Paula Deen uses the N-Word - gets sued - right or worng?

This is an addition to a previous comment to this thread ( www.abovetopsecret.com... ) which basically consisted of some advice for her (Ms. Deen) to take a lesson and go back home to Albany, Ga. to sort of reconnect with who she is and touch base again with reality.

This whole episode has to be taken in context with the times in which we live. As some have noted here, yes, it does seem to be wholly imbalanced that some people can use the word whenever they choose and for others, it is almost a death sentence under any circumstance. This is the definition of political correctness, which stacks preferred political concept before common sense... the latter which is often locked away without even a chance of ever seeing the light of day.

But, it is what it is and no corporation or business or network is going to allow anyone of any standing to utter such a forbidden word and remain under their tent. It would be PR suicide in today's charged climate.

I don't think Ms. Deen is a racist by any definition of the term but she did walk into this situation on her own... which would be sad on a number of levels for anyone of any standing. There is also a lesson here and speaking for myself, I hope that she does take it to heart and simply let it all go... by setting aside the fleeting fame and return home to rediscover her true self again.

As for the lawsuit? Today, one can be sued for most any reason at any moment by anyone else... even complete strangers. That Ms. Deen has the wealth and fame that came with her cooking shows, just adds to the lucrativeness of such a suit. She stepped into the pile of poop and now there is the mess as it tracks her every step.

This is how sick the left wing media and bias control of the television has become.They are racist now simply because they said the N word in their life which makes no one a racist.They do not even forgive people and demand public apologies but make fun of everyone themselves.
Also the people who scream racist and cry racist are the real racist in life.


This country is becoming so shameful and ridiculous and stupid it is hard to comprehend once you learn how dumb this country is getting.


You could be married to a black woman or black man if you are white and use the N word and these morons would call you a racist in this country that is how sick they are and hateful they have become.

I bet her product sales go up in the south, and of course, she will be defended. but I don't care, she's just another clueless, white, southern woman, with big hair, too much make-up, that cooks and promotes food, which makes people fat

Originally posted by jimmyx
I bet her product sales go up in the south, and of course, she will be defended. but I don't care, she's just another clueless, white, southern woman, with big hair, too much make-up, that cooks and promotes food, which makes people fat

edit on 22-6-2013 by jimmyx because: (no reason given)

And what are you?

reply to post by jimmyx

she's just another clueless, white, southern woman

Nothing worse than being white, female and from the south, huh?

Originally posted by Jobeycool
This is how sick the left wing media and bias control of the television has become.They are racist now simply because they said the N word in their life which makes no one a racist.They do not even forgive people and demand public apologies but make fun of everyone themselves.
Also the people who scream racist and cry racist are the real racist in life.

edit on 22-6-2013 by Jobeycool because: (no reason given)

This country is becoming so shameful and ridiculous and stupid it is hard to comprehend once you learn how dumb this country is getting.

edit on 22-6-2013 by Jobeycool because: (no reason given)

every time I have went to the south, in the best cases, the racism was subtle, but apparent. in the worst cases, it was out in the open, and whites didn't give a damn what they said. I guess they felt comfortable around me because i'm pretty much lily-white.

Originally posted by jimmyx

Originally posted by Jobeycool
This is how sick the left wing media and bias control of the television has become.They are racist now simply because they said the N word in their life which makes no one a racist.They do not even forgive people and demand public apologies but make fun of everyone themselves.
Also the people who scream racist and cry racist are the real racist in life.

edit on 22-6-2013 by Jobeycool because: (no reason given)

This country is becoming so shameful and ridiculous and stupid it is hard to comprehend once you learn how dumb this country is getting.

edit on 22-6-2013 by Jobeycool because: (no reason given)

every time I have went to the south, in the best cases, the racism was subtle, but apparent. in the worst cases, it was out in the open, and whites didn't give a damn what they said. I guess they felt comfortable around me because i'm pretty much lily-white.

It just has become so hypocritcal in televison it is awful and shameful.I don't live in the south but I could imagine how rude and ignorant some of the white folks would be real racist.

Originally posted by redoubt
reply to post by jimmyx

 

she's just another clueless, white, southern woman

Nothing worse than being white, female and from the south, huh?

I didn't think anything was wrong with it until now...

It's a good thing most of us down here are used to the stereotypes.

Originally posted by spacedoubt
Paula Deen Fired from Food Network.

www.huffingtonpost.com...

