Anonymous wrote:NP here. Who really cares what some old fat woman from the South says. She's a cook, and not even a very good one at that.

Outrage at what she says suggests that she's significant--which she isn't. I actually thought it was more significant when she had to acknowledge that her cooking was unhealthy and contributed to her own health issues and that she had to change her diet. At least that was relevant to her claim to fame.

What does "fat" have to do with anything?

NP and white person here.

While of course I'm sorry that Paula Dean's use of the N word and other racially hostile behavior has caused pain to the people who had to endure it and wished it hadn't happened, I have to admit that I'm a little gleeful that this has all come out. I hope her she loses her show and her lucrative endorsements. It will serve her right.

I say that because I heard her interviewed on Diane Rehm's show a few years ago. There had been some news stories about atrocious working conditions in the plants that produced her Smithfield sausage or whatever it was. A listener called in and asked her about it, and she responded with something like, "Oh, I don't know anything about that. That doesn't have anything to do with me." Diane pressed her on it and a second listener called in to press for more of a response. She refused to say anything to acknowledge the issue, express regret, outrage, horror. Nothing. She could not have cared less about the conditions under which workers produced her products.

Honestly, I've never heard anything like it. It was in stark contrast to a similar incident around the same time involving working conditions revealed at an overseas factory that made products with Kathy Lee Gifford's name on them. KLG was horrified and sobbed during a press conference talking about it. KLG is a nitwit, but I think she was totally sincere in her feelings.

How hard would it have been for Paula Dean to say something like, "I was as surprised as anyone by the reports of horrible working conditions for people making products with my name on them. If true, I am outraged. I'm committed to finding out exactly what's going on and making sure that anything illegal or unethical is remediated. I would never condone that kind of thing." But no. Deny not just responsibility but any interest in the problem whatsoever.

FTR, I'm not all surprised that Paula Dean is racist and used the N word. I'd be shocked if she didn't continue to do so to this very day.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Black Man here. I don't give a shit what Paula Deen or anyone else says. I'm sure that if ALL of us (black, white, etc.) were held under oath and asked if we ever made a racial/ethnic/sexist slur, we'd all have to say "yes, I have". I also don't consider anyone a racist just because they used the "N" word. I usually start by considering them ignorant. I'd have to dig a little deeper into their background before branding them with the "racist" tag.

+1. This makes the most sense in the entire damn thread.

Except that she has been accused of using the N word in the workplace, in 2007. That's not the same as someone saying it as a kid in the 50's.

Anonymous wrote:Let people say what they want say nigger all day this is USA and it gave the nigger the opportunity to live free and speak out and it's that freedom them niggers better thanking god for their slave relatives and in the past 50 years or more they have learned to speak properly and act more human

Did it make you feel better that you could say the "N" word on an anonymous forum? Go ahead, let your words flow...get it out of your system...breath...let your tension out. Now go get a grammar book and learn how to write!

Anonymous wrote:Let people say what they want say nigger all day this is USA and it gave the nigger the opportunity to live free and speak out and it's that freedom them niggers better thanking god for their slave relatives and in the past 50 years or more they have learned to speak properly and act more human

Of course you have freedom of speech (even thought you cant put a sentence together). However, I bet you wouldn't exercise that free speech without an "anonymous" by your name.

Anonymous wrote:Black Man here. I don't give a shit what Paula Deen or anyone else says. I'm sure that if ALL of us (black, white, etc.) were held under oath and asked if we ever made a racial/ethnic/sexist slur, we'd all have to say "yes, I have". I also don't consider anyone a racist just because they used the "N" word. I usually start by considering them ignorant. I'd have to dig a little deeper into their background before branding them with the "racist" tag.

+1. This makes the most sense in the entire damn thread.

Anonymous wrote:As someone who grew in Massachusetts where the "N" word was used to describe anyone who wasn't Irish, I am stopped when I even hear the word "Negro." The other night "Foyle's War," a very good Brit TV show set after WWII was talking about the "Negro" soldiers who were still in England and I was surprised even though it was in the language context of the day.

WTF are you talking about? "Negro" is not a slur...just an outdated term. Using the word "Negro" is like "colored"...it just shows that you aren't current. I know lots of my very old black relatives that still use both words. They say that they shouldn't have to constantly change their terminology when referring to themselves. I kinda agree.

Let people say what they want say nigger all day this is USA and it gave the nigger the opportunity to live free and speak out and it's that freedom them niggers better thanking god for their slave relatives and in the past 50 years or more they have learned to speak properly and act more human

As someone who grew in Massachusetts where the "N" word was used to describe anyone who wasn't Irish, I am stopped when I even hear the word "Negro." The other night "Foyle's War," a very good Brit TV show set after WWII was talking about the "Negro" soldiers who were still in England and I was surprised even though it was in the language context of the day.

Black Man here. I don't give a shit what Paula Deen or anyone else says. I'm sure that if ALL of us (black, white, etc.) were held under oath and asked if we ever made a racial/ethnic/sexist slur, we'd all have to say "yes, I have". I also don't consider anyone a racist just because they used the "N" word. I usually start by considering them ignorant. I'd have to dig a little deeper into their background before branding them with the "racist" tag.

I agree, it happens. You an entire race of people do this every day, all of them? Oooookay. Sure.

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
+1 You can be outraged all you like. I also don't appreciate that in the next breath people deny that this is a real issue. The denial doesn't help. We have not irradiated racism in this country, we simply pretend it isn't there. It also doesn't help that when an individual points out something that is racist, they are shamed for playing the "race card" and being a victim. It's not a card to pull, its my life. This is not rare, it happens every day. I promise you that someone you know is racist, and someone you know has/will use that word.

