Paula Dean and the "N" word.

[OHCHUTE 0]

So we can only listen to Rap, not sing along while the music is playing?

OK, thanks....

"Time is money so I bought myself a Rolex.. dah de dah....

[quade 4]

Her singing along with rap music is NOT the issue.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[sfzombie13 324]

shouldn't be an issue here at all, i heard a lot worse than that 30 years ago, and everybody talked that way. after hearing the reference and the way that reverend was talking about her, i i think that she was right in what she said, if it was true. if not, it was 30 years ago, ease up people. tell me who hasn't changed their minds or attitude in that time.

_________________________________________
Si hoc legere scis nimium eruditionis habes

[skinnay 0]

OHCHUTE

So we can only listen to Rap, not sing along while the music is playing?

OK, thanks....

"Time is money so I bought myself a Rolex.. dah de dah....

I'm sure you have no problem saying it anyway

[rwieder 0]

Weird deal, that's for sure. Black comediens have been using the "N" word for years in stand-up comedy acts. Richard Pryor made millions of dollars using that word, yet Paula admits to "Having used racial slurs in the past" and it DOG PILE! There is not one among us here who has not used a racial slur in our past, maybe even our present. Only people who live in glass houses should be casting stones.

-Richard-
"You're Holding The Rope And I'm Taking The Fall"

[billvon 3,119]

>Only people who live in glass houses should be casting stones.

I think you got that backwards . . .

But in any case I suspect that if a friend of yours said "Hey asshole!" you'd respond differently than if a cop who just pulled you over said that to you. Context makes all the difference.

[demoknite 0]

As far as we've come in this country it's still sad to see people defending this behavior and using the "but black people say it too" defense. Contrary to popular belief an popular culture most black people dont use the word and deplore it's use in hip hop culture too. At least the black people I work with do.

And to be fair I dont think everyone has given her the right to free speech, but her sponsors are also free to let her go if they dont agree with it. Money is more powerful than the "n" word.

[turtlespeed 226]

demoknite

As far as we've come in this country it's still sad to see people defending this behavior and using the "but black people say it too" defense. Contrary to popular belief an popular culture most black people dont use the word and deplore it's use in hip hop culture too. At least the black people I work with do.

And to be fair I dont think everyone has given her the right to free speech, but her sponsors are also free to let her go if they dont agree with it. Money is more powerful than the "n" word.

So, you think its acceptable for your employer to fire you for something you did 10 years ago?

I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama
BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun

[livendive 8]

turtlespeed

***As far as we've come in this country it's still sad to see people defending this behavior and using the "but black people say it too" defense. Contrary to popular belief an popular culture most black people dont use the word and deplore it's use in hip hop culture too. At least the black people I work with do.

And to be fair I dont think everyone has given her the right to free speech, but her sponsors are also free to let her go if they dont agree with it. Money is more powerful than the "n" word.

So, you think its acceptable for your employer to fire you for something you did 10 years ago?

It happens all the time, but that's irrelevant, as her employer didn't fire her. Businesses which previously associated with her for marketing purposes chose to no longer do so, which seems like a reasonable move. Who wants the smelly kid at the pointy end of their sales efforts?

Blues,
Dave

"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!"
(drink Mountain Dew)

[turtlespeed 226]

livendive

******As far as we've come in this country it's still sad to see people defending this behavior and using the "but black people say it too" defense. Contrary to popular belief an popular culture most black people dont use the word and deplore it's use in hip hop culture too. At least the black people I work with do.

And to be fair I dont think everyone has given her the right to free speech, but her sponsors are also free to let her go if they dont agree with it. Money is more powerful than the "n" word.

So, you think its acceptable for your employer to fire you for something you did 10 years ago?

It happens all the time, but that's irrelevant, as her employer didn't fire her. Businesses which previously associated with her for marketing purposes chose to no longer do so, which seems like a reasonable move. Who wants the smelly kid at the pointy end of their sales efforts?

Blues,
Dave

They are grossly over reacting.

In doing what they are doing, it brings more light and stirs the coals of a fire that should be allowed to go out. The media gets too many ratings from racism though, and won't let it go, no matter how much harm it does to the rest of the world.

I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama
BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun

[Andy9o8 2]

turtlespeed

***As far as we've come in this country it's still sad to see people defending this behavior and using the "but black people say it too" defense. Contrary to popular belief an popular culture most black people dont use the word and deplore it's use in hip hop culture too. At least the black people I work with do.

And to be fair I dont think everyone has given her the right to free speech, but her sponsors are also free to let her go if they dont agree with it. Money is more powerful than the "n" word.

So, you think its acceptable for your employer to fire you for something you did 10 years ago?

Fair question.

My answer is that it's very case-specific. Sometimes the best answer for the situation is No. We can all think up good examples of this.

But if it's pertinent to your job and it affects, say, the employer's bottom line, the answer can sometimes be Yes. Let's keep our focus on Deen's case. At its most basic core, her principal job, to these employers, is public relations - marketing her public image in order to generate profits for their investment shareholders, largely through advertisers' revenues. (And advertisers - usually companies that have their own shareholdrs to answer to - are very, very skittish about potential effects of who they advertise with.) These are publicly-held companies that are invested-in by its shareholders. The first and prime duty that such a company has is its fiduciary duty to its shareholders. If it fails to keep this duty first and foremost, and the shareholders are even at risk of detriment, some shareholders WILL sue the company to force it to change its policies.

To these companies, Deen's product is not her food stuff, it's her image. If her image becomes damaged - by anything - then her product is damaged. And business is business - a company simply cannot afford to keep on a product that risks damaging its bottom line.

