Not sure how I feel about this one after hearing the weatherman's apology. It doesn't seem like he meant to say the word - and why would he do it anyways? This guy's life is ruined. Link - ( New Window )
Fd up speaking, he shouldn't have lost his job but this is instant oatmeal America where you have 45 seconds to make up your mind and determine that someone or something is total shit based on a sound bite.
poster that helped us understand all the ramifications of the storms approaching our respective areas. Boy do I miss him and I am glad it wasn't him that was fired.
Reminds me of that Jeremy Lin "chink in the armor" guy at ESPN Â
for something like this only serves to create or further enforce division.
No idea how he could say this accidentally, but there are much better, more productive ways to gain vindication for the people offended by his comments.
which is what his detractors would seemingly have you believe. But hey, make a mistake and get fired (but only for certain offenses). Welcome to America!
How do you accidentally say "Martin Luther Coon King"?
When you trying saying “Junior” before “king” which is what I 100% think happened. When your thoughts are slightly ahead of your words, this happens and happens a lot. Just sucks that’s the combo of words he got tongue tied on.
Him being fired for that is a joke. He didn’t make a bad punchline, he clearly mixed up two words in the wrong order.
RE: RE: It sounded like he was saying two works at once Â
By blending King and Junior like ki-un. This is ridiculous.
Yeah, that's how I heard it as well.
I had to play it back multiple times to catch what people were talking about but then the person interviewed was outraged that it wasn't caught in time? Get the f outta here.
This isn’t like Jesse Jackson calling NYC Hymietown. There was real purpose with those comments.
To do something like that intentionally would be career suicide. Unless there is history with this guy to suggest this is part of his character, he doesn’t deserve this type of capital punishment.
It’s very sad where we are as a society with speech.
It doesn't really sound like he's blending stuff to me Â
Sounds like he accidentally said "Martin Luther Coon" (something folks have been known to say) and then realized that wasn't it and added "King Jr". I didn't hear any herky-jerky stop start.
Firing might be pretty strong, but I don't really know what he was thinking. Perhaps the folks he worked for had a better idea.
RE: RE: I mean , I get the sympathy for the guy but Â
How do you accidentally say "Martin Luther Coon King"?
When you trying saying “Junior” before “king” which is what I 100% think happened. When your thoughts are slightly ahead of your words, this happens and happens a lot. Just sucks that’s the combo of words he got tongue tied on.
Him being fired for that is a joke. He didn’t make a bad punchline, he clearly mixed up two words in the wrong order.
I didn't hear it that way. But I guess it's possible.
That slang used a lot by KKK followers to describe MLK? Ie do they replace King with the epithet?
Ultimately if it was really an accident I feel a bit bad for him but the word he used is highly offensive, it was in respect of a revered American and he’s in a very public job.
It sounds like just a innocent mistake, and that could be all it is but referring to MLK that way is unfortunately common among racist idiots. Maybe this guy has said it before or heard it said many times to where his mind went in that direction when trying to rush through his segment. There's no way to really know for sure.
Clearly the guy stumbled over his words. WTH would he have been trying to accomplish anyway by calling MLK "Coon" live on air, especially in this day and time? It's ludicrous to think for a second he did that on purpose.
Bunch of reactionary weaklings out there to allow this to happen. I hope he is rehired by a rival station for more money and that their ratings beat the hell out of his former employer.
is so ridiculously unnecessary. Apologizing to people he hurt? WHAAAT? This world ... wtf.
This comment on his FB apology thread hit it, for me:
Quote:
I don’t even watch the station but came across the story on fb. I’m a speech pathologist . You made what’s called a perseveratory speech error. Our brains mess up the sequence of sounds sometimes. Has nothing to do with your intent. It’s ridiculous what you and your family are going through!! What a terrible thing that station did to you for making an innocent mistake. These kind of errors happen all the time in conversation. I’m so sorry!!
People who don't normally use racial slurs doesn't "accidentally" say it at a bad time.
I teach in an urban school district with a high percentage of minority children, and I do not ever worry that I'm going to accidentally say a racial slur.
RE: It doesn't really sound like he's blending stuff to me Â
Sounds like he accidentally said "Martin Luther Coon" (something folks have been known to say) and then realized that wasn't it and added "King Jr". I didn't hear any herky-jerky stop start.
Firing might be pretty strong, but I don't really know what he was thinking. Perhaps the folks he worked for had a better idea.
Don't see that at all.
I see it and hear it more that he - as he says in his video, trying to jam a ton of info into a tight video window, he speaks very quickly - jumbled King/Junior and it started to sound like Coo, at which point he corrected to KING, with his emphasis.
I can see a very brief apology video, or even a very brief one for the mis-speak during a weather-cast with him in the studio, but holy shit, FIRED???
That's really fucked up, and I hope some TV exec somewhere will get this guy under contract asap. Enough of the nonsense.
quite sure some politicos who have idiotic followings will loudly proclaim that justice was served and that "we" won't stand for this type of blatant racism anymore.
This isn’t the first on air incident when this slur was used for MLK. Mine Greenberg’s of ESPN said it in 2010. And some Googling seems to suggest this slur seems to be sadly common in racist circles to describe MLK or MLK Day (replacingKing with the epithet).
from speaking quickly and his brain processing what he was saying before he said it.
