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The two were discussing the ongoing Zilker Park mud issue when O'Keefe made a suggestion along the lines of, "Why don't they just go hire some wet vacs at Home Depot?"
"Wet Vacs" was misheard by many listeners as something far less innocent—a point not lost on the show hosts, who evidently riffed on the joke a few more times.
Lest another boycott like the one that saw the "Todd and Don” show get canceled earlier this year ensue, Scott Gillmore, Emmis Austin Radio vice president and market manager, was quick to suspend the two. “They did not actually use any slur, but they did make foolish and ugly comments for which we sincerely apologize,” he said.
"[It] is very disappointing to me. That’s why we’re not only going to be taking corrective action with those employees but we’re going to do something for everybody on our staffs to make sure that, if I haven’t made it clear already, this is unacceptable and you could be subject to termination.”
As a result, all on-air personalities at Emmis stations will be required to take cultural sensitivity and diversity training classes.
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You mean to say that their show isn't funny?! Shocking.
I laughed.
"As a result, all on-air personalities at Emmis stations will be required to take cultural sensitivity and diversity training classes."
That's the most hilarious part, I am sure that will solve everything....
"A listener, Celia Hagert of Austin, said she and her husband Eduardo thought they heard O’Keefe ask several times, ‘Why don’t they just go hire some wetbacks at Home Depot?’ … We were just staring at each other in disbelief."
"It was play on words in their minds, but the bottom line is they knew what people would hear,” Celia Hagert said Tuesday. “They thought they were being funny. … It’s insensitive."
----
So, they are suspended for words they DIDN'T say? Is that where we are now to where innuendo and word play is now too much for people to handle? The hosts were simply joking with the term "wet vac" (the humor itself is subjective to their listeners), and they get shut down for a week while being painted as racists?
I just don't get it.
People need to just chill the F out.
I was listening to the radio on the way to work, heard the whole thing, WETBACK never crossed my mind.
omg is that what they look like? Jason looks like i would imagine a paunchy, clinging to youth, commercial "alternative" radio DJ to be, but Debs??
i thought she'd have rotting teeth via British socialized health care, shocked this is not the case.
I think this commitee was setup to ensure that people of different ethnic backrounds are not treated poorly bc of that... Not bc someone calls them a "bad name".(even though the radio show hosts never said "wetback" blatantly)..
But now I ask all of you, if you hear any entertainer, show host, or even your boss say a word like "Redneck", please report them right away... They deserve to be punished!!!!! And I think what Jason and Debb really meant to say was FELON! I have no problem with the hispanic community or culture... They are mostly just like me... People who move to this country by violating the law, they are kinda like punk asses! But Im open to anything... Comment back!
I think this commitee was setup to ensure that people of different ethnic backrounds are not treated poorly bc of that... Not bc someone calls them a "bad name".(even though the radio show hosts never said "wetback" blatantly)..
But now I ask all of you, if you hear any entertainer, show host, or even your boss say a word like "Redneck", please report them right away... They deserve to be punished!!!!! And I think what Jason and Debb really meant to say was FELON! I have no problem with the hispanic community or culture... They are mostly just like me... People who move to this country by violating the law... They are kinda punk asses! But Im open to anything... Comment back!
sorry for overposting
When Scott Gillmore said "foolish" comments, are you sure he wasn't trying to imply "Polish" comments and being derogatory towards Polish people? I think he should be suspended without pay as well.
For what it's worth, Brits say "hire" where Americans would say "rent," as in "let's hire a car for the weekend."
That is exactly what I said when I heard about this.
I get the feeling that the majority, if not all, of you are speaking from a position of white (male) privilege. As such, you see no problem in continuing to marginalize people and fail to acknowledge the hate and prejudice associated with that word.
As a white male who enjoys no privilege (yes, white people work for money as well) , I'd like to say that your hate speech is making me feel marginalized and ridiculed. Please tell me your name so I can make a formal complaint against the Austinist and ask them to remove your login credentials. Also, report to your local political indoctrination center for re-education and please remember to NEVER do or say anything that might possibly hurt other people's feelings in some way.
