# Give the guy a break! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 23, 2006, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-the-guy-a-break/349620 "2006-03-23T18:36:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Sequent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Sequent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sequent)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-the-guy-a-break/349620/41 "2006-03-23T21:11:05Z")
> [@rjung](#): > > So, where was this sensitivity to racial delicacies when Bill Bennet suggested lowering the crime rate by aborting black babies? It was out there. But IIRC, he was a guest and not the host, and he was only making that suggestion to highlight its absurdity (or so he claimed). Besides, he’s a conservative. What do you expect? ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-the-guy-a-break/349620/42 "2006-03-23T21:12:32Z")
I was raising my blood pressure by listening to talk radio today (why do I do it? The leftist ones irritate me almost as much as the rightist ones), and they mentioned something about Dick Armey’s slipup in passing. Does anyone know what they might have been referring to? Daniel ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-the-guy-a-break/349620/43 "2006-03-23T21:14:21Z")
> [@Hentor the Barbarian](#): > > Perhaps you mean that they have been disproven in the sense that they represent a deep seated desire. Pretty much. Which isn’t the context you used it in, so nevermind. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-the-guy-a-break/349620/44 "2006-03-23T21:19:07Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > Reminds me of my very own personal racial mental meltdown. I was about 14, playing a game of chess with the African-American boyfriend of a friend of my mom’s. He reneged on a move and I good-naturedly called him on it but let him take it back. A couple minutes later my mom came up and asked who was winning and I said “the reneger,” which came out sounding like something much nastier. > > Tim Dorsey is a gi-normous pussy. This reminds me of the time I met an African-American lawyer who had been in the same legal service organization I was in in law school (I’m white, BTW). We were surrounded by judges, dignitaries, important people, and somehow it came out that we had both been in Phi Alpha Delta. I shook his hand and blurted out “It’s great to meet a fellow brother!” Of course, I immediately realized how idiotic that sounded and I was shocked, but nobody else seemed to notice or care. He chuckled, and that was it. A year later, I played saxophone at the guy’s wedding. ---
**Author:** ![Sequent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Sequent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sequent)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-the-guy-a-break/349620/45 "2006-03-23T21:20:36Z")
> [@Left Hand of Dorkness](#): > > I was raising my blood pressure by listening to talk radio today (why do I do it? The leftist ones irritate me almost as much as the rightist ones), and they mentioned something about Dick Armey’s slipup in passing. Does anyone know what they might have been referring to? > > Daniel He called Barney Frank “Barney Fag.” > **[Dick Armey](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Armey)** > > Richard Keith Armey (/ˈɑːrmi/; born July 7, 1940) is an American economist and politician. He was a U.S. Representative from Texas's 26th congressional district (1985–2003) and House Majority Leader (1995–2003). He was one of the engineers of the "Republican Revolution" of the 1990s, in which Republicans were elected to majorities of both houses of Congress for the first time in four decades. Armey was one of the chief authors of the Contract with America. Armey is also an author and former eco... ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-the-guy-a-break/349620/46 "2006-03-23T21:23:24Z")
> [@CNN](#): > > KTRS president and general manager Tim Dorsey agreed the remark was accidental but said it was nonetheless “unacceptable, reprehensible and unforgivable.” Does the guy not see the logical problem here? How can something be both reprehensible and accidental? It’s called a goddamn slip of the tongue. Insofar as CNN is presenting a valid depiction of the event, this is absolutely fucking ridiculous. For fuck’s sake, he was complimenting Condi at the time. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Falcon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/439d5e/32.png) [@Mister\_Falcon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Falcon)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-the-guy-a-break/349620/47 "2006-03-23T21:27:22Z")
Didn’t Rush Limbaugh “accidentally” call the New Orleans mayor “Ray Nager” a few months ago? I’m sure he’ll be fired once management hears about it. ---
**Author:** ![Sequent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Sequent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sequent)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-the-guy-a-break/349620/48 "2006-03-23T21:28:11Z")
> [@Excalibre](#): > > Does the guy not see the logical problem here? How can something be both reprehensible and accidental? Reprehensible: deserving of rebuke or censure; blameworthy. Whether or not it’s intentional has nothing to do with it. If I shoot someone in the face by accident, would I escape blame or rebuke because it was an accident? ---
**Author:** ![Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_the_Impaler)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-the-guy-a-break/349620/49 "2006-03-23T21:28:11Z")
> [@ultrafilter](#): > > Aren’t there new FCC rules that translate into major fines for broadcasting offensive material? Could this have something to do with that? I’m going to assume this is the station’s motivation. Coincidentally, I’ve just read a communication law firm’s take on the FCC’s new rules in the post-wardrobe malfunction world, and it comes down to holding broadcasters to the expectation that they will always be able “to demonstrate to the Commission that the lapse was a genuine accident that could not reasonably have been prevented” if indeceny is broadcast (Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, PLLC) (Of course, the interpretation I read was specifically in reference to indeceny/profanity/sexuality, but I don’t think any station owner wants to taunt the FCC with anything remotely controversial.) The key here being that the mis-speak could have reasonably been prevented. If the FCC is cracking down, then any station will happily sacrifice a lowly DJ or host rather than face a fine or the threat of losing their license. ---
