disillusioned said on 8/24/2010 @ 2:10 am PT...





I didn't find what she said to be particularly racist, since she was pointing out reality. I don't think she particularly helped the caller though. I don't like Dr. Laura much, but I don't really think she should have taken the amount of heat she did over this. She SHOULD take heat over the fact that she has given tons of advice on topics for which she has failed miserably in her personal life - divorce as well as being estranged from her own family.

COMMENT #26 [Permalink]

... Gos said on 8/24/2010 @ 3:12 am PT...