I agree 100%. I posted earlier saying:

"It's also interesting when white folks get upset over stuff that's not racist to blacks while they shrug their shoulders in confusion when a black person tells them about a racist occurrence."

That speaks to your point. It seems that when it comes to racism, white people get to tell black people when to get offended. Otherwise, you're playing the victim and need to get the chip off your shoulder.

I don't think so. Furthermore, I don't care for blanket statements about an entire race, because in the end- the few asshats on DCUM don't speak for the majority of people you are quoting. Puh-lease,

I see it in real life ALLL THE TIME
and I am not pp

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
+1 You can be outraged all you like. I also don't appreciate that in the next breath people deny that this is a real issue. The denial doesn't help. We have not irradiated racism in this country, we simply pretend it isn't there. It also doesn't help that when an individual points out something that is racist, they are shamed for playing the "race card" and being a victim. It's not a card to pull, its my life. This is not rare, it happens every day. I promise you that someone you know is racist, and someone you know has/will use that word.

I agree 100%. I posted earlier saying:

"It's also interesting when white folks get upset over stuff that's not racist to blacks while they shrug their shoulders in confusion when a black person tells them about a racist occurrence."

That speaks to your point. It seems that when it comes to racism, white people get to tell black people when to get offended. Otherwise, you're playing the victim and need to get the chip off your shoulder.

I don't think so. Furthermore, I don't care for blanket statements about an entire race, because in the end- the few asshats on DCUM don't speak for the majority of people you are quoting. Puh-lease,

Anonymous wrote:
+1 You can be outraged all you like. I also don't appreciate that in the next breath people deny that this is a real issue. The denial doesn't help. We have not irradiated racism in this country, we simply pretend it isn't there. It also doesn't help that when an individual points out something that is racist, they are shamed for playing the "race card" and being a victim. It's not a card to pull, its my life. This is not rare, it happens every day. I promise you that someone you know is racist, and someone you know has/will use that word.

I agree 100%. I posted earlier saying:

"It's also interesting when white folks get upset over stuff that's not racist to blacks while they shrug their shoulders in confusion when a black person tells them about a racist occurrence."

That speaks to your point. It seems that when it comes to racism, white people get to tell black people when to get offended. Otherwise, you're playing the victim and need to get the chip off your shoulder.

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Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:White mom here. Well, I'm shocked she would have such poor judgment. We NEVER use the "N" word - ever - nor have our kids. Nor our parents. Period. It's hate language.

Yeah, I'm with you.

I'm sorry that the poster above isn't shocked -- I wish this behavior was SO uncommon that hearing about it was like seeing a unicorn in the wild. That said, I think this info is "news" to people like me -- white, middle-class mom who has never once used that word and is still stunned to hear it.

I am the OP who is not surprised...
Not to be funny -- but you are a white middle class woman...not surprised that you ARE surprised
I have been black all my life..yea
NOT SURPRISED

I'm not quite sure what PP's comment means except to perhaps say that her life experiences are different than my belief system and values. But for what it's worth I'm upper class white, very well-educated and I have not a bigoted bone in my body and find this kind of language reprehensible and I'm surprised that Paula Deen would use such language. But then I was shocked by Michael Richard's comments. And Alice Walker's in her new book. And Mel Gibson's. I guess there are a--holes everywhere but the "N word" is simply not used by my family, my friends, my children, the schools I have been affiliated with or anyone else in my life and I would turn on the person and confront them if I heard it used by anyone.

You know what is irritating about these types of reactions and comments.
As an AA I have to deal with, steal myself against, recognize the existence of this mess all the time.
1 incident pops up in the media and folks, like yourself, probably well-meaning and sincere, act so surprised, outraged and up and arms..."well, i never," (clutching your pearls)...
when you know what...get a grip cause i have to deal with this s*** EVERY.SINGLE.STINKING.DAY.

OK look. The alternative is that we look away and tell you it's not our problem, because really, it isn't our problem. If you get called names every single day, that sucks for you. No one calls me anything.

But you know how that changes? When people like me (when I'm done clutching my pearls) go home and see this on the news with our kids and we say, "It's a horrible word with horrible connotations and I'll beat you senseless if I ever hear you use it."

Wow -- if you think the options you presented are the only ones available...then you are worse off than I originally thought...
This -- This right here is golden... a white lady getting indignant about a black person's being over your "surprise and shock' over some stuff they deal with on a regular basis.
Try this...try realizing that this kind of stuff happens all of the time...Just try being aware...
shock and awe is indicative of nothing...except you being shocked and awed and doing absolutely nothing till this happens again...

People ARE doing something. People are expressing outrage. Why are you pissed about that???

Personally -- not peeved about people expressing outrage, distaste, upset...whatever you want to call it...
What I find distasteful is people expressing so-called outrage then in the next breath saying no one I know would ever say that or think that...I didn't know people still actually used that word...
That's like someone reading about a horrible child abuse case and saying...I didn't know kids were still abused...I didn't know that still happend...while clutching pearls......gack!

Come on now..that's not even living in the real world...
And really...I find it somehwhat disingenuous...but hey that is just me ....

+1 You can be outraged all you like. I also don't appreciate that in the next breath people deny that this is a real issue. The denial doesn't help. We have not irradiated racism in this country, we simply pretend it isn't there. It also doesn't help that when an individual points out something that is racist, they are shamed for playing the "race card" and being a victim. It's not a card to pull, its my life. This is not rare, it happens every day. I promise you that someone you know is racist, and someone you know has/will use that word.

THANK YOU!
THANK YOU!
THANK YOU!
I was starting to think I was in this alone...just waiting for someone to trot out the "angry black woman" tag...
People just don't. get.it.
Which is how people like Paula Deen do stuff that gets in them in a lawsuit