Man, reading the celebrity gossip blogs really pays off sometimes because once in a while, they actually turn up something important. Thanks to my favorite gossip blog, I learned that the cable network A&E announced today that it will resume airing the hit reality show “Dog the Bounty Hunter,” which was taken off the air a few months back after the show’s star, Duane “Dog” Chapman, was exposed as a racist.
Dog’s racism came to light after his son, Tucker, published a recording of his dad repeatedly using the word “nigger” in reference to Tucker’s Black girlfriend. The recording cost Dog his show after A&E started losing advertisers, who probably didn’t want to be associated with such a racist. At the time anyway.
Fortunately for Dog, his period of penance seems to be over and A&E has decided he has done enough apologizing. Apparently, appearing on a bunch of radio and TV programs and expressing remorse for using a racial slur is enough to convince some people that one is not in fact a racist. Who knew.
Here’s the network’s take on their decision to resurrect Dog’s show:
Over the last few months, Duane ‘Dog’ Chapman has taken and continues to take the appropriate steps in reaching out to several African American organizations in an effort to make amends for his private comments to his son which were released publicly. Since the premise of ‘Dog The Bounty Hunter’ is about second chances, we have decided to give him one.”
I love America, home of the second chance, where there are no racists, only people who throw “nigger” around like their lives depend on it. If I had my way, Dog would never be allowed anywhere near a TV camera again. But I’m just a lowly blogger. And I don’t own A&E, which clearly seems to think that being a racist is OK, as long as you spend enough time apologizing not for your racist attitude, but for your choice of words. After all, there’s no such thing as a racist, right? Dog’s not really a racist, is he? He’s just a regular guy who was caught on tape casually using a word that demeans, denigrates, and dehumanizes an entire population. How silly of me to have confused him with a racist!!!
Now, I’m as big a believer in second chances as A&E: I just happen to believe that there should be consequences for holding racist attitudes, which lie at the heart of so many of the divisions and social inequalities that plague our society today. It took Dog a lifetime to become the racist that he is, and I’m pretty sure that spending a few months “reaching out to several African American organizations” is not going to make him less of a racist. But what do I know. I’m not the star of a hit reality show.
Luckily for Dog, his show was popular and I’m sure plenty of people—who have less of a problem with racism than I do—will be happy to start watching it again. But I’m sure few will be happier than A&E executives, whose decision to put “Dog the Bounty Hunter” back on the air probably has little to do with second chances and everything to do with money. Clearly, they think the loss of advertising dollars was too great a price to pay for taking a courageous and principled stance against racism.
Gotta love America.
T'ings 'n Times 
what
Duane Chapman was really afraid of was that Monique
Shinnery is a qualified educator [she has a teaching
degree] and that, as a teacher she might try to HELP him and get him to pass remedial
English and reading and that he would fail-as he almost
did with his driving test-he claimed his eyesight was
poor-he wears sunglasses all the time so what would be
such a big deal about some reading or corrective glasses?
They can look stylish-and there are transitional lenses-he
can still have “shades”–or-what about contact lenses? and then put on the sunglasses? I”ll TELL you
why he almost failed his driver test-it’s because he’s
illiterate trash who dropped out of school at 14 and CAN’T
READ!!! when he’s holding those papers on the show, he
has memorized what’s on them-he CANNOT READ
THEM–so no wonder he didn’t want his son to date the
girl-she would have found out his REALLY SHAMEFUL
SECRET- not that he’s a racist- that he’s ILLITERATE INBRED SCUM WHO CAN’T EVEN READ AN EYE CHART!! As an educator, she would only have had to have been around him a little while to notice that he can’t read. It’s all acting and Beth coaches him and covers up for him. That fantasy story that he taught some black guy in prison how to read is just that-a fantasy story!! He could never have done that-he can’t even read himself-I think that’s what this was REALLY about-he was afraid that she, being around the family would find him out and then tell people-“here’s yet another American success story-“that she busted her ass in school like alot of people of all colors do all the time, and “that, here he is, unable to read a lick and is earning multimillion bucks on a tv show-he supposedly catches criminals who skip bail-but the real crime is that a white male with his money in the United States today is illiterate and too lazy to do anything about it-he feels that with his nasty mullet hair-do and his vicious-looking wife he does not have to learn how to read.” I think that’s what he was REALLY afraid of. She would find out he “skipped” reading!!