Quote

They are grossly overreacting

Not in their shareholders' eyes they're not. They're engaging in due diligence in order to carry out their fiduciary duty to their shareholders.

[normiss 897]

Meanwhile in a Florida court of law, "creepy ass cracker" is not a racial slur nor is it offensive.
WTF???

[Andy9o8 2]

normiss

Meanwhile in a Florida court of law, "creepy ass cracker" is not a racial slur nor is it offensive. WTF???

I've known many creepy-ass crackers in Florida who I've found offensive - not infrequently in courtrooms.

[normiss 897]

I think this gives us some insight into how this IS actually perceived.
One way. Dead end.

[OHCHUTE 0]

turtlespeed

*********As far as we've come in this country it's still sad to see people defending this behavior and using the "but black people say it too" defense. Contrary to popular belief an popular culture most black people dont use the word and deplore it's use in hip hop culture too. At least the black people I work with do.

And to be fair I dont think everyone has given her the right to free speech, but her sponsors are also free to let her go if they dont agree with it. Money is more powerful than the "n" word.

So, you think its acceptable for your employer to fire you for something you did 10 years ago?

It happens all the time, but that's irrelevant, as her employer didn't fire her. Businesses which previously associated with her for marketing purposes chose to no longer do so, which seems like a reasonable move. Who wants the smelly kid at the pointy end of their sales efforts?

Blues,
Dave

They are grossly over reacting.

In doing what they are doing, it brings more light and stirs the coals of a fire that should be allowed to go out. The media gets too many ratings from racism though, and won't let it go, no matter how much harm it does to the rest of the world.

Speaking of how media uses racism: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0F4xBB1LYaA&list=TL_x9vHRNgEwM

[normiss 897]

WTH are you smoking?

[turtlespeed 226]

OHCHUTE

************As far as we've come in this country it's still sad to see people defending this behavior and using the "but black people say it too" defense. Contrary to popular belief an popular culture most black people dont use the word and deplore it's use in hip hop culture too. At least the black people I work with do.

And to be fair I dont think everyone has given her the right to free speech, but her sponsors are also free to let her go if they dont agree with it. Money is more powerful than the "n" word.

So, you think its acceptable for your employer to fire you for something you did 10 years ago?

It happens all the time, but that's irrelevant, as her employer didn't fire her. Businesses which previously associated with her for marketing purposes chose to no longer do so, which seems like a reasonable move. Who wants the smelly kid at the pointy end of their sales efforts?

Blues,
Dave

They are grossly over reacting.

In doing what they are doing, it brings more light and stirs the coals of a fire that should be allowed to go out. The media gets too many ratings from racism though, and won't let it go, no matter how much harm it does to the rest of the world.

Speaking of how media uses racism: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0F4xBB1LYaA&list=TL_x9vHRNgEwM

I believe that to be more data mining, and stereo typing, in which race may play a factor, but not a main factor. The "Diamond" doesn't know if you are a hyphenated american or not.

I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama
BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun

[Andy9o8 2]

normiss

I think this gives us some insight into how this IS actually perceived.
One way. Dead end.

Not necessarily. First, not all companies' consumer bases necessarily would react negatively. For example, there's a cruise line that runs Paula Deen cruises, and they're keeping her on because their customers are demanding it. Similarly, her cookbooks are zooming off the shelves, so maybe bookstores might think twice before pulling her books. That is customer- and bottom-line- driven.

But it's not hard to suppose that a lot of African-American Wal Mart customers - who because of income levels represent a significant chunk of their customer base - might be offended by the word "nigger", especially if they choose not to analyze the facts too deeply. That affects bottom line, which affects shareholders. And that's not perception, it's reality.

[normiss 897]

Yet those same "Wal-Marters" as you call them, tend to think racial slurs flung in the opposite direction are acceptable.

[Andy9o8 2]

normiss

Yet those same "Wal-Marters" as you call them, tend to think racial slurs flung in the opposite direction are acceptable.

Irrelevant. Low class people, of every stripe, tend to do low class shit.

[muff528 3]

normiss

Yet those same "Wal-Marters" as you call them, tend to think racial slurs flung in the opposite direction are acceptable.

Dam! ...I thought the current PC term was "Wal-Martian". I gotta keep up.

[normiss 897]

Agreed.

Almost got in a fight in public once...after hearing some very racial comments to some black people I made the comment that it was sometimes embarrassing to be white.
The racists were not happy with me.


We DO still have racial issues in the world.

[Channman 2]

OHCHUTE

So we can only listen to Rap, not sing along while the music is playing?

OK, thanks....

"Time is money so I bought myself a Rolex.. dah de dah....

New a guy in High School who's last name was Fagg. Was common to yell out to him on occassion..."Hey Fagg, get your ass over here now." Looking back on it I'm sure if I were to run for Political Office I would be called on the carpet for such a statement that occurred over 30 years ago.

[DanG 1]

Quote

Meanwhile in a Florida court of law, "creepy ass cracker" is not a racial slur nor is it offensive.
WTF???

If Trayvon Martin had a line of clothing at Abercrombie and Fitch, they probably would have dropped him, too.

He was a juvenile loser. That's how juvenile losers talk. Paula Dean is a millionaire spokesperson and celebrity. She should know better, and certainly should have done a better job of damage control.

- Dan G

[normiss 897]

Saying or doing something in the past is now held against her.
Maybe she wasn't a multimillion dollar spokesperson when she used the naughty words.


I don't even see this as a distraction in my life.
Not really a fan, don't watch her show, don't have any products of hers. I know all the contracts that are dropping her involve millions of dollars to buy her out of the contracts, so I'm sure she is more than well set financially.