Does Dr. Laura’s Race Controversy Mean Someone Worse is Waiting in the Wings?

Last week, Dr. Laura Schlessinger had a mini-meltdown on the air after an African American woman called in seeking advice about how to handle racially-insensitive comments made by her husband’s friends and relatives. I won’t reproduce the whole thing in this post, but you can listen to the full audio here if you like.

In a nutshell, instead of responding to the caller respectfully, Dr. Laura used the moment as an opportunity to air her true feelings about race and racism in America. In doing so, she managed to use the “n word” no less than 11 times, which has (unsurprisingly) become the focal point of most of the MSM’s coverage of the fiasco. However, as the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, Media Matters for America, the Women’s Media Center, and UNITY Journalists of Color explained last week in a joint statement to advertisers on Dr. Laura’s show, “the racist diatribe on Tuesday's show extends far beyond the use of a single word.”

Indeed, if you listen to the whole exchange, Dr. Laura’s repeated use of the “n word” almost becomes a distraction from the more disturbing parts of her screed.The Root’s Cord Jefferson expounds:

Schlessinger's ultimate point — "Black people say 'nigger'; why can't I?" -- is, of course, historically ignorant, culturally ignorant and, worst of all, hackneyed. But what she said wasn't racist, and claiming that it is gives both her and the word more power than they deserve […] it's also far more offensive to accuse African Americans of being simpleminded sheep who think only in terms of their skin color than to point out that black comedians use the word "nigger." That's been lost in the dialogue, however, buried under so much "n-word" jabbering.

CNN’s Roland Martin also suggests that Dr. Laura let an opportunity for an actual dialogue about race and racism pass her by: “It was clear that Dr. Laura had a beef of her own when it comes to black folks being too sensitive about matters of race. She could have easily pivoted from the caller's question to explore this issue [of race], but she didn't, choosing to dig herself deeper and deeper into the racial abyss.”

As a result of the media fall-out, a lack of support from most of her right-wing cohorts (save for Sarah Palin yesterday, who tweeted “Dr.Laura: don't retreat...reload!”) and her show’s advertisers jumping ship, Dr. Laura announced earlier this week on CNN’s Larry King Live that she is ending her show after the contract runs out at the end of the year. While she has conceded that she was “wrong” for using the “n-word,” she still doesn’t seem to have any regrets about her numerous other offensive remarks.

She has also continued stand by her rather bizarre claim that she is quitting to “regain [her] First Amendment rights.” As Amanda Marcotte points out, in order to follow this line of reasoning, "we’d first have to understand the First Amendment in the way Dr. Laura does, which would require some significant editing to the Constitution."

While many in the progressive community are touting her exit as a victory, I can’t help shake the feeling that there’s someone else just like her — or worse — waiting in the wings. Or, that in the not-so-distant future, she might dip her toe into something more high stakes than talk radio. Dr. Laura herself reiterated that she’s “not retiring…not quitting,” and that she’s “ready to move on to other venues where I can say my piece."

Schlessinger-Palin 2012? Maybe I’ll just start packing my bags for Canada now…

Katie is the Communications and Outreach Manager for Campus Progress.