Taking her marbles and going home.....

[poltr1]

As many of you know by now, psychologist Dr. Laura Schlessinger has decided to fold up her radio talk show based on her response to one caller's question.

Here's the full audio clip and the transcript.

I should first mention that as much as I dislike Dr. Laura -- I often refer to her as "the Shiksa" -- I agree with the point she was trying to make. It seems OK to use the N-word in a black-on-black context, but if a white person like me uses it, they're in Deep Trouble. I think of the SNL word association sketch with Chevy Chase and guest host Richard Pryor. In the sketch, Chase uses escalating racial epithets, concluding with the N-word. Pryor's response to it? "Dead honkie!"

Anyway, it wasn't the Shiksa's multiple use of the N-word that bothered me. It was her sanctimonius attitude, and constant interrupting of the caller, that irritated me more. Instead of trying to come up with a workable solution for the caller's question, she stepped onto her bully pulpit and publicly berated the caller. Callers don't need that, especially in a public forum such as a radio talk show.

I'm glad she chose to take her marbles and go home.

I think there's a song in here somewhere. To parody Lou and Peter Berryman:
"Every time we have a chat
it's N-word this and N-word that
I can't control how you young black folks talk to one another
But I don't want to hear you use the N-word with your mother"

(I can use some help with the verses.)

Comments

[cigfran-cg.livejournal.com]

It seems OK to use the N-word in a black-on-black context, but if a white person like me uses it, they're in Deep Trouble.

Ayup. There are some words and expressions that are socially acceptable in some contexts but not others, and sometimes that context has to do with who uses them. This is especially true when it comes to derogatory terms. In general the rule would be something like "Do not use derogatory terms unless you wish to offend or unless you know you hearer won't mind."

Which brings me to a puzzlement. Why do you refer to her as "the Shiksa"--a derogatory term for a non-Jewish woman? Not that I have any issue with calling that very offensive creature derogatory names. But I don't get why you want to insult her for not being Jewish.

[tigertoy.livejournal.com]

The rude attitude towards the caller seems to be a standard feature of syndicated call-in shows. I think the call-in format is a profoundly stupid waste of air time. I don't care what the ordinary man on the street thinks about issues; I want to know what someone who knows more about it than I do thinks about it. And I certainly don't want to listen to a show where the game seems to be whether the attention-seeking caller can manage to get a dig or two in at the guest before getting smacked down by the host who controls the mike. Of course, it's of a piece with the level of discourse when two or more "respected experts" have a "debate" or "panel discussion" on a show. The networks who regularly host these unregulated shouting matches they call debates might as well stage them at a table full of food and let them have a food fight; I think the ratings would go up and the intellectual content would not go down.

All that ranting aside, there is a huge double standard about the N-word, and double standards tick me off.