As a white male who recognizes that I am privileged just by having been born in this country, it is comments like these that make me ashamed to admit I am from here. I understand its easier to look up to see you don't have than it is to look down and see how much you do have. The sarcasm of the above post comes from a place of ignorance, and its not funny, but pitiful. Its posts like these that reinforce my feeling that, despite having progressed a lot socially in the last century, we still have a long way to go.
I also think its interesting that the author seems to equate privilege with not working. The corporate elite of AIG probably work most of the year too (yes for a pay check), but I think mot people would agree that they are in a position of privilege. In fact, there are homeless people in this country that have privileges only dreamt of in Haiti. Yet, on the other hand, most Cubans enjoy privileges that a large section of our countrymen don't.
There is a misconception among much of male white america, that "liberal" political correctness, is about hurting people's feelings. And as macho males, feelings are for pansies. Well I hate to break it, but its not. Its about trying to remove racism from a racist culture by removing racist lingo. I won't get into the efficacy of that or cooptation of it by corporations to broaden/maintain non-white consumer-bases (and yes that's what we have here).
So I hope I hurt your feelings. The truth hurts, but it can set you free. Let's stop pretending to give freedom to people around the world and start trying to free ourselves.
What word? Wet Vac is actually two words.
Btw, this is boderline reverse racism on your part imo. Pot meet Kettle.
Sometimes in our national dialogue on race you would think that reverse racism is the only racism. It's like the "war on christmas" folks. Face it, this is largely a way to make the majority and those with power feel like victims and therefore okay with their own racism and intolerance.
Educate yourselves. This is a good place to start:
http://www.thirdcoastactivist.org/books.html
How about you stop pulling a Will from "Good Will Hunting" and regurgitating other peoples opinions. "Educate yourselves". OMG I almost pissed myself. You're kidding right? Listen up - Courtesy for others is a good thing. People seeking retribution for being offended - give me a break.........better yet give US ALL a break. Stop whining about how your life is "underprivileged". Realize that the more you go and look for the hate and prejudiced apparently running rampant throughout the world the more you will find it. So stop. Stop and smell the roses - the roses that are NOT at Zilker Park - not at Zilker Park b/c there all the wet vacs at Home Depot have been rented.
sharkbiteatx some people choose to not stick there heads in the sand and pretend everything is fine, when its clear to most that its not. Of course, it does take a little bit of spine and brains to challenge the status quo, to do what you know is right even though you know you'll be attacked and persecuted for it. Sounds a little like the story of some long-haired hippie 2000 years ago in a land far far away. I respect caffineandmusic for wanting to educate and not bludgeon us with his point of view. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. Looks like some folks aren't yet prepared to question what they believe. I can only hope for their sake some day they do. Its extremely empowering.
For those of you who apparently can't read, the hosts admitted they were making a pun on "wetbacks." So yes, it was racist and they were deservedly suspended. It's not like the broadcaster up north a few years back who got fired for using "niggardly" to mean "cheap."
However, I do like the idea of using wet vacs to clean up the mud. That just might work.
Two things:
1. "Am I supposed to be a man, am I supposed to say it's okay, I don't mind? I don't mind. Well, I mind! I mind big-time! And you know what the worst part is? I NEVER LEARNED TO READ."
also
2. ppl still say "niggardly?" I thought that went out with folks saying "jew you down."
nig⋅gard⋅ly
/ˈnɪgərdli/ Pronunciation [nig-erd-lee] Show IPA
–adjective
1. reluctant to give or spend; stingy; miserly.
2. meanly or ungenerously small or scanty: a niggardly tip to a waiter.
It has nothing to do with "the N-word."
Ah hell let's not debate, let's just post URLs for bookstores because we have more important things to do, like propagating racial stereotypes. I guess my privileged white male mind is unable to fathom the depths evil that I have unwittingly loosed on the people of the world.
Kenneth,
The reference to the word meaning "stingy" actually came from a government official in DC talking about a budget. He had to resign.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/local/daily/jan99/district27.htm
They are morning radio personalities, they are suppose to be edgy ......just boosting their ratings and publicity.....so keep up the free publicity.....and thank you.