Others have pointed out that he probably combined "King" and "Junior" which is possible. It could have also been the word before "King."
Both "Luther" and "Junior" have that long "u" sound, and I think he had a slip of the tongue applying it to "King" and as he was saying "Koooong" he cut himself short as soon as he realized he misspoke and said "King" properly.
The result was what we heard.
People, especially newscasters, get tongue-tied all the time.
This guy just had the worst possible luck in that the mispronunciation was a racial slur.
People who don't normally use racial slurs doesn't "accidentally" say it at a bad time.
I teach in an urban school district with a high percentage of minority children, and I do not ever worry that I'm going to accidentally say a racial slur.
from speaking quickly and his brain processing what he was saying before he said it.
Others have pointed out that he probably combined "King" and "Junior" which is possible. It could have also been the word before "King."
Both "Luther" and "Junior" have that long "u" sound, and I think he had a slip of the tongue applying it to "King" and as he was saying "Koooong" he cut himself short as soon as he realized he misspoke and said "King" properly.
The result was what we heard.
People, especially newscasters, get tongue-tied all the time.
This guy just had the worst possible luck in that the mispronunciation was a racial slur.
Agree. so we have...
-VERY plausible deniability
-no history of this type of stuff from the individual
-an apology that in no way seems disingenuous or inauthentic
let's take his job from him. that will really advance things forward for the society/community.
This guy gets canned, yet I see TV shows like "Blackish" & "The Neighborhood" use the words like "Cracka", "honkey" & "White boy" freely & without ridicule... One for all, all for one - But my opinion is that we all need to STOP being so damn overly sensitive!!!
The reality though, keeping this pot stirred keeps folks like Al Sharpton current & feed$ their wallet$.
A Freudian slip was more like when Shepard Smith talked reported on JLo and meant to say "folks are more likely to give her a curb job than a block party" and instead said "folks are more likely to give her a curb job than a blow job." At least with that, you knew it was an error but thought "what's on his mind?"
It also seems unlikely that this slur would be intentional. Forgive my ignorance, but I always associated that slur with something from the South from decades ago, but maybe that's because I've never heard it used outside of movies like Forrest Gump and Remember the Titans. Is it really a slur that would be prevalent in 2018 Rochester, NY, such that it would be on the tip of this guy's tongue?
I'm happy to be corrected on that previous notion.
I agree with this but for me it's much more about >2 million people in jails, many waiting for trials and there cause they are too poor to make bail. And one-and-done measures re drug use.
People who don't normally use racial slurs doesn't "accidentally" say it at a bad time.
I teach in an urban school district with a high percentage of minority children, and I do not ever worry that I'm going to accidentally say a racial slur.
Hopefully one day your life isn't destroyed from talking too quickly.
I heard no stumbling or correcting. That's the way I heard it. In my mind he said it. I guess the technology exists to analyze it further.
To me it's a one-and-done offense. I guess only he knows the truth of what he said and why; we may never know.
just so we're clear -- you agree that "guilty until proven innocent" is the right MO?
Interestingly, though I am on the other side, I find myself compelled by the argument that he is a private employee and judged to have done something that is offensive to many customers (argument made by owners re kneeling players).
RE: RE: RE: I think it was him being tongue-tied Â
I agree with this but for me it's much more about >2 million people in jails, many waiting for trials and there cause they are too poor to make bail. And one-and-done measures re drug use.
I give you credit for admitting that your opinion on this is about some other racial agenda that has nothing to do with the weatherman who was fired from his job.
I think you'd do better to separate the two, but your thoughts are yours.
I heard no stumbling or correcting. That's the way I heard it. In my mind he said it. I guess the technology exists to analyze it further.
To me it's a one-and-done offense. I guess only he knows the truth of what he said and why; we may never know.
just so we're clear -- you agree that "guilty until proven innocent" is the right MO?
Interestingly, though I am on the other side, I find myself compelled by the argument that he is a private employee and judged to have done something that is offensive to many customers (argument made by owners re kneeling players).
And I think it would be fair to put him on leave till there is a technical assessment as to what he said. But this has a much bigger down side for him if he is shown to be either a clueless racist or an out-and-out liar.
with this guy. Maybe he has never said anything like this on the air before, but if he is a guy that people heard use slurs before, or tell racist jokes, then I get it. It may not feel unintentional. But you would think the station would have noted that as a reason for why they fired him.
To me that sounded like a slip of the tongue, and if so he should have just apologized and it should have ended. But we all know in the current era of social media, he would just become the racist weatherman and the station would just be branded the guys who do nothing about their racists. From a business standpoint it would have taken some balls to stand up for the guy if they believed it was an innocent flub. Maybe they just didn't have the balls to do it?
RE: RE: RE: RE: I think it was him being tongue-tied Â
I agree with this but for me it's much more about >2 million people in jails, many waiting for trials and there cause they are too poor to make bail. And one-and-done measures re drug use.
I give you credit for admitting that your opinion on this is about some other racial agenda that has nothing to do with the weatherman who was fired from his job.
I think you'd do better to separate the two, but your thoughts are yours.
Agreed. My linking them is merely to point out a certain loss of perspective, IMO, as to what brings out the sense of injustice.
I heard no stumbling or correcting. That's the way I heard it. In my mind he said it. I guess the technology exists to analyze it further.
