Dr. Laura Revisited

Jermyn Davidson · #1 08-21-2010, 03:02 PM

From an email I received from, "Media Matters"....

Media Matters: Incendiary rant exposes Dr. Laura (again)

The year was 1998, and radio host Dr. Laura Schlessinger's celebrity was soaring. A media group had recently paid $71.5 million for her program -- the biggest radio deal at the time -- and the Los Angeles Times reported that she had the "fastest-growing show in radio history, a program now aired on 450 stations in the United States, 30 in Canada -- where she is the No. 1 talk radio personality -- and in South Africa." Schlessinger would soon begin discussions on hosting her own national TV show.

Just a few years later, Schlessinger began to stumble. In 2001, her syndicated Paramount television show was cancelled after a brief run, and in 2002, the New York Daily News reported that Schlessinger's radio audience had lost several million listeners.

Schlessinger's troubles then -- just like now -- began with incendiary remarks aimed at a minority group. During the 1990s, Schlesinger blasted "homosexuality" as "a biological error," "deviant behavior, a dysfunctional behavior," and linked gay men to pedophilia and child molestation. Schlessinger also touted "therapies which have been successful in helping a reasonable number of people become heterosexual."

When Paramount announced it had signed Schlessinger to a TV talk show for the fall of 2000, the group StopDrLaura.com successfully "waged a campaign to dissuade companies from sponsoring the show." Dr. Laura debuted to "disappointing" ratings and Paramount "had difficulty attracting national sponsors to the show," forcing the studio to sell ads at reduced rates (LA Times, 9/22/00).

In the spring of 2001, Dr. Laura -- to no one's surprise -- was cancelled. Schlessinger blamed the cancellation on gay rights groups such as StopDrLaura.com and Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), telling Larry King that "political correctness" "overpowers and overwhelms the United States of America today. ... This was strictly about trying to destroy my voice." Schlessinger defenders claimed that critics were trying to silence her "1st amendment" rights.

Nearly ten years later, the same controversy over Schlessinger played out again -- this time over racially tinged remarks to an African-American caller.
To give you a refresher, during the August 10 edition of her program, Schlessinger took a call from an African-American woman seeking advice on dealing with the resentment she felt when her white husband didn't speak out about racist comments his friends made. During the discussion, Schlessinger used the n-word 11 times, and told the caller that she had a "chip on [her] shoulder." Schlessinger added that "a lot of blacks voted for Obama" due to race and said that the caller shouldn't "marry out of [her] race" if she didn't "have a sense of humor."

After Media Matters posted audio of Schlessinger's racial rant, groups such as GLAAD, Women's Media Center, and UNITY Journalists of Color joined Media Matters to hold Schlessinger's "advertisers accountable and find out exactly where they stand."

Like in 2001, Schlessinger appeared on Larry King Live to claim that her "First Amendment rights have been usurped by angry, hateful groups who don't want to debate. They want to eliminate." Schlessinger announced that she was ending her radio show to "move on to other venues where I could say my piece and not have to live in fear anymore that sponsors and their families are going to be upset, radio stations are going to be upset, my peeps, as I call them, are going to be upset."

Some conservatives predictably rallied around Schlessinger. Michelle Malkin lauded Schlessinger for having "battled political correctness for years." Sarah Palin -- who's scheduled to join Fox News colleague Glenn Beck at his 8-28 rally to "reclaim" the civil rights movement -- defended Schlessinger's n-word rant by claiming Schlessinger has been "shackled" by her critics, and took to Twitter to tell Schlessinger, "Don't retreat... reload" after her "1st Amend.rights ceased 2exist."

The First Amendment argument is as silly now as it was ten years ago. "Censorship, in the legal sense, really only occurs when the government is trying to prevent you from saying something. I think that actions that GLAAD has taken regarding Dr. Laura is the way we in the American system expect the system to work, and Dr. Laura has a right to say what she's doing," explained Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press executive director Lucy Dalglish on the June 15, 2000, edition of PBS's NewsHour.
The purported media critics at NewsBusters, meanwhile, bizarrely accused Media Matters of censorship because we were part of a campaign targeting advertisers. The criticism is strange considering NewsBusters and its parent, Media Research Center, also target advertisers of content they view as offensive. Indeed, MRC president Brent Bozell told the LA Times in 2000 that while he didn't approve of the anti-Dr. Laura cause, "It's perfectly acceptable for an organization to lobby to cancel a program they think is inappropriate. I don't think there's anything wrong with that at all."

At the end of the day, however, Schlessinger's racial rant is only the latest in recent public displays of racially loaded rhetoric by right-wing media figures. The question, as it was in 2000, is whether the audiences will hold figures responsible for their rhetoric.

This weekly wrap-up was compiled by Media Matters research fellow Eric Hananoki.

Jermyn Davidson · #2 08-21-2010, 03:12 PM

My first and strongest criticism is how can that "husband" not stand up to his friends over that stuff-- especially if it offends his own wife?