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I don’t know what Dog Chapman is so worried about-someone black dating or marrying into HIS awful family? See, if dumb, illiterate Duane Chapman had stayed in school like the other kids, he would have had science and BIOLOGY courses-in which case, his biology teacher would have told him that genetic traits can skip generations or appear every OTHER generation-so, one look at him and any prospective black in-law would take flight, screaming at the potential for genetic horror if they married into his family-i mean, come on, Duane Chapman looks like someone who suffered fetal alcohol syndrome and whose IQ is lower than his body temperature-no self-respecting black person, let alone an educated young woman who is a college graduate[Monique Shinnery has a degree in education and is very good-looking], would get mixed up biologically with his family-he looks like his father was also his brother!! No Black person i ever knew would want to marry a child of an inbred, pea-brained JUKE like Duane Chapman. Any looks his poor kids have is due to their mothers-thank GOD! Who would want those children to suffer with HIS looks and intellect!!???
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Jesus, are you kidding me? He wasn’t even talking about his sons girlfriend, and he wasnt even talking about Blacks. All he said was they use the word Nigger in their house, and they use it when talking about Niggers! Do you know the real definition of that word? Did you even hear the recording? Because from your blog and from some of these comments I would say some of you didn’t. Maybe you are the one who needs to get your mind right, you automatically think of Black people when that word is brought up. I dont, I think about lazy scumbags.. and those come in every color.
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Kaili,
Thanks for reading my blog and leaving a comment.
A couple of responses: First, in case you hadn’t noticed, I wrote this post on February 20, 2008. That’s almost a year ago. So what exactly is your point about the amount of time I’ve given to this topic?
Also, in case you didn’t know, this is my blog, as in I created it and I write all the posts. So I’m not trying to accomplish anything, just voicing my opinion on Dog’s use of a racial slur.
And, contrary to what you wrote, it is my job to judge and condemn. I do not use racial slurs in my daily life so as far as that’s concerned, my life has been rather sin-free.
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Abdul Kargbo, Let it go already!!!! You have given more time than ever necessary on this negative topic of using the “N” word. Give me one positive thing that could possibly come from this. YOU my dear have brought far more attention to this subject than anyone on this blog! What are you hoping to accomplish? It clearly isnt your job to condemn UNLESS of course your life has been sin free…….
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Ashley,
Thanks for your comment. But there’s one thing I don’t understand. Discrimination is real. As a White girl living in a predominantly Black neighborhood, you’ve experienced it. But what does that have to do with whether or not a TV personality who uses a blatantly racist term should get his show back?
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Yeah, I don’t agree with “DOG” saying the word nigger, but I don’t think he should be banned from TV either… Honestly at this point, its not even about “DOG” anymore, its about discrimination…
Everyone on here for the most part, is completely against this word… Who wouldn’t be??
But i’m gonna tell you like this, I have lived in the ghetto my whole life, (being a white girl) have had plenty of african american friends & some I considered to be family even to this day….
BUT—-IF you think that I have NOT been discriminated aginst my whole life because I was simply “WHITE”, you’re wrong…
I was and still am the minority in my neighborhood, and to this day STILL get discriminated against… YET I don’t discriminate, and never have… WHY????
Oh yeah, I’m the “white girl” and have been called all kinds of things, not because I was mean, or called anyone names, or talked about anyone behind their back, or stole from them, nooooo, because I am “white”….
SO YOU TELL ME………..
I live my life not caring what people say, because they’re gonna think the way they’re gonna thing regardless of what I say or do. So yeah, I know how hurtful the word is, & I know that its defently a double standard…. Because of all the hurtful things that have been said to me my whole life…..
Thankyou
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Logan,
Thanks for your comment.
I disagree with you wholeheartedly. There is no double standard. Comedians use the terms you listed in jest, as a joke.
Dog used the word “nigger” as an insult and in anger. Go back and listen to the conversation.
Secondly, the word “nigger” has the power to hurt and demean like no other word in American English. That’s because “nigger” is tied to the brutalization, denigration, and exploitation of an entire population. It is precisely because the word “nigger” is so closely linked to a very dark time in American history that so many decent Americans avoid using it.
So Logan, I have a proposition for you. How about I take you down to my basement, beat and rape you daily, force you to work for me for no pay, all the while calling you “snowflake.” After a couple of years of such treatment, you’ll perhaps begin to associate the word “snowflake” with the brutality you’re experiencing on a daily basis.
And perhaps you’ll begin to understand why “nigger” is so hurtful to Black people in particular and decent, sensitive people in general.
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I have to disagree. If he loses his show for saying “nigger” than every black comedian who uses the word “whitey,” “snowflake,” “honkey,” or “cracker” should be pulled off the air. I for one am tired of the double standard.
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tiffani,
With all due respect, what the hell is wrong with you? We have audio tape of Dog the Bounty Hunter using the “n” word like his life depended on it.
Have you never heard the tape? Have you never read the transcript?
Do yourself a favor and search for Dog the Bounty Hunter on this blog (the search tool is in the top right corner of the screen). Some of my other posts have covered the story and one of them contains the actual quote.