To me it's a one-and-done offense. I guess only he knows the truth of what he said and why; we may never know.
just so we're clear -- you agree that "guilty until proven innocent" is the right MO?
Interestingly, though I am on the other side, I find myself compelled by the argument that he is a private employee and judged to have done something that is offensive to many customers (argument made by owners re kneeling players).
I can sympathize with the private employee/employer angle. I agree that nobody is charging him with a crime.
I still think the employer in this case made a regrettable decision and that stuff like this gets us absolutely nowhere. Nobody is better off for this.
This guy gets canned, yet I see TV shows like "Blackish" & "The Neighborhood" use the words like "Cracka", "honkey" & "White boy" freely & without ridicule... One for all, all for one - But my opinion is that we all need to STOP being so damn overly sensitive!!!
The reality though, keeping this pot stirred keeps folks like Al Sharpton current & feed$ their wallet$.
Yep how far the pendulum has swung back - Lebron James calls NFL owners "old white guys" with "slave mentalities" and not a peep from the media but this guy stutters and gets his life ruined. Fact that Al Sharpton even has a show on MSNBC after all the racist remarks he's made through the years shows what a double standard there is.
Interestingly, though I am on the other side, I find myself compelled by the argument that he is a private employee and judged to have done something that is offensive to many customers (argument made by owners re kneeling players).
This was an error made in a public setting for the private company.
So his firing, if truly an error in speech, may be hugely detrimental in this guy's ability to continue his career.
Interestingly, though I am on the other side, I find myself compelled by the argument that he is a private employee and judged to have done something that is offensive to many customers (argument made by owners re kneeling players).
That's a great comparison since the players also ended up on their knees by accident and have apologized for it, just like this guy
is that he was reading from a teleprompter which I imagine causes more fumbling over words than just talking.
I sympathize with victims of discrimination and hate who have not only faced the hate directly, but who also deal with subtle hate and have intentional bad actors who pretend that they aren't being hurtful. It must be beyond frustrating to navigate that constantly.
And when that happens, I understand why many are on edge and sometimes see the hurt where it might otherwise not exists. When legitimate victimization happens so often, it's easy to lose giving the benefit of the doubt.
But the solution cannot be an over-correction that punishes innocent people.
We are, but this is even beyond hyper sensitivity. This is pretending something happened that didn't happen. This is one of the grossest things I've seen happen in quite some time.
where there's a clip of a southern Mayor making this slip in a TV interview. I think it was a common slur in the day and probably still is in certain circles.
We are, but this is even beyond hyper sensitivity. This is pretending something happened that didn't happen. This is one of the grossest things I've seen happen in quite some time.
The greater point for me is that we really don't know either way, and therefore should look to some other available facts/evidence before taking him to the woodshed.
We know that a noise came out of his mouth that most people don't like.
-what was he saying? was he being otherwise aggressive, mean, or inappropriate in the words/tone/body language he used?
-Is there anything to suggest that he was using his platform to spread negative feelings/thoughts based on race?
-does he have any history of negative racial commentary / hate speech / insensitivity?
-what was his reaction afterward? Was he contrite / apologetic? Did he seem genuine?
There are likely a dozen other meaningful contextual questions that could be added to this.
The real shame is that we're too unwilling to actually be thoughtful about this, or worse yet, that we have thought about all of it and the virtue signal of firing the guy is deemed to be more valuable than the moral evaluation of whether the guy genuinely deserves to be fired.
He meant to say it, he misspoke, and he is secretly a racist and lets his inner alt-right loony shine through when he's not careful.
What weatherman would knowingly say a racial epithet on a local newscast? Nobody. He didn't mean to say.
There are plenty of secret racists out there, but does anyone really think he would subconsciously slip an epithet into MLK's name on a local newscast? Hard to believe.
Or did he get his tongue tied and misspeak, like hundreds of people before him on live television? I think this is clearly the obvious answer. He has a lot more in common with the "Boom goes the dynamite" guy than Steve Bannon. Come on, folks...
We are, but this is even beyond hyper sensitivity. This is pretending something happened that didn't happen. This is one of the grossest things I've seen happen in quite some time.
You must lead a very sheltered life then.
Of course!
RE: I don't rememer any other eras of divisiveness in this country Â
because I was too young (Vietnam, etc.) but did the mobs rule then too?
I don't remember seeing corporations or public facing organizations of any type cave so easily to mobs before.
Is it social media? Is it always this way in periods of divide?
just curious really.
Social media, without a single doubt.
Otherwise, you might get 6-7 calls (which are probably working in concert), and at MOST, the employee having 20 seconds during a telecast, mentioning it, apologizing for it, and everyone moving forward.
With social media, it a wildfire that builds with anonymous gas.
While everybody's judging here is there anyone familiar with this weatherman and this news broadcast ? For all anyone knows, this was strike 3.
My fellow old geezers should be able to remember a New York weatherman by the name of Tex Antoine. This guy regularly came on the air drunk as a skunk. Finally He cracked some joke that women who were being raped should sit back and enjoy it. That finally got him axed.
He meant to say it, he misspoke, and he is secretly a racist and lets his inner alt-right loony shine through when he's not careful.
What weatherman would knowingly say a racial epithet on a local newscast? Nobody. He didn't mean to say.