He doesn't respect his wife and his "friends" don't respect him or his wife.

My second criticism is how can Dr. Laura excuse this stuff? I'm not married but one day i will be. If my wife tells me that something offends her, I will do what I can to neutralize the offense or simply remove it (or them) from our lives.

I just don't get it?

Praxeas · #3 08-21-2010, 07:48 PM

Media Matters is supposed to be non-biased but I can't help but think they are not with these last 2 threads on Fox news and this one where they characterize what she did as "Schlessinger's troubles then -- just like now -- began with incendiary remarks aimed at a minority group"

What she did was not "just like now" aimed at a minority group. She was not making crude comments aimed AT any group.

Praxeas · #4 08-21-2010, 07:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jermyn Davidson

My first and strongest criticism is how can that "husband" not stand up to his friends over that stuff-- especially if it offends his own wife?

He doesn't respect his wife and his "friends" don't respect him or his wife.

My second criticism is how can Dr. Laura excuse this stuff? I'm not married but one day i will be. If my wife tells me that something offends her, I will do what I can to neutralize the offense or simply remove it (or them) from our lives.

I just don't get it?

Did she excuse it? She was dealing with the wife not the husband. Maybe if he was on she would have words for him too. But what else do you tell a woman like that if she wants to remain in the relationship besides grow a thick skin/learn to be less sensitive about it?

coadie · #5 08-21-2010, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jermyn Davidson

My second criticism is how can Dr. Laura excuse this stuff? I'm not married but one day i will be. If my wife tells me that something offends her, I will do what I can to neutralize the offense or simply remove it (or them) from our lives.

I just don't get it?

You are very intollerant. Even for Liberal.
Conservatives do not have people removed.

Your girlfriend at Code Pink was arrested for entering a home.

http://biggovernment.com/taylorking/...water-founder/

The leftist extremists are offensive.

Quote:

Terrorist supporter and Code Pink co-founder Susan “Medea” Benjamin was arrested Friday evening at the McLean, Virginia home of Xe Services founder (formerly Blackwater) Erik Prince, according to a press release posted by Code Pink.

coadie · #6 08-21-2010, 08:39 PM

Media Matters is funded by Soros and the left wing rads. I dpn't Listen to Dr Laura but have read some of her books. Actually I have given some books away.
Media Matters attack her and Gov Palin.

Jermyn Davidson · #7 08-22-2010, 08:34 PM

[QUOTE=coadie;953632]You are very intollerant. Even for Liberal.
Conservatives do not have people removed.

QUOTE]

When I read your respeonse Coadie, I laughed out loud so hard!

I would most definitely cut off the friendship of a person or people who habitually offend my wife-- if I was married.

It's common sense to me.

BTW, I don't have a girlfriend right now.

I do receive emails from another group too that is slanted to the right pretty hard. But posting them on here would simply be preaching to the choir.

Jermyn Davidson · #8 08-22-2010, 08:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Praxeas

Did she excuse it? She was dealing with the wife not the husband. Maybe if he was on she would have words for him too. But what else do you tell a woman like that if she wants to remain in the relationship besides grow a thick skin/learn to be less sensitive about it?

Prax,

In this situation, the best advice for this woman to maintain her own self respect is NOT the advice you or Dr. Laura would offer.

You don't just letr people disrespect you like that-- especially whn you have made it known that you find it offensive.

That husband soes not seem like a good husband at all.

Dr. Laura was not only insensitive in this, but her decision to use the n-word in this situation was really a bad, bad decision.

All she did was pour salt on a gaping wound.

It was absolutely TERRIBLE advice!

Jermyn Davidson · #9 08-22-2010, 08:40 PM

Just to renind you all, I am conservative and have been a registered Republican since 2004.

RevDWW · #10 08-22-2010, 10:07 PM

From

MediaMatters

Website:

Quote:

About Us

Media Matters Action Network is a progressive research and information center dedicated to analyzing and correcting conservative misinformation in the U.S. media; ensuring accuracy, appropriate balance, and accountability in the media through targeted public action campaigns; empowering and expanding progressive voices in the media by providing a full range of resources to assist the larger progressive community in creating and disseminating progressive information and views; and engaging in other activities at the confluence of progressive thought, policy, and media.
Media Matters Action Network has launched Political Correction, a new project aimed at holding conservative politicians and advocacy groups accountable. As the organization grows and continues to increase its role in the progressive movement, the new brand name will enable web visitors,bloggers, and journalists easier, faster access to the information they need.
Political Correction will expandon MMAN's core work of highlighting and correcting conservative misinformation. As the only organization -- progressive or conservative -- comprehensively monitoring the House and Senate floors, MMAN has been able to highlight conservatives' extreme rhetoric and show Americans the real nature of today's Republican Party.

It appears to be a propaganda machine for the progressive movement.