The news of Food Network Southern cooking personality Paula Deen being a racist has been the one of the most popular topics for news to cover, next to Trayvon Martin case and the Snowden NSA leak.
And like any popular news topic, there will be a slew of stories and columnists jumping on the chance to cover the subject. One such column that covered the topic said that our society is fixated on watching the demise of of people in power, like children building a beautiful block tower, only to enjoy their creation more when they can finally crash it down.
To the author of that column, condemning a person who admitted to being a racist and using the n-word to describe African Americans despite her status as a family figure is not the same as a child finding enjoyment because they destroyed their toy set.
The argument of a society-finding-fulfillment drama is something I do agree with, and at times, the public has been harsh on those who faults are spotlighted because of their status. For example, public infidelities are one of the most common issues to tackle when a public figure commits one, particularly in politics.
It’s not so much that the rest of the world is committing one (or has done so in the past), it’s the principle of watching someone who represents a certain esteem perform something in secret thus raising a question of character.
Take the impeachment of President Bill Clinton after the public discovered that he lied about his affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. His removal from office was not stemmed from his extramarital affair specifically, but from the fact that he lied under oath.
If the president was unable to tell the truth about his affair, the House of Representatives thought, what else was he lying about?
Deen publicly admitted that she did use the racial slur, but said she no longer uses those derogatory terms and no longer condones racist epithets. Her apology, which aired on The Today Show after she refused a first interview Matt Lauer, featured a teary-eyed Deen expressing that despite the use of the word, that she was not a racist.
Despite her emotional interview, Food Network won’t be renewing her contract, and her endorsement deals are dropping out from underneath her. In essence, her career is over.
And like any public figure undergoing a career meltdown, the media covered the story from every possible angle. Social media sites were rampant with Deen bashing and memes addressing the issue, encapsulating her downfall for years to come. The backfire of Deen’s controversy is not stemmed from a superficial issue of people wanting to watch someone fail.
The author argues that the public is being too hard on Deen and that society has an issue of seeing redemption of public figures, but this notion is not a universal one. There are some issues that public figures commit that are, career-wise, unforgivable. Perhaps Deen has undergone a personal redemption and no longer condones using racial slurs. However, despite how Deen may repent her sins, she can no longer stand as a viable public figure that represents unity.
If the media forgave Deen and ultimately returned her business contracts, including her show, what message does that send about the race issues in the country? It would perpetuate a society that accepts racial slurs and, and essentially lead back to an America where the condoning of such attitudes was the norm.
While a society based on the enjoyment of people ‘s demise is certainly not something to strive for, the public should not accept an attitude of leniency to racism.