There are plenty of secret racists out there, but does anyone really think he would subconsciously slip an epithet into MLK's name on a local newscast? Hard to believe.
Or did he get his tongue tied and misspeak, like hundreds of people before him on live television? I think this is clearly the obvious answer. He has a lot more in common with the "Boom goes the dynamite" guy than Steve Bannon. Come on, folks...
I don’t believe he intended to say it however given that it is an epithet used to describe MLK, I understand why people are upset that he said it. Just as some posters here would be offended if a reporter accidentally said Ronald Retard Reagan park or George White Trash WBush park
facebook page to watch his apology and by all accounts he looks like a good guy, with a family, etc. Almost everyone is supporting him and those who know him personally from his time in Louisville and Rochester all talk about how great of a guy he is. If all that's true, it's pretty shameful that his life has been turned upside down by what seems like an innocent mistake. The social justice mob was quick to jump all over this one. Might be a record.
I don't think your examples fit here couldn't be anything other than choosing to slip them into the statements.
In this case, the alleged word "coon" or "koong" or "kun" is not only a word on its own, but also the sound made when transposing or jumbling the first syllables of consecutive words.
I think something closer would be a newcaster reading off a teleprompter "Senator Tom Smith said Congresswoman Wilson can't punt on the issues" and instead saying "Senator Tom Smith said Comgresswoman Wilson cunt-- can't punt on the issues."
I don't think your examples fit here couldn't be anything other than choosing to slip them into the statements.
In this case, the alleged word "coon" or "koong" or "kun" is not only a word on its own, but also the sound made when transposing or jumbling the first syllables of consecutive words.
I think something closer would be a newcaster reading off a teleprompter "Senator Tom Smith said Congresswoman Wilson can't punt on the issues" and instead saying "Senator Tom Smith said Comgresswoman Wilson cunt-- can't punt on the issues."
is that he was reading from a teleprompter which I imagine causes more fumbling over words than just talking.
I sympathize with victims of discrimination and hate who have not only faced the hate directly, but who also deal with subtle hate and have intentional bad actors who pretend that they aren't being hurtful. It must be beyond frustrating to navigate that constantly.
And when that happens, I understand why many are on edge and sometimes see the hurt where it might otherwise not exists. When legitimate victimization happens so often, it's easy to lose giving the benefit of the doubt.
But the solution cannot be an over-correction that punishes innocent people.
Well said Paul. This smells of over reaction. I’d like to see him get his career back. Wondering if the black leaders in the Rochester community would consider accepting his apology.
Now that guy was a piece of work. I'll never forget his rape-related "just lay back and enjoy it" comment.
He had to have been drunk on-air, not for the 1st time.
I was living in Texas when Clayton Williams tubed his election chances with the same "joke". Never heard of Antoine and don't know the dates, so I don't know who stole it from whom.
This isn’t the first on air incident when this slur was used for MLK. Mine Greenberg’s of ESPN said it in 2010. And some Googling seems to suggest this slur seems to be sadly common in racist circles to describe MLK or MLK Day (replacingKing with the epithet).
A couple of people have said that the slur combined with MLK's name is common.
In my 42 and have years living in Virginia and Florida, working and socializing with all kinds of different people, I have never heard this before. I don't run in racist circles, sure, I've heard some racist things from acquaintances before but never that.
I really can't believe he would get fired for what is clearly an innocent fumbling over words.
Only a shitty person wouldn't give someone like this guy the benefit of the doubt, especially given his extremely (and IMO, unnecessary) heartfelt apology.
trying to defend R. Kelly .... smh but hey let your true colors shine through.
Elaborate, Motown.
You think this guy is a racist and needed to have been fired? You think he said this intentionally? You think he apparently says racially charged things so often in his private life that he slipped?
What "true colors" are you referring to?
With respect, I'd like to have your full commentary, rather than a drive-by post.
He's saying that the people who think it was a case of this guy merely being tongue-tied instead of a self-sabotaging racist are the ones showing their true colors-- that those people are not only racists, but they are just as bad as people who defend a serial child molester.
He's saying that the people who think it was a case of this guy merely being tongue-tied instead of a self-sabotaging racist are the ones showing their true colors-- that those people are not only racists, but they are just as bad as people who defend a serial child molester.
Ha. Paul, no ... I didn't miss it. I'm just merely in a bit of disbelief, and would like to hear more. Hoping he backs himself out of that ... or dives headlong. Just curious to know more. Like some would crane their neck to see more passing by a particularly bad-looking highway car wreck.
unfortunate incidents like this. I have no idea what the intent of this man was. His apology seemed sincere and I accept it, providing no more evidence comes to light that would lead me to think otherwise.
When I was a young man, my family would often eat dinners in my parents living room, around the TV, always watching our beloved Giants on Sunday afternoon/evening. I remember a showing of an "All in the Family" episode that followed one game. It was a great put down of Archie and his racist instincts, however a softer more inclusive side of him was highlighted, making viewers wonder if he really meant some of the outrageous things he said, or was just blowing off steam, as many did back then.
Our country has come so far since those earlier days and we have made progress, with certainly more to achieve. I am saddened that we have not progressed with the vitriolic instant guilt we assign others, often who we do not even know.
