On All In with Chris Hayes, he had three black guests to discuss this - writers Nancy Giles and Jelani Cobb and comedian Seaton Smith. Cobb compared her response to Michael Richards’ but Giles and Smith were very prone to be more forgiving. Giles said, “What struck me is that they asked her, point blank, ‘Have you ever used the N word’ and her answer was ‘Yes, of course’. I appreciate that level of honesty.”
Smith went even further: “I have to be the odd negro on this panel. I am not offended…She makes an amazing rib casserole which gives me some forgivness, but she is 70 years old and has not used it in twenty years? That’s a great head start for her!”
I grew up in an all-white town in rural Alabama. I don’t think I ever met or had a conversation with a black person until I went to college.
As for Deen, this will only make her more popular here in Alabama (with white people). She’ll be seen as the poor white woman being persecuted by the n******. She’ll be seen as a victim of Pres. Obama’s (aka “that n***** in the White House” as my FIL calls him) “war on white people” or something.
“Nigger” ruined Michael Richards. Why won’t it ruin Paula Deen?
I didn’t know who she was until a friend told me about this news story, who in turn didn’t know who she was until he read about this on a news aggregator. This is Big News. I don’t understand the perspective that this will be dismissed or quickly forgotten. Maybe it comes from a history of experience with persecution, and my own experience doesn’t give me that. Can somebody who genuinely thinks Paula will be back in a few times give me some perspective?
I will admit to ignorance here. I don’t know much about Hank Williams Jr.'s career other than none of his music has seemed that interesting to me. However, skimming through your link, I did not see the word once. Therein lies the differences I think there’s worse social condemnation for you if you say the word over almost literally anything else. I have the same reaction to most “celeb gossip”: the public will get over it in three months. I just don’t see someone coming back from this, never mind that fucking loony Paula Deen. Maybe it’s just my naive hope, and America will learn no you cannot use that word.
I was just making the comparison of his getting dropped by ESPN after his comments (along with the other stuff he’s said.) Deen may not have a TV show and will lose sponsors, etc. but I would guess her books, restaurants, etc. will continue to be successful since a lot of people will view her as a martyr and a symbol of persecution by the media, the government, blacks, etc. etc.
There are a trillion radio and television stations that would love to up their profile with someone like Paula Deen. And there are plenty of people who would tune in and listen/watch, if only as an act of rebellion. But in a couple of months no one will remember this, so rebellion won’t even be required. Oprah will interview her, Paula Deen will be ditzy but lovable, and everything will be tied up with a pink, greasy ribbon.
I like Bill Mahr, who I consider to be fairly intelligent. And even he is citing free speech as a reason for why Paula should be left alone. And he is also downplaying the servers-dressed-as-slaves thing as a mere allegation. I am not thinking Bill Mahr is even a fan of Paula Deen. So if he isn’t all that phased, why would her fans be? In a consumer-driven society, the fans dictate who can say what. Not a bunch of folks, like myself, who have never watched her show or bought her books.
Michael Richards isn’t on the map anymore not because he said “nigger”. It’s because nobody wants what Michael Richards is selling. Mel Gibson has said a lot worse, but he’s still raking in the dough. Same with Dog the Bounty Hunter.
I would suggest that Michael Richards is the biggest reason that Michael Richards hasn’t at least attempted a serious comeback. Based on watching him in interviews ever since, he was fazed and devastated by what happened, has no clue how to reconcile what happened with how he thinks of himself and has been afraid, for want of a better word, to try to come back. Folks like Mel Gibson have a lot more chutzpah to walk right past their indiscretions…
In the NY Times this morning, they are reporting that there are HUGE lines outside Deen’s restaurant. Kind of like the Chick-Fil-A backlash when folks wanted to show support for CFA’s position on gay marriage. Sigh. It doesn’t help that the photo of the line seems to show “America at its most cliche” - i.e., a line of overweight white folks in t-shirts and flip-flops.
I don’t think most of the general public or media know the full story on why Deen is being sued besides saying the N-word and wanting black servers aka slaves at her brother’s wedding party.
According to the court transcript
Bubba (Paula’s brother) was said to be surfing and looking at porn why in his office at the restaurants he co-owns with his sister. He did while in front of employees and Lisa Jackson, the white woman who was his former general manager for his restaurant.
Bubba asked Jackson if she was willing to bring porn herself to the office for him to look at. She saids that Bubba also asked for photos of herself naked.
Bubba attacked a cook named “Big” Willie Faizer. Jackson reported it to Deen and Deen didn’t do anything about it.
Segregation at the restaurant such as separate employee restrooms, separate employee entrances (whites can go to the front of the restaurants; blacks have to go in black), and whites were allowed to work in front of the restaurant. Blacks had to work in the back, usually in kitchen area.
Paula Deen give her brother 300,000 dollars to keep the restaurant afloat. Jackson reported these incidents to Deen about her brother, but Deen didn’t do anything. I agree that Deen will still have a fanbase, consisting of “white trash”, “redneck” or people (non-racist whites, blacks, you name it) who should know bette, will still be giving her money for her products or appearance. However as other poster said, she is going to lose a good chuck of her fanbase, sponsors, and money after this scandal is over. She may never recover from what she learned from her past success. Food Network and now QVC dropped her. There is alot to come that we will hear from.
I don’t understand how some people can make such a stupid mistake, especially if they are celebrities used to talking to people. How hard would it have been for Paula to simply say “Yes I’ve used that word but it was a long time ago. I grew up in a time and place where that word was normal. The world’s changed and I’ve changed and so I don’t use it anymore.” It takes 5 seconds to come up with a bland, generic answer that won’t get you in trouble. That’s why I’m less forgiving when people do something like this, I tend to think this is how they are thinking all the time. And with the allegations of that weird slavery-themed wedding, I think that’s closer to the truth than some terrible apology
Yeah, I’ve got an armchair theory that if you’re going to grow out of using that word it will usually be in your late teens or 20’s when you,ve got a better grip on your own identity and you’re not so susceptible to peer pressure.
I have a hard time believing a 46yo just woke up one day and said “You know what? I’m not gonna do that any more.”
But I would have known it was a giant lie, and I suspect so would have other people. These are recent allegations. So for her to play the “it was a long time ago” card, she would have had to deny the truthfulness of Jackson’s account. That would have been unethical and bad, if Jackson is indeed telling the truth. So I’m actually glad she didn’t lie. Her honesty (as stupidly as she expressed it) almost makes her somewhat kinda-sorta sympathetic. I think it will be her saving grace.
What is really sad is that had one of the black kitchen employees come forward instead of the white manager, I don’t think people would be as credulous. Separate bathrooms for white and black employees sounds so crazy…even I’m having a hard time with it. So kudos for Jackson for standing up.
