Dr. Laura Schlessinger's N-Word Episode

by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright August 19, 2010
All Rights Reserved.                                             

             Nationally syndicated talk show host 63-year-old Dr. Laura Schlessinger went over the deep end Tuesday, Aug. 10, repeating the N-word numerous times while making point to an African American caller.  Schlessinger had performed thousands of shows since 1994 without an incident, falling prey to the very weakness that made her both an effective talk show host and radio personality:  Her brashness.  For her millions of followers, they had no problems with the take-no-prisoners approach, missing the phony empathy of her predecessors on psychologically-oriented radio talk shows.  Dr. Laura’s audience relished her confrontations with various callers, inviting some of the most brutal exchanges imaginable.    Callers soon realized that no one was immune to her sharp-tongued attacks, pulling no punches when it came to confronting callers with their hypocrisy and weakness. 

            Schlessinger got too big for her britches Aug. 10, insisting her black female caller was “hypersensitive” to racism, repeating the N-Word 11 times during her 5-minute on-air conversation.  While Dr. Laura said she “realized I had made a horrible mistake, and was so upset, I could not finish the show,” there’s little explanation for how the experienced talk show host self-destructed on the air.  Using the N-word, perhaps the most politically incorrect statement possible, left her dumbfounded, how a person with so much on-air experience could possibly make such a mistake.  “I articulated the N-word all the way out—more than one time,” admitted Dr. Laura, trying a feeble mea culpa.  “And that was wrong.  I’ll say it again—that was wrong,” said Schlessinger, trying to undo extent of the damage.  When she walked out of her home-studio, she realized the genie was out of the bottle..

           Dr. Laura’s combative personality got the better her, doing the exact opposite of what she invites her callers to do:  Use their brains.  She argued with her caller “Jade” to show less sensitivity to racism, commenting on the hypocrisy of blacks using the N-word routinely in the rough-and-tumble Hip-Hop culture so common in rap music or in the everyday banter of certain racial groups.  “Black guys use it all the time,” Dr. Laura told Jade, repeating the N-word several times, making what amounts to a suicidal on-air blunder.  “Oh, then I guess you don’t watch HBO or other listen to black comedians,” Schlessinger said to her caller, insisting that she develop a tougher skin or she shouldn’t have entered into an interracial marriage.  Her tone-deafness and racial insensitivity won her plaudits and support from fellow conservative, former Alaska Gov. and GOP VP candidate Sarah Palin.

            When Schlessinger insisted after her on-air gaffe that she would not renew her contract which expires at the end the year, Palin urged her not to quit.  “Dr. Laura, don’t retreat . . . reload (Steps aside bc her 1st Amend rights cease 2exist the 2activists, trying 2 silence isn’t American, not fair”), Palin said on her Twitter page, insisting the 63-year-old talk show host shouldn’t back down.  During the 2008 presidential campaign, Palin was known for making borderline racist remarks.  “Dr Laura=even more powerful & effective w/out the shackles, so watch out Constitution obstructionists.   And b thankful 4 her voice, America,” Palin tweeted, showing why she remains immensely popular to the most extreme and rebellious side thee the Republican Party.  Schlessinger told CNN’s Larry King on Aug. 17 that she would not return when her contract was up for renewal at the end of the year.

            Palin’s attempt to reframe Schlessinger’s offensive remarks in the context of the First Amendment shows the extremes to which she’ll go to defend free speech rights.  Palin routinely tells conservative audiences to “reload,” a kind of rebellious call to fight Obama’s attempt to socialize the nation, especially when it comes to national health care reform.  Her appearance on “Larry King Live” was slated for “damage control” but instead made things worse by reconfirming the remarks were not entirely accidental or inadvertent.  While saying she was “regretful” over the incident, she also said her free speech rights “have been usurped by angry, hateful groups who don’t want to debate—they want to eliminate,” displaying her arrogance over crossing the obscenity line on   public airwaves.  Her excuses on Larry King show the extent to which she’s disconnected from reality.

            Schlessinger’s N-word episode displays the kind of breakdown seen by certain personalities that frequently bend to stressful circumstances but also sometimes break.  Her inability to follow on “Larry King Live” a more conventional damage control strategy shows how far she’s gone over the deep end.  Attempts by Palin to have Dr. Laura follow her “don’t retreat, reload” slogan, display exactly how dangerous the former Alaska governor is to the Republican Party.  Schlessinger hasn’t been usurped by an angry mob, she’s the angry one, unable to contain her own hostility.  Accusing her caller of not having a sense of humor provides no apology but further proof of her lack of fitness to run nationally syndicated radio show.  For someone with Dr. Laura’s experience, education and sophistication, spewing racial epithets on the air marked a kind of tragic breakdown.

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.

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