The comment on this weather show was repugnant and should not be heard om any show by anyone today. All sides have made similar mistakes (if this in fact was). I however will not indict this man, losing one's career and facing such public scorn saddens me, seeming punitive acts that do not show maturation and forgiveness, again so far without further evidence, but bitter partisan vitriol. Just my two cents.
RE: anyone looking for MotownGiants to make sense Â
.....didn't read the article - only saw the video - what was hi apology like?
I ask because if it was an actual mess up, I hope he apologized in that way - insisting it was a mistake. Not that he was sorry and it won't happen again.
Also - what's the guy's history? Good colleague? Never posts similar stuff on social media? Generally well liked by all?
.....didn't read the article - only saw the video - what was hi apology like?
I ask because if it was an actual mess up, I hope he apologized in that way - insisting it was a mistake. Not that he was sorry and it won't happen again.
Said he was speaking too quickly and got tongue tied, didn't even realize how it had come out, and would never have said anything like that. He wasn't apologizing for a word slip, he was explaining that the words of MLK's name simply got jumbled up as he was speaking, and it came out wrong.
He meant to say it, he misspoke, and he is secretly a racist and lets his inner alt-right loony shine through when he's not careful.
What weatherman would knowingly say a racial epithet on a local newscast? Nobody. He didn't mean to say.
There are plenty of secret racists out there, but does anyone really think he would subconsciously slip an epithet into MLK's name on a local newscast? Hard to believe.
Or did he get his tongue tied and misspeak, like hundreds of people before him on live television? I think this is clearly the obvious answer. He has a lot more in common with the "Boom goes the dynamite" guy than Steve Bannon. Come on, folks...
I don’t believe he intended to say it however given that it is an epithet used to describe MLK, I understand why people are upset that he said it. Just as some posters here would be offended if a reporter accidentally said Ronald Retard Reagan park or George White Trash WBush park
Huh?
It's at the very very least plausible that a person would say "king Junior" quickly enough where it comes out sounding like "Coon"..
It is not plausible by any stretch of the imagination that a person would say "white trash" when saying W Bush or 'retard' when saying Reagan. Those are completely different sets of sounds. You can't be serious.
This guy gets canned, yet I see TV shows like "Blackish" & "The Neighborhood" use the words like "Cracka", "honkey" & "White boy" freely & without ridicule... One for all, all for one - But my opinion is that we all need to STOP being so damn overly sensitive!!!
The reality though, keeping this pot stirred keeps folks like Al Sharpton current & feed$ their wallet$.
Yep how far the pendulum has swung back - Lebron James calls NFL owners "old white guys" with "slave mentalities" and not a peep from the media but this guy stutters and gets his life ruined. Fact that Al Sharpton even has a show on MSNBC after all the racist remarks he's made through the years shows what a double standard there is.
I wish I could bet on things like "over/under on how long it will take giant24 to weigh in on a topic regarding race" or "guess how long it will take giant24 to somehow claim that white men are oppressed."
This guy gets canned, yet I see TV shows like "Blackish" & "The Neighborhood" use the words like "Cracka", "honkey" & "White boy" freely & without ridicule... One for all, all for one - But my opinion is that we all need to STOP being so damn overly sensitive!!!
The reality though, keeping this pot stirred keeps folks like Al Sharpton current & feed$ their wallet$.
Yep how far the pendulum has swung back - Lebron James calls NFL owners "old white guys" with "slave mentalities" and not a peep from the media but this guy stutters and gets his life ruined. Fact that Al Sharpton even has a show on MSNBC after all the racist remarks he's made through the years shows what a double standard there is.
I wish I could bet on things like "over/under on how long it will take giant24 to weigh in on a topic regarding race" or "guess how long it will take giant24 to somehow claim that white men are oppressed."
but given the context of the thread (being bullshit, unwarranted outrage), he's pretty much in context with his bullshit, unwarranted, outrage. No non-sequitur this time.
Everyone knows the guy never meant to say that... Â
Did he say, I listened 5 times and do not get it. I just hear a guy stumbling on words, almost like he got tongue tied. What I don't get was exactly what was the big insult? I don't get it.
facebook page to watch his apology and by all accounts he looks like a good guy, with a family, etc. Almost everyone is supporting him and those who know him personally from his time in Louisville and Rochester all talk about how great of a guy he is. If all that's true, it's pretty shameful that his life has been turned upside down by what seems like an innocent mistake. The social justice mob was quick to jump all over this one. Might be a record.
Well said B. This seems like a mistake and if I heard it on TV as it was, I wouldn’t have noticed it. I would have noticed that he jumbled his words, but I would not have picked up on what the mob is claiming he said. In his apology he seemed sincere and he looks pretty torn up by it.
A good chunk of the people I know, both black and white, are behind this guy. He’s pretty respected in the area with no history of this. Our mayor, Lovely Warren, is quite well known for stunts like this. It’s terrible that he made such a slip, but even worse that he was immediately fired.
The ironic part is that the city council member that originally brought it up is a former Rochester weather man and said that most broadcasts are ad libbed and mistakes happen, but this one is unforgivable. Jerk.
