Dr. Laura and the Economics of Controversy

She claims she was trying to make a point about racism. Syndicated radio host Laura Schlessinger said the N-word 11 times during a conversation on her show last week, which has set off a firestorm of criticism.

This week she said, come December, she’ll be ending her long-running radio show, “The Dr. Laura Program.”

Why, because she wants her first amendment rights back. Her freedom of speech has been taken away and she wants to regain that.

Well, I for one find that argument more disturbing than the fact that she used the “N” word 11 times on her show.

Don’t get me wrong, I find if completely offensive that she used the word once, let alone 11 times, but as Mr. Ridley of www.thatminoritything.com pointed out on NPR yesterday morning, the whole episode did seem like some sort of Monty Python skit, and at least when someone uses that word, you immediately know who they are and where they’re coming from. Is Dr. Laura racist? Of course, but sometimes I feel it’s better to know exactly who someone is rather then allowing them to always work behind the curtain. This was Toto opening the curtain to the great and powerful OZ. Dr. Laura was (once again) exposed for who she really is.

But as Ridley also pointed out, the part that bothers me most is the fact she’s claiming this is an issue over the freedom of speech…something it is NOT!

No one prevented her from saying the “N” word. No one is telling her she has to end her show.

But don’t you find it interesting that whenever someone dishes it out, yet can’t take it, they resort to the excuse of “my freedom of speech is being attacked”.

Let’s not set aside that Dr. Laura’s contract is coming back up for negotiation, and as a number of right wing voices do, she knows that stirring controversy is the best way to keep people talking about her, and as long as people are talking about her, then she has more bargaining power when it comes to contract negotiation.

So do I think this was a move aimed at securing an income? Yes, I believe that was an element. I believe that Dr. Laura has strategically used her racism to stir the controversy to make sure that people all across the nation are talking about her, so when her contract is up…her ratings will be too. The fact that this works is what bothers me most.

http://www.gayagenda.com