Unbelievable. That's my only word for that. Wow! Has America really come to that? A career can be ended for having used a word at some point in the past? That's how I read the cause and effect for the firing there and it's just flat out unbelievable. Some have suggested I try for political office and I just politely laugh. This is why. Even a lapse in political correctness, albeit one society looks unusually hard on in this case, can ruin careers. (sigh)

Thanks for sharing that. It's all just getting out of hand for any sense of proportion in reacting to things, IMO. Using a whole area of language in the work place pretty well defines unprofessional just as a starting point, but this firing was just her having acknowledged, somewhere in her past, she probably used the word somehow.

Originally posted by redoubt
reply to post by jimmyx

 

she's just another clueless, white, southern woman

Nothing worse than being white, female and from the south, huh?

"clueless" is what destroys the charm of southern white women, as well as the men....
but, an intelligent, thoughtful,...... white, southern female,? uhmmm....irresistible

In the (vain) hopes that this post does not offend anyone... no, that's not right. I have no control over what offends someone. The person offended does.

I grew up with the word. It was part of the language, and had different meanings based on how it was used. In some places, it is still in use... I know one black man who uses it constantly! He used it to refer to me the last time I was over at his place buying a tiller. It was a joke, intended to show that there is no difference between us.

Actually, I think there is a difference. He is one of the finest people I know. But that's neither here nor there.

At some point, I realized that some people were getting offended at the word, so I made a conscious effort to stop using it, at least in public. Has anyone ever tried to stop using a single word that was an integral part of their language? Try to stop using the word "wave" or maybe "wire" or "pole"... heck, just try to stop using a generic name you're used to using, like "bubba" or "mister"... it's almost impossible to simply stop. I still let it slip once in a while after all these years.

Then consider how many black people use it themselves... comedians, for instance. Outside of Bill Cosby, is there a black comedian who doesn't use it regularly in their act?

Paula Deen was speaking privately when she used it, and as I understand it, not even in reference to anyone connected with the plaintiff. As far as I am concerned, case closed right there. If there was harassment going on at the restaurant, that is another story... and there may well be a case for this if there was a five year history of complaints. But that's not what got Deen in trouble... a single word uttered in private is what did that.

I swear, I hope she gets off scott free from the harassment suit because of this idiotic complaint.

Offense is not mine to give. I physically cannot offend or not offend anyone by speech. I do not have that ability. The only ability I have is the exact same one everyone reading this has, and that is the ability to be offended or not. A word is a word; the connotation is solely in the mind of the listener. If I say "my cat is green" and you think I have an alien cat, you made that determination... not me.

When "Dog the Bounty Hunter" came out, I thought the show was stupid... until Dog lost his job for something similar. Now I make sure to watch "Dog and Beth On The Hunt" as much as I can. It's still a stupid show, but it's one way to show support for someone who was railroaded. I never paid a bit of attention to Paula Deen before; now I will probably have to start watching her every chance I get as well. And make sure I do not watch the Food Network (which I don't anyway).

People need to get over themselves. It's a word. I swear, if I were placed in Deen's position right now, I would make a point to use it as often and as loudly as I could... she has already lost her show and possibly her business... what is there left to lose? Her freedom? I think I could make a fine court case that if I was punished for using it, then all black comedians (except Mr. Cosby) would have to be sitting in the cells next to me.

Slavery ended in America (notwithstanding economic slavery of course) in the 1850s, at the cost of countless American lives and bitterness that still echoes today. No one living today has ever been a slave; no one living today has a parent who was a slave; no one living today has ever owned a slave; no one living today has ever known anyone who was a slave or who owned a slave. So what if Savannah was a slave trading hub once? It isn't one today and hasn't been one in anyone's memory. If we're going to keep that stain on it, let's just bulldoze the thing to the ground (Sherman almost did in the Civil War anyway) and use it for a nuclear waste dump.

I'm sorry this turned into a rant, folks, but it has to be said... when we can use words spoken in private to be used to assign unintended meanings in public, we have already become slaves ourselves. Our freedom is then gone forever.

Notice the name - it's not an insult, it's a word:
TheRedneck

reply to post by jimmyx

"clueless" is what destroys the charm of southern white women, as well as the men.... but, an intelligent, thoughtful,...... white, southern female,? uhmmm....irresistible

So, 'clueless' does NOT destroy the charm of a woman from anywhere else? Just the south?

I don't know you and would never care to judge a total stranger by a few lines of text on the web but... dang, it does appear that the same mindset that hosts and nurtures prejudices is not isolated to the south, lol.