He clearly jumbled up the K in King with the UN from Junior. Started one word and transitioned the rest of it from the following word. Mistakes happen. Seems like most people find this absurd, but for anyone that thinks firing this man is warranted please just explain why he would sabatoge his career and potentially endanger his family to slip in some “racial slur” on a local weather broadcast? This is so dumb it hurts my brain.
quite sure some politicos who have idiotic followings will loudly proclaim that justice was served and that "we" won't stand for this type of blatant racism anymore.
Disgusting.
Well, let's not get to the emotional response of "disgusted" to something before it's actually happened and is still merely a hypothetical.
This guy gets canned, yet I see TV shows like "Blackish" & "The Neighborhood" use the words like "Cracka", "honkey" & "White boy" freely & without ridicule... One for all, all for one - But my opinion is that we all need to STOP being so damn overly sensitive!!!
The reality though, keeping this pot stirred keeps folks like Al Sharpton current & feed$ their wallet$.
Yep how far the pendulum has swung back - Lebron James calls NFL owners "old white guys" with "slave mentalities" and not a peep from the media but this guy stutters and gets his life ruined. Fact that Al Sharpton even has a show on MSNBC after all the racist remarks he's made through the years shows what a double standard there is.
I wish I could bet on things like "over/under on how long it will take giant24 to weigh in on a topic regarding race" or "guess how long it will take giant24 to somehow claim that white men are oppressed."
Dude really? Am I not allowed to have an opinion on race? I see lots of other posters on here that have commented on other race related posts, why single me out. Why don't you just come out and say what you're really thinking?
back and got the answer, sorry, but I just couldn't make it out. He got fired for that, anyone who thinks they know what he meant are nuts.
I couldn't make it out either, though once I read what it was, I can kind of hear it. That doesn't absolve him imo. If I were going to try to sneak in dirty word, I'd probably say it super quick and a little hard to catch too. But the context of his history, and the fact that it's a plausible thing to misspeak, should.
Dude really? Am I not allowed to have an opinion on race? I see lots of other posters on here that have commented on other race related posts, why single me out. Why don't you just come out and say what you're really thinking?
Yeah, it's sure a puzzlement.
RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: So tired of all of this Shyte Â
Dude really? Am I not allowed to have an opinion on race? I see lots of other posters on here that have commented on other race related posts, why single me out. Why don't you just come out and say what you're really thinking?
Yeah, it's sure a puzzlement.
He's actually not the first weatherman to make that mistake Â
to imagine that was an honest slip up. My guess, it was a Freudian slip from someone who is familiar with the substitution of King with the racial epithet. Sorry folks, coon is not a word that rolls of the lips.
to imagine that was an honest slip up. My guess, it was a Freudian slip from someone who is familiar with the substitution of King with the racial epithet. Sorry folks, coon is not a word that rolls of the lips.
Not a stretch at all. When you have the consecutive syllables "king" and "june" you could accidentally say "jing" or "kune" with absolutely no nefarious intentions whatsoever.
And to fire someone over it is abusive beyond words.
to imagine that was an honest slip up. My guess, it was a Freudian slip from someone who is familiar with the substitution of King with the racial epithet. Sorry folks, coon is not a word that rolls of the lips.
I think speech professionals would greatly disagree with you. I listen to people in my office, clients and friends get tongue tied on a daily basis, most of the time it sounds like slop but sometimes it sounds like a legitimate word. I think this is pretty cut and dry.
to imagine that was an honest slip up. My guess, it was a Freudian slip from someone who is familiar with the substitution of King with the racial epithet. Sorry folks, coon is not a word that rolls of the lips.
Yes, in all of my employees employment contracts I specifically spell out Freudian slips as cause for termination.
there's really no reason to feel sorry for the guy. He is weather person on a television network - 80% of his job is just being able to speak clearly and appropriately in front of a large audience. If he can't do that, and is at the same time drawing negative attention to his place of business, then they have every right to fire him.
He meant to say it, he misspoke, and he is secretly a racist and lets his inner alt-right loony shine through when he's not careful.
What weatherman would knowingly say a racial epithet on a local newscast? Nobody. He didn't mean to say.
There are plenty of secret racists out there, but does anyone really think he would subconsciously slip an epithet into MLK's name on a local newscast? Hard to believe.
Or did he get his tongue tied and misspeak, like hundreds of people before him on live television? I think this is clearly the obvious answer. He has a lot more in common with the "Boom goes the dynamite" guy than Steve Bannon. Come on, folks...
I don’t believe he intended to say it however given that it is an epithet used to describe MLK, I understand why people are upset that he said it. Just as some posters here would be offended if a reporter accidentally said Ronald Retard Reagan park or George White Trash WBush park
In your examples, though, those would be intentional, while in this instance there is a distinct possibility that he fumbled his words.
He meant to say it, he misspoke, and he is secretly a racist and lets his inner alt-right loony shine through when he's not careful.
What weatherman would knowingly say a racial epithet on a local newscast? Nobody. He didn't mean to say.
There are plenty of secret racists out there, but does anyone really think he would subconsciously slip an epithet into MLK's name on a local newscast? Hard to believe.
Or did he get his tongue tied and misspeak, like hundreds of people before him on live television? I think this is clearly the obvious answer. He has a lot more in common with the "Boom goes the dynamite" guy than Steve Bannon. Come on, folks...
I don’t believe he intended to say it however given that it is an epithet used to describe MLK, I understand why people are upset that he said it. Just as some posters here would be offended if a reporter accidentally said Ronald Retard Reagan park or George White Trash WBush park
Retard Reagan?