You know what, forget it. I’ve copied the quote here for you, just to make it easier:
And here’s another quote from when Dog told Hannity and Colmes that he always thought he was Black, so it was OK to use the “n” word:
So please tiffani, do a little more research about your idol Dog the Bounty Hunter before you come around here spouting your nonsense about what a great guy Dog is and how “u people” have no feelings.
Go with Christ, dummy.
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who ever thinks that dog says the n word doesnt know him that well like i do, u people are just racist agianst the dog u people make me sick you all should just quit bitch’n and deal with the fact that u people have no feelings
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okay, that is just not nice dog isnt a bad man he wouldnt say that and i wouldnt want to be around that kind of person either. i should know this because i am doing a speach bout him, if anyone thinks diffrently bout dog there ‘s something wrong with that person.
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The “DOG” will NEVER be a black enough brother to ever use the N word. I’m a white lady with plenty of black folks in my family. My granddaughter who is in heaven was half black and I dare the DOG to call her the N word. I really looked up to him and his family as a trustworthy, Godly man who was trying to do the right thing but after that, I thought alot less of him.
I hope this has been a HUGE learning experience for him and his family. Take nothing for granted cuz it can be gone in the blink of an eye.
Welcome back Dog! I’m glad your back on TV. Please keep it clean as YOU are setting the EXAMPLE to the people of our country and to the children who look up to you.
God Bless,
Angelwings
Oregon
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“Go with christ……. ni**er!”
Careful around Oahu, all us locals look alike according to him.
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Will,
Thanks for reading my blog and leaving a comment. I agree with you entirely. Most of the people defending Dog have no understanding or appreciation of how hurtful the word “nigger” is to Black people.
As I said in my response to one commenter, it says a lot about what kind of person he is that he can’t understand how bad that word is.
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This is a bunch of bs I see people write…. I wonder how many of you are black? FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE NOT BLACK….YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW IT FEELS TO BE CALLED A NIGGER BY SOMEONE OF ANOTHER RACE! IT’S BAD ENOUGH THAT SOME BLACKS CALL OTHER BLACKS THAT FUCKED UP WORD CREATED BY THE WHITE PEOPLE OF FOUND US IN AFRICA AND PUT US IN SLAVE CAMPS FOR FREE LABOR! FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO THINK ITS O.K. TO SAY THAT WORD….YOUR A DUMB ASS! IF I CALLED A WHITE PERSON A CRACKER …..TO YOUR FACE FOR NO REASON OTHER THAN THAT I DON’T LIKE THE COLOR OF YOUR SKIN….HOW WOULD YOU FEEL? RITE NOW MOST OF YOU WRITING THESE BLOGS HAVE SOMETHING BLACK ON….. DO YOU WALK AROUND AND SAY ….”I WEARING A NIGGER SHIRT AND A NIGGER HAT” THE WORD IS BAD!!!!!!STOP USING IT YOU DUMB ASSES!
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skynerd,
I’m not too comfortable with the term “redneck”—smacks too much of another word used to denigrate an entire population—but I take your point anyway.
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Just goes to show, you can take the redneck out of Texas but you can’t take the Texas out of a redneck!
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Brian,
I don’t know that Dog was “pissed off” when he called his son’s girlfriend a nigger. I’ve heard the tape. Secondly, I wish that was just “prison talk” but I have trouble beleiving it was. How long has Dog been out of prison? The man has a hit TV show for God’s sake!! What kind of ignorant double-standard is that? If a Black guy says or does something ignorant, he becomes further proof that all Black people are ignorant. One White racist uses the word “nigger” a dozen times in a one-minute conversation and people fall over themselves to make excuses for him.
Finally, if you think calling a Black woman a nigger is just something stupid that all of us have said . . . well . . . I don’t quite know how to reply. All I can say is you’d be surprised how many people don’t use that word because they understand how denigrating it is for an entire population. It’s never OK to call someone a nigger, for reasons that should be obvious to any decent person. That you can’t understand that says a lot about what kind of person you are.
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Keep in mind Dog did time in prison and it’s real hard not to slip back into “prison talk” when your pissed off.I don’t believe he’s a racist- just a man that said something stupid-like all of us have.
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flogger,
At least you don’t deny Dog is racist.
I’m curious about a couple of things, though. Why do you say Oprah is racist and how come you know so much about what happens in prison?
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Wah wah wah. If someone is racist why should they not be allowed to have a show? Oprah is racist and she has a show. He was in prison. In prison, you can get stabbed to death for talking to black people if you’re white, and vice versa. You don’t think that affects your mind? Black people who have ‘black rage’ that go off on a white person because they’re ‘mad’ because they have been ‘oppressed’ is perfect fine and acceptable, but a jail-house whiteboy that lived in an environment where race riots would get started over a chicken wing that slips up once is a “Racist” and should lose his show over 1 word? Pffft, come off of it people.