Originally posted by Kangaruex4Ewe

Originally posted by redoubt
reply to post by jimmyx

 

she's just another clueless, white, southern woman

Nothing worse than being white, female and from the south, huh?

I didn't think anything was wrong with it until now...

It's a good thing most of us down here are used to the stereotypes.

geez....ok, ok,....I was trying to make the point that the "clueless" part, it takes away from the charm they project...I give, uncle........."MAY THE FLEAS OF A THOUSAND CAMELS INFEST MY ARMPITS"......how's that?

reply to post by jimmyx


I was born and raised down here... I've personally seen the worst of it and I've seen the change that has occurred here over the last four decades.

I also have folks up north. My wife's family comes from northern Ohio. My last visit was in 2008 and there is a small town near the Pennsylvania border where the locals gather at a corner bar and proudly proclaim that (n-words) know better than try and move there.

I was shocked... really. Same thing for several places I have visited in Wisconsin and Iowa.

The south probably earned the stereotyping because at one time, it was really bad. No denial. But today is different and... there are areas where such old racial animosities survive and they are not at all, all down here.

Of course, between the old wives tails and Hollywood's portrayal of the south... one has to expect it, even in our enlightened 21st century

Originally posted by redoubt
reply to post by jimmyx

 

"clueless" is what destroys the charm of southern white women, as well as the men.... but, an intelligent, thoughtful,...... white, southern female,? uhmmm....irresistible

So, 'clueless' does NOT destroy the charm of a woman from anywhere else? Just the south?

I don't know you and would never care to judge a total stranger by a few lines of text on the web but... dang, it does appear that the same mindset that hosts and nurtures prejudices is not isolated to the south, lol.

woops I will leave now after my edit .

reply to post by TheRedneck



Star for you for being so truthful. My first thoughts on Deen were her age and the area she grew up in. Both of these combined all but guarantees that she uttered the word at least once in her lifetime. It was normal, accepted, and expected in the time she grew up in, it's just how it was.

I could not agree more with your point about people getting offended as well. We all pick and choose what offends us. People bad mouthing God used to really offend me, but I will help someone doing that protect their right to free speech so that I can keep mine. I can remove myself from the situation, or simply choose to not let it bother me. Neither choice is difficult.

Originally posted by jimmyx

Originally posted by Kangaruex4Ewe

Originally posted by redoubt
reply to post by jimmyx

 

she's just another clueless, white, southern woman

Nothing worse than being white, female and from the south, huh?

I didn't think anything was wrong with it until now...

It's a good thing most of us down here are used to the stereotypes.

geez....ok, ok,....I was trying to make the point that the "clueless" part, it takes away from the charm they project...I give, uncle........."MY THE FLEAS OF A THOUSAND CAMELS INFEST MY ARMPITS"......how's that?

You can get rid of the fleas now. I was only teasing to begin with. All is forgiven!

reply to post by Wrabbit2000

Unbelievable. That's my only word for that. Wow! Has America really come to that? A career can be ended for having used a word at some point in the past?

Her career hasn't been ended. Her career is as a cook/author/restauranteur/etc. Her job with the Food Network has been terminated. There's a difference between a job and a career. And "at some point in the past" makes it sound like she said these things when she was a young girl growing up in Georgia. We're talking about from 2007 on here, according to the suit that has been brought against her.

That's how I read the cause and effect for the firing there and it's just flat out unbelievable. Some have suggested I try for political office and I just politely laugh. This is why. Even a lapse in political correctness, albeit one society looks unusually hard on in this case, can ruin careers. (sigh)

The contracts between networks and the personalities they employ typically include some kind of a morals clause. Essentially, any actions take by the employee that brings disrepute on the employer can result in termination. Remember Tiger Woods? Remember how he lost a ton of sponsors for doing nothing illegal? His contracts with those sponsors included morals clauses.

reply to post by iterationzero


I say career because this sort of thing can really follow a person and become associated with them these days, which is part of the craziness for how far it's gone in the use of a word to hold so strongly against people. Not being politically correct at all times would seem to be a terminal offense in some segments of society by the way that link not only showed her being fired but basically, instantly.

The Food Network said Friday it's dumping Paula Deen, barely an hour after the celebrity cook posted the first of two videotaped apologies online begging forgiveness from fans and critics troubled by her admission to having used racial slurs in the past.

Source from previous post on thread

Just nuts....

i don't really care what she says, all i know is that some of her recipes are down right tasty and i'll continue to make them and eat them.

my stomach doesn't see any thing but tasting good.