Friday, June 28, 2013

Of Accountability and Double Standards

Hello friends!  Your favorite blogger is back, itching to chime in on what has been one of the main news stories over the past week or so. 

I'm speaking of course of the Paula Deen situation.  Apparently, this woman admitted to saying a disparaging word many, many years ago and is now a pariah.  Her show has dropped her, those with whom she had endorsements have dropped her and even the mighty Walmart has deemed her too controversial for their tastes.  Target is said to still be "evaluating" the situation. 

First, just let me tell you I couldn't give a fig less about Paula Deen.  Although my wife and my father-in-law love the cooking channel and watch those programs regularly, I have never and would never watch any of their programming.  It is only thoughts of sleeping in a rickety old shed that have kept me from deleting it from my favorite channels on DirectTV and if my satellite provider dropped the Food Network tomorrow, there'd be no tear in my......drink (Sorry for the lack of rhyming but I hate beer).  Suffice it to say, sans the current controversy, Paula Deen would be just another stranger to me. 

However, I can't help but to comment for the speech and civil libertarian issues involved.  I mean, come on, she confessed to saying she used the "N" word 27 years ago?  Really?  That's what all the fuss is about?  I haven't Googled her so I don't know her exact age, but she would appear to be several years older than me.  Twenty seven years ago, I was a young sixteen years of age.  I KNOW I did and said many stupid things then and for years to come.  I will admit I have said the "N" word myself as well as many other either inflammatory or politically incorrect things.  It kinda goes with the territory.  I'm guessing that Ms. Deen would probably have been around 40ish those many years ago.  Probably outside of the realm of stupid youth but I am currently in my early 40s and I'm inclined to say stupid, inflammatory or politically incorrect things from time to time (in fact, I kinda have a personal vendetta against anything politically correct).  I personally can't believe that Ms. Deen, however useless I may think her show is or how undeserved her celebrity, is being held to the fire for such. 

Some say, "Well, she's a celebrity and such scrutiny comes with territory".  Well, yes, if the issue was what she said yesterday, or the day before or two weeks ago.  But we're talking about what she uttered TWENTY SEVEN YEARS ago.  I highly doubt that Ms. Deen had any idea back then that she would be in the public eye.  Are we really gonna expect our celebrities to be angelic from the time they're born just so an issue doesn't surface many years down the road that derails their career?  If so, I guess I better start praying that my sitcom never sells, or that my book never sells or that all of you quit reading so my blog doesn't become overly popular (hey, a guy can dream, can't he?).  To sum it all up in one word, I think this is all ridiculous. 

This would be different if Ms. Deen had set up a podium in a mall somewhere and started spewing racial epithets at the top of her lungs.  My understanding is that this was something she said to a friend or other close individual.  "Friends" and close relatives are supposed to be people with whom we can share anything with the reasonable expectation that it won't come back to haunt us.  I bet if each us sat and thought about it for a minute, there'd be one or two or ten or twelve secrets we wouldn't like aired either. 

And let's consider for a moment how this all came to light.  It was because Paula HONESTLY answered a question.  It would've been very easy for her to lie, to say that she had NEVER uttered such an atrocious statement.  But she didn't.  She told the truth (about something she probably considered not a big deal) and now she is being crucified for it.  I just don't think that the punishment here fits the crime. 

Undoubtedly, someone out there has read my musings to this point and thinks I must be okay with this because I'm a rabid racist.  Though true that the circumstances around my growing up would've definitely lent themselves to such sentiment (not my parents-I went to parochial school all my life where there were few, if any, minorities), I am most definitely not.  I have a good black friend (he calls me "counselor" by the way) a good friend who is from Jordan, an Indian friend, etc, etc, etc.  My favorite city in the world is Seattle and one of the biggest reasons is because of the diversity there. I judge people on who they are and not based on any group or ethnicity to which they belong. 

What strikes me about this whole incident is what appears to be a double standard.  Again, though I have no ill feelings against such groups, I often lament that if I was to start a white expo or the National Association for the Advancement of White People or have a Straight Pride parade, that I would be run out of the country.  I believe that everyone deserves the same rights but why is it that we allow some groups to demonstrate their "pride" and it's okay but when the white people do it, it's racist and reminiscent of the days of the Ku Klux Klan?  It seems to me that I ought to be able to celebrate my pride in my heritage as much as anyone else. 

"But Steve!  What she admitted to saying was one of the most despicable, racist words that one can utter!"  Well, perhaps that it was.  But I'm sure we are all familiar with fact that rap songs (written and sung by mostly African American individuals) routinely say the "N" word and it doesn't seem to matter.  As a young lad still in my teens, I listened to a lot of that music.  I can tell you that some of the songs said the "N" word more than the word "the".  I guess I just don't understand how a word uttered by members of your own race can be okay but somehow morph into the most derogatory word ever when uttered by someone of a different race. 

In conclusion (Thank God!, eh?), I just think this whole situation has been grossly blown out of proportion.  Ms. Deen didn't go on National Television and scream the "N" word last week.  She said it to a friend 27 years ago.  I'll admit it's not the smartest strategy to admit to such, but at least she was honest.  I have said many, many things, in the company of friends, that could be considered worse.  It's not that I hold beliefs discriminatory towards this group or that. It's that I sometimes joke and I'm also human.  We all have said things in our past that we'd rather not have others know about.  I don't think that someone should lose their career or livelihood for such an admission. 

Take care, dear readers.  I would say to tell your friends about my little blog here but then I don't want to someday be in Ms. Deen's shoes.  Peace out. 

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