White Trash Bush?
Where the fuck do you come up with this shit? Good lord.
When I listened to it initially, I thought he fumbled his words. Then listening a few more times I could go either way.
So you actually think it’s plausible a guy in the news business would wake up one day and decide I’m going to mix in “coon” when referencing Martin Luther King? Intentionally. And commit career suicide.
When I listened to it initially, I thought he fumbled his words. Then listening a few more times I could go either way.
So you actually think it’s plausible a guy in the news business would wake up one day and decide I’m going to mix in “coon” when referencing Martin Luther King? Intentionally. And commit career suicide.
this is scraping the bottom of the white people racist barrel. Identity politics needs the oppressor vs oppressed angle.
Our country has suffered from group paranoia, judgement, and irrational waves plenty of times before. We've burned witches, we've hanged black men for looking at white women, rounded up the Japanese, and had the government sponsor, hunt down and ruin the lives of communists.
Attributing our worst instincts to social media is at best silly, and at worst dismissive.
The lesson we learn (and forget) every time we get ourselves all wrapped in paranoia and distrust, is to think it out before acting out.
Probably a good lesson for those in charge at the news station.
Weatherman fired for accidentally saying a racial slur Â
It was a mistake and it sucks he messed up like this. But I’ve heard that exact slur in reference to MLK before in some interview about the naming of a street in some city. I can’t feel too bad for this guy.
who are immediately jumping on the racist bandwagon here.
Maybe the guy is a klansman, I have no clue; but have some amount of intelligent and objectivity to see the perfect storm that "King Junior" can cause if you incorrectly stumble over those two words.
Nope, just easier to call him a racist and pat oneself on the back. Job well done!
Our country has suffered from group paranoia, judgement, and irrational waves plenty of times before. We've burned witches, we've hanged black men for looking at white women, rounded up the Japanese, and had the government sponsor, hunt down and ruin the lives of communists.
Attributing our worst instincts to social media is at best silly, and at worst dismissive.
The lesson we learn (and forget) every time we get ourselves all wrapped in paranoia and distrust, is to think it out before acting out.
Probably a good lesson for those in charge at the news station.
We’ve burned witches????
I want to see proof of that.
RE: Weatherman fired for accidentally saying a racial slur Â
It was a mistake and it sucks he messed up like this. But I’ve heard that exact slur in reference to MLK before in some interview about the naming of a street in some city. I can’t feel too bad for this guy.
Yeah, I just can’t get behind that.
You acknowledge that this guy made a mistake (a word jumbling in one sentence out of countless) but can’t feel bad for him for losing his job, income, career, means to live, and reputation, because you heard somebody else, somewhere else, unrelatedly say something similar?
People have been known to say this, that’s what a lot on this thread clearly don’t realize. I think it’s far more likely that he simply said something that he’s said in private on TV by accident than this whole imo dumb ”Junior/King could cause someone to mistakenly say Coon” excuse. Who the hell ever says Martin Luther Jr. anyway lol? I find that excuse weak. It seems cruel lmao. Dumbass made a mistake and a bad one, there are consequences to fucking up on TV.
qualified for these on-air jobs vastly exceeds the number of jobs available. In such a competitive industry, I'm sure the network can find someone who can manage to not ever use racial slurs on the air.
Everyone doesn't get to keep a good job if they can't preform acceptable. This guy failed and will need to find someone else to take a chance on him or find a new career.
And the net effect of this culture of oversensitivity Â
and lack of sympathy for innocent faux-pas is that people will just stop associating with those outside of their in-group. Why put up with the hassle of people who catastrophise everthing, engage in armchair psycholanalysis--always with the worst motives as their analysis--and vindictiveness and mob justice? Just more tribalism and fracturing. Jonathan Haidt is so spot on about this, imho.
The amount of people who want and are
Metnut : 9:38 am : link : reply
qualified for these on-air jobs vastly exceeds the number of jobs available. In such a competitive industry, I'm sure the network can find someone who can manage to not ever use racial slurs on the air.
Why limit it to racial slurs? In such a competitive industry, why not fire any on air person who flubs their words. Why not fire any sportscaster who gets the down and distance wrong, as isn't accuracy a huge part of their job?
You do realize that going down that rabbit hole means that anyone can be fired for an unintentional mistake.
actually look at a weatherperson's responsibilities, calling for snow or rain and have it not happen materially impacts exponentially more people than a misspoken sentence.
Next guy that is off by 5 degrees or more - fire his incompetent ass!
The amount of people who want and are
Metnut : 9:38 am : link : reply
qualified for these on-air jobs vastly exceeds the number of jobs available. In such a competitive industry, I'm sure the network can find someone who can manage to not ever use racial slurs on the air.
Why limit it to racial slurs? In such a competitive industry, why not fire any on air person who flubs their words. Why not fire any sportscaster who gets the down and distance wrong, as isn't accuracy a huge part of their job?
You do realize that going down that rabbit hole means that anyone can be fired for an unintentional mistake.
With even minimal Search Skills, you can call up thousands of youtube videos dedicated to news announcer bloopers. In fact, a large proportion of them include weathermen, where it seems like there's a propensity for misspeaking. It seems like it's a very common thing.
