First off, this entire thing is not just about that specific racial slur. It is about a whole bunch of craziness going on at "Paula Deen's crib", some of which is race-related.
I saw parts of the interview and it reminded me of Dog the Bounty Hunter's Larry King interview. Like I said 3 pages ago:
Quote:
Originally Posted by DrPhil
**It is interesting that quite a few power minority groups around the world eventually speak out against perceived injustices (Jews, LGBT, etc.). Only certain power minority groups are told to relax and to not use their voice and purchasing powers to protest and potentially get money makers shut down. That is one of the reasons why social change is so difficult. The power dominant groups are still the ones who determine whether the concerns and potential for social change are worthwhile and valid (for example, people in this thread saying "talk about Mandela instead" and "this is glitching").
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As always, certain minority groups are asked to have a "Come to Jesus" meeting and decide as a collective to silence all of the dissents. I would love for the mainstream to petition to other minority groups (such as ethnic Jews, LGBT, etc.) to definitively forgive and shut up about the topic. But, that will never happen. (No, not everyone in a group holds the same opinion. We do not have the same brain, thought processes, opinions, and behavioral patterns.)
I do not dislike Paula Deen. Responding to these types of things does not require hatred or dislike for a person. It takes much more than this unexcitedly stereotypical scenario to elicit such response from me. What these types of issues require (not from everyone but from those who are moved by the topic) is intolerance for certain actions and dynamics. It is not about changing personal opinions and changing whether they do racially intolerant things in their spare time. It is about voicing an opinion and showing purchasing power for Deen and companies that sponsor her. It is also about telling people that we cannot change your mind but we can hit your pocket if your mind begins to translate into hiring practices, workplace dynamics, and overall treatment of people. It is about saying that we will leave you alone about your individual personality quirks and controversial sense of humor if you will shut the hell up and not force other people to endure.
People should support Paula Deen if they like her products. However, if they support Paula Deen because they respect her freedom to not censor herself when appropriate, those supporters can choke on it. Would Paula Deen and her sons have started preaching if Deen's money wasn't messed with? Maybe, maybe not.
I know one thing, it annoys me to no end when people use phrases like "he who is without sin cast the first stone" for these types of things. When Paula Deen said that during the interview, I wanted to smack the TV screen. Idiots around the world, you WILL be judged for certain things by imperfect people. Think about that before you show your ass. We all make mistakes but do not preach to people, just APOLOGIZE and face the consequences. Idiots. The fact that Paula Deen used excuses about her background and the "he who is without sin" thing instead of just apologizing and facing the consequences, made me think she isn't really sorry. She's just saving face and saving her brand/money. It is one of the oldest tricks in the book.