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As a Blogger for Respect in the Media, I have joined with others calling for A&E NOT to bring back Dog the Bounty Hunter in July. His liberal use of the n-word and racist attitudes should not be tolerated by A&E or their advertisers.
SjP
http://sojournersplace.blogspot.com/2008/06/dog-got-news-for-you-you-still-cant.html
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Sac Maniac,
You should change your name to Sac Moron, because that’s what you are: a moron.
Niger is indeed a country in Africa, so named by the French. I’m not going to bother with historical details or colonial contexts because I don’t want to confuse you. I doubt your tiny moronic brain could handle all that information.
But a quick lesson in pronunciation. The name of the country of Niger is pronounced “Nee-zher” in French and “Nigh-jer” in English. If either of those names sounds to you like the racial slur Dog used against his son’s girlfriend, then you need to get your ears checked.
Or maybe it’s not your ears that need checking, it’s your brain.
Moron.
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Missy,
I don’t know what kind of person you are or who you hang out with but I do not use racial slurs against any person of any race or ethnicity.
From what you wrote, you strike me as the type of person I would not want to be around.
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I HAVE ONE QUESTION IS THERE ONE PERSON OUT IN THE WORLD TODAY THAT HAS NOT USED A TYPE OF SLUR AGAINST ANOTHER PERSON BE HONEST! NOW I JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT I AM GLAD DOG IS COMING BACK.
OH AND FOR SOME PEOPLE DO THEY REMEMBER THE WORDS JUDGE NOT LEST YOU BE JUDGED THE TAPE HAD MINUTES CUT FROM IT WONDER WHAT TUCKER SAID DURING THOSE VANISHED MINUTES? SIMPLE QUESTION AND THEN 1 MORE BEFORE I GO WAS THE YOUNG LADY IN MENTAL ANGUISH BEFORE OR AFTER THE BLOOD MONEY WAS ALL GONE.
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
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niger is a place in africa what is wrong saying niger .
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i am THRILLED that dog is coming back!!!!!!!!!!! next question is when?
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Marianne,
Thanks for the comment and the link. I’m curious though about how you felt about Dog’s exile from A&E and his subsequent return—after the requisite period in the “sin bin,” of course.
Also, could you please post a link to the post you wrote about Dog’s use of racial slurs, the one that got 160 responses: I wasn’t able to find it on your blog.
Thanks again.
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Well,
Here’s a thought. I had 160 responses to my blog at http://www.tvweek.com/blogs/marianne-paskowski/ when I wrote about A&E suspending Dog for his racial slurs, months ago.
Now that he’s back, the responses to me latest blog about his return are far, far fewer.
What does that say? It says, stars, Imus, etal, do their time in the sin bin, all is forgiven and they are back.
Let’s face it. If A&E didn’t pick him up again, another network would have done that, after a certain time of atonement. Frankly, I’m bored with this topic, it sounds like a script for another made-for movies for Lifetime.
Enough,
Marianne
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Sarah,
I’m totally with you on this. I think it’s ridiculous that he’s getting his show back. The finger of blame points squarely at A&E in this case. If “Dog the Bounty Hunter” was a less popular show, they would not have brought it back.
I think the important thing here is to note that Americans don’t seem to understand what racism really is. A person may throw around racist slurs and be accused of saying racist words, but if they apologize enough, they can be exonerated. In other words, Americans think there are no racists, only people who use racist language, for which they can always apologize.
But racism isn’t just about words. It’s a state of mind, an attitude and belief system that determines how one person views and interacts with an entire population. It takes a lifetime to build up racist attitudes and I believe it takes a lot of mental and emotional work—introspection, soul-searching, psychotherapy—to even begin to change. I seriously doubt Duane “Dog” Chapman took any of those steps. Reaching out to African American organizations is more of a band-aid measure. And when he was on Hannity and Colmes, he said he had always considered himself Black, so he thought it was OK to call his son’s girlfriend a nigger:
That’s not exactly the kind of atonement I was expecting from someone who’d been caught blatantly exhibiting his racist attitudes, so I blogged about it.
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This is crazy, It perfectly clear that he is a raciest!! how much more proof do you need A&E!!! Christ he was screaming about how he didn’t work 30 years to have his career ruined. So all these fake appologies are only an attempt to get his show back. And your actually falling for it, sad actually this is why people in this country don’t think racism is a problem!!! Imus never said the N word and he still doesn’t have his job back. Well i hope America teaches you a lesson and doesn’t watch that bs show. I never watched it before I’m for sure not gonna watch it now. Lastly where are all the civil rights groups now? they should be opposing this crap.
Sarah- Baltimore
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Niter,
Thanks for the forward.
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another article about it here… http://www.tvweek.com/blogs/marianne-paskowski/
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