**Author:** ![Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_the_Impaler)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-the-guy-a-break/349620/50 "2006-03-23T21:29:31Z")
And of course I meant that _broadcasting_ the mis-speak could have reasonably been prevented, not the mis-speak itself. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-the-guy-a-break/349620/51 "2006-03-23T21:31:27Z")
> [@Excalibre](#): > > For fuck’s sake, he was complimenting Condi at the time. A charming negress. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-the-guy-a-break/349620/52 "2006-03-23T21:33:24Z")
> [@Sequent](#): > > He called Barney Frank “Barney Fag.” Yick. Is that a common insult thrown at Barney Frank in the Capitol? If so, it seems like a different situation to me; if not, I can see the similarities. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-the-guy-a-break/349620/53 "2006-03-23T21:34:29Z")
> [@Sequent](#): > > Reprehensible: deserving of rebuke or censure; blameworthy. Whether or not it’s intentional has nothing to do with it. If I shoot someone in the face by accident, would I escape blame or rebuke because it was an accident? Is that a trick question? ---
**Author:** ![Sequent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Sequent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sequent)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-the-guy-a-break/349620/54 "2006-03-23T21:34:52Z")
I’d think it has a lot more to do with fear of losing listeners than FCC regs. KTRS is a big radio station, reaching beyond just here in St. Louis. This is the kind of thing that _could_ turn into a boycott if it gained enough momentum. If you’re management, you’ll want to nip that in the bud, no matter how undeserved you think it is. ---
**Author:** ![Sequent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Sequent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sequent)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-the-guy-a-break/349620/55 "2006-03-23T21:36:58Z")
> [@Left Hand of Dorkness](#): > > Yick. Is that a common insult thrown at Barney Frank in the Capitol? If so, it seems like a different situation to me; if not, I can see the similarities. Uh, no. Armey characterized it as a “slip;” he meant to say “Frank” and instead said “Fag.” Barney Frank is openly homosexual. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Falcon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/439d5e/32.png) [@Mister\_Falcon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Falcon)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-the-guy-a-break/349620/56 "2006-03-23T21:44:25Z")
This is insane. He didn’t even call Condoleeza a coon, he called the _premise_ of her becoming the NFL commissioner a coon. It would be analogous to the “Barney Fag” slip if he had called her “Coondaleeza Rice.” ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-the-guy-a-break/349620/57 "2006-03-23T21:51:20Z")
Please. Dick Armey’s slinging the word “Fag” at Barney Frank can’t be fairly characterised as a “slip” anywhere outside of Dick Armey’s fevered brain. Especially considering that Armey later let fly the equally charming “Yes, I am Dick Armey. And if there is a ‘dick army,’ Barney Frank would want to join up.” To dignify Armey’s deliberate word choice as a mere “slip” is bullshit, and to conflate this DJ’s obvious slip, for which he apologized within seconds, with Armey’s deliberate word choice damns the DJ by the comparison. The DJ made an unconscious error; Armey went for the fag joke more than once. As for the FCC possibly fining the radio station over this, I have to hope that even the FCC at its most insane would understand that the guy didn’t deliberately do anything offensive and that no fine would be warranted. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-the-guy-a-break/349620/58 "2006-03-23T21:51:30Z")
I predict Rice will call the station manager, and the guy will get his job back. Just watch. ---
**Author:** ![Sequent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Sequent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sequent)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-the-guy-a-break/349620/59 "2006-03-23T21:52:56Z")
> [@Mister Falcon](#): > > This is insane. He didn’t even call Condoleeza a coon, he called the _premise_ of her becoming the NFL commissioner a coon. It would be analogous to the “Barney Fag” slip if he had called her “Coondaleeza Rice.” I agree that the slip about Frank was much, much more deserving of the label “reprehensible” than the slip about Rice. But you have to remember that Dick Armey is a member of the US House of Representatives. You can’t fire someone who doesn’t actually work for a living. ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-the-guy-a-break/349620/60 "2006-03-23T22:04:36Z")
I’m with **Sequent** here – it’s basically the guy’s job _not_ to say “coon” on the air, let alone twice. “Coon” is one of those exceptionally charged words that fall within the zero-tolerance zone. Are we oversensitive as a nation about that sort of thing? Probably. Is our oversensitivity a bad thing? I would argue not. I think in this case the station basically had no other choice. Imagine what people might have said if the station hadn’t acted as it did. To begin within, it would have been alleged that the DJ had said “coon” on purpose to create a furor, on the theory that there’s no such thing as bad publicity. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-the-guy-a-break/349620.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-the-guy-a-break/349620.md?page=4)