Paula Deen's use of the "N"-Word

[Mizeree I2K]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

Calling a man "N_ Jim", even with his permission, is racist.

".

It is. And folks who were raised up by dudes like that hold the same or similar attitude. Dude probably laughed like it was a joke when his dad told him that.

[Mizeree I2K]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

I can't believe that there are people in this thread (and elsewhere) defending her. Holy hell, people, you are a white woman and use the N-word with impunity, you are a racist.

Thank you.

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by Mizeree I2K

It is. And folks who were raised up by dudes like that hold the same or similar attitude. Dude probably laughed like it was a joke when his dad told him that.

Laughed? No... More like disbelief at how much we've changed in so short a time. This was only 50-60 years ago. The folks who used to be comfortable addressing someone as "N_ Jim" wouldn't dream of it today and only tell those stories to illustrate how we were, not how we are.

That's how when I hear about Deen saying she had certainly used that word, I'm not reading into it as much as others here. It's how things used to be.

[Sen's Revenge]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

I can't believe that there are people in this thread (and elsewhere) defending her. Holy hell, people, you are a white woman and use the N-word with impunity, you are a racist.

I used to be good (online) friends with GreekChatter. We chatted on AIM or gchat or whatever the thing was at the time.

Once, he sent me the following message:

"Big nig"

Our friendship was over that instant.

He tried to apologize, said he meant to send it to someone else, etc etc, blah blah blah.

There is no excuse for some things. I don't care that he wasn't calling ME "nig" - he was a person in power who used the word.

I don't care one way or the other about Paula Deen. The fact that she acts so unaware and unapologetically suggests that yes, she deserves everything coming to her.

[lovespink88]

Notification from my CNN app: "The Food Network says it "will not renew Paula Deen's contract when it expires at the end of this month."

[Xidelt]

What's that noise? Is it the sound of an empire beginning to fall?

[agzg]

Oh, Paula.

[LXA SE285]

Talking Points Memo hit the nail on the head in describing her as "a racial Mr. Magoo."

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archive...l_mr_magoo.php

[agzg]

To quote one of the collegians I met last weekend, "She's the conductor of the Hot Mess Express."

[Benzgirl]

Originally Posted by agzg

To quote one of the collegians I met last weekend, "She's the conductor of the Hot Mess Express."

I'm stealing that.

[agzg]

Originally Posted by Benzgirl

I'm stealing that.

You can thank one of our sisters for that one! I almost spit my dinner across the table.

[PiKA2001]

I'm sort of in awe of the Paula Deen witch hunt going on... Seriously..because Paula Deen is the only public figure to have ever said that word..like ever. At least she has tje balls to admit saying it and the error of it.

I'm sure the people throwing the stones have never uttered that word either.

For clarifications sake I'm not saying what she said 30 years ago was ok or should be glossed over but this public crucifiction is a little ridic.

[maconmagnolia]

My opinion, which is probably an unpopular one: Past doesn't equal present. She admitted her mistake and apologized for it. I really don't see any issue anymore.. Honestly, at the time she used the word, she probably didn't know any better. She was born during a different time period.. That's how people spoke back then, as bad as that is. If she said it thirty years ago and hasn't said it since (which is what I've gathered, someone can tell me if I'm wrong), then props to her for apologizing. Unfortunately for her, she would have been better off never admitting it. If she's still saying it today.. well, that's a different issue.

[maconmagnolia]

Originally Posted by ThetaPrincess24

I'm not sure I would call her a racist at this point, as I do think it's what is in the heart that determines if someone is racist or not, but what I find troubling is her comment about not really knowing what offends people.

She may be from a different generation, but this is not the 50's or 60's. It is 2013. Unless she has lived her life in a bubble, I'm not sure how she can not know that word would not be offensive, regardless in my opinion, of where you are from in the U.S.

I posted that on my Facebook yesterday. I never called her a racist, just that I did not understand how she could make such a comment about not knowing what offends people. Someone else argued the point, and I've left it where it is as it was obvious she didn't read the article.

From what I've gathered, though, she said it a longgg time ago. Not in 2013.

[agzg]

Originally Posted by PiKA2001

I'm sort of in awe of the Paula Deen witch hunt going on... Seriously..because Paula Deen is the only public figure to have ever said that word..like ever. At least she has tje balls to admit saying it and the error of it.

I'm sure the people throwing the stones have never uttered that word either.

For clarifications sake I'm not saying what she said 30 years ago was ok or should be glossed over but this public crucifiction is a little ridic.

Originally Posted by maconmagnolia

My opinion, which is probably an unpopular one: Past doesn't equal present. She admitted her mistake and apologized for it. I really don't see any issue anymore.. Honestly, at the time she used the word, she probably didn't know any better. She was born during a different time period.. That's how people spoke back then, as bad as that is. If she said it thirty years ago and hasn't said it since (which is what I've gathered, someone can tell me if I'm wrong), then props to her for apologizing. Unfortunately for her, she would have been better off never admitting it. If she's still saying it today.. well, that's a different issue.

Originally Posted by maconmagnolia

From what I've gathered, though, she said it a longgg time ago. Not in 2013.

This whole thing was brought to light for a deposition where the plaintiff (who is a former employee) alleges that this was ongoing.

http://gawker.com/5890872/lawsuit-cl...ey-temple-days

In one such incident, Jackson alleges that Paula said the following while planning Bubba's wedding:

Well what I would really like is a bunch of little n***ers to wear long-sleeve white shirts, black shorts and black bow ties, you know in the Shirley Temple days, they used to tap dance around. Now, that would be a true Southern wedding wouldn't it? But we can't do that because the media would be on me about that.

See also:
http://gawker.com/paula-deen-says-of...word-514272160

In her deposition, Deen acknowledges that the discussion took place, but denies using a racial slur.

Bubba got married in 2007.

For me, it's about much more than the use of the word. She's either racist or stupid. Or both.