The publicity machine is worse than the schoolyard, in that it stretches the truth, amplifies lies and destroys the people they deify at will. Paula Deen, a major star personality on the Food Network, was called to task in a lawsuit brought on by a party claiming a discriminatory environment while in her employ. The details are still coming out, but in the furor over the perceptions of black/white relationships, Deen has been told by the network that her contract will not be renewed when it expires at the end of the month. Fans are outraged. Opponents are probably cheering. I’m a bit flustered by the whole thing.
In my lifetime I have been called the “R” word (retarded), the “B’ word (bitch), the “D” word (dumb), along with enough negative adjectives, verbs and nouns that, had they happened today, I might not be here to tell you these things, having taken my life to avoid the pain of their collective sting. Fortunately I am still here, and I’m telling you that any words used out of fear–as simple as the tone of your voice when referring to somebody not like you (at least in your own mind)–have immense power. However, that power must be diluted by dissection, redirection and common sense.
During Deen’s deposition, she was asked if she had ever used the dreaded “N” word. Never have six uniquely arranged letters in the English alphabet caused more dissention than this one, whether you consider it a corruption of the term “negro” or a specifically concocted term meant to demean those of dark skin, or something else. The “N” word is the real-life Lord Voldemort of our language: that which must not be named. Just in identifying it as the “N” word, we think it in its entirety and, supposedly, condemn ourselves to being racist for knowing it exists. Frankly, if we were all doomed to hell for thinking things, Satan would have had a serious overcrowding problem centuries ago.
Anyway, Paula Deen replied to that “N” word question that she had probably said it when she was a crime victim some time ago, and the perpetrator was such that the term seemed to fit at the time. If she had called him by some other negative term not related to a negative racial connotation, would anybody have believed that?
In the history of the United States, there are instances in which we have written about kicking out people for damning us (look up the Man Without a Country). We harbor people who say many awful things but do nothing, or people who say nothing and do plenty. As a supporter of the rights of bullying victims, I find that race relations are just another aspect of the same problem. I feel bad for the majority of any race who have to put up with the rotten apples which we tend to think come from the same basket. I also pity people who are put off by what they don’t understand and get anxious and start using bizarre language to cover up for it. If any of us can say we have never done that, I’d like to get to know them. Come on, people, some folks get adamant about the concept of eating leftovers, so I can imagine what simple things about real people inflame the emotions.
Overall, does any of this mean that Paula Deen should be fired? No. I’m sure that every living person working at Food Network has sinned, is sinning or will sin in the future, and it’s hypocritical to say that getting rid of one celebrity as an example will keep the channel spotless of any perceived reputation. Why would I want to watch a channel run by executives who can’t deal with a problem except to expel it? There are better answers, and it would take more than the length of a blog to explain them, but I think the network and Paula Deen can dilute the tension in another way, but if they take her off the air, they will both earn more scorn and distrust than the use of one word.
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