To want a guy fired and all that entails, although you recognize it's a mistake, even if you attempt to rationalize by stating., with zero evidence or justification whatsoever, that it's Freudian or something he usually says hundreds of times when he's alone in his bedroom, is cruel. I think it reflects more poorly on those with that behavior rather than on a person making an error.
especially when it comes to someone else losing their job.
Never mind that that a replacement head coach is worse than the incumbent, doesn’t matter, the incumbent must be held accountable. At all costs. Same shit in the real world. Fire him fire her worry about the rest later. Never mind due process... someone has to pay. It’s all garbage.
about this a couple of years ago, but I was at lunch with co-workers and one of our group launched into a tirade about the cashier picking up the phone while her order was being placed. Demanded to speak to a manager and made a huge scene. Actually wanted to have the girl fired. On the car ride back, we all were giving her shit for doing that and she claimed that the behavior was unacceptable and that there needed to be a lesson taught. Nevermind that it didn't need to be her to deliver the lesson - that wasn't the real emphasis of the article
Anyway, about 9 months later, the woman was laid off. She was a pain in the ass to deal with and really wasn't that good at what she did.
So what did she do? Sued the company for gender bias and went off on social media about the injustice of being let go.
I don't think she ever saw the irony or the tie-in to her behavior
Anyway, about 9 months later, the woman was laid off. She was a pain in the ass to deal with and really wasn't that good at what she did.
So what did she do? Sued the company for gender bias and went off on social media about the injustice of being let go.
I don't think she ever saw the irony or the tie-in to her behavior
I am really not surprised to read this FMiC. Hopefully she lost the law suit. I know what I am about to say may sound a little ridiculous, but as our society has evolved, it has gotten worse. Technology has improved the quality of life without question but society has degraded to a degree.
Nothing was more pure than thousands of years ago when people had to hunt and gather and fend for themselves to stay alive. No safety nets. No offending anyone. No blaming others if you starve, etc
about this a couple of years ago, but I was at lunch with co-workers and one of our group launched into a tirade about the cashier picking up the phone while her order was being placed. Demanded to speak to a manager and made a huge scene. Actually wanted to have the girl fired. On the car ride back, we all were giving her shit for doing that and she claimed that the behavior was unacceptable and that there needed to be a lesson taught. Nevermind that it didn't need to be her to deliver the lesson - that wasn't the real emphasis of the article
Anyway, about 9 months later, the woman was laid off. She was a pain in the ass to deal with and really wasn't that good at what she did.
So what did she do? Sued the company for gender bias and went off on social media about the injustice of being let go.
I don't think she ever saw the irony or the tie-in to her behavior
I don't know why, but that story you described reminds me of the nasty women from the movie "Waiting", where she ridiculed the waitress and they end up fucking with her lunch.
The amount of people who want and are
Metnut : 9:38 am : link : reply
qualified for these on-air jobs vastly exceeds the number of jobs available. In such a competitive industry, I'm sure the network can find someone who can manage to not ever use racial slurs on the air.
Why limit it to racial slurs? In such a competitive industry, why not fire any on air person who flubs their words. Why not fire any sportscaster who gets the down and distance wrong, as isn't accuracy a huge part of their job?
You do realize that going down that rabbit hole means that anyone can be fired for an unintentional mistake.
People get fired for unintentional mistakes all the time. This is a capitalistic country.
It comes down to the magnitude of the mistake. Personally, I (and the network) think that using a racial slur on the air is fair grounds for dismissal. Reasonable people can disagree certainly, but I'm fine with what the network did.
The amount of people who want and are
Metnut : 9:38 am : link : reply
qualified for these on-air jobs vastly exceeds the number of jobs available. In such a competitive industry, I'm sure the network can find someone who can manage to not ever use racial slurs on the air.
Why limit it to racial slurs? In such a competitive industry, why not fire any on air person who flubs their words. Why not fire any sportscaster who gets the down and distance wrong, as isn't accuracy a huge part of their job?
You do realize that going down that rabbit hole means that anyone can be fired for an unintentional mistake.
People get fired for unintentional mistakes all the time. This is a capitalistic country.
It comes down to the magnitude of the mistake. Personally, I (and the network) think that using a racial slur on the air is fair grounds for dismissal. Reasonable people can disagree certainly, but I'm fine with what the network did.
That is misconstruing what happened. He didn't "use" a racial slur. People interpreted his word jumble as containing a racial slur.
People have been known to say this, that’s what a lot on this thread clearly don’t realize. I think it’s far more likely that he simply said something that he’s said in private on TV by accident than this whole imo dumb ”Junior/King could cause someone to mistakenly say Coon” excuse. Who the hell ever says Martin Luther Jr. anyway lol? I find that excuse weak. It seems cruel lmao. Dumbass made a mistake and a bad one, there are consequences to fucking up on TV.
SO, your position is that "what is" is irrelevant. People lives rise and fall on your whim?
I'm not sure what your point is here. This is a message board. Isn't the point to chime in with opinions and comments?
The network and a lot of other people also thought that he said a disgusting vulgar racial slur on the air. Actions have consequences.
But you're blurring actions with peoples' interpretations.
My point is that somewhere there is a "truth" here but several posters view the truth to be irrelevant when you get the chance to rejoice in someone's demise.
I think it’s far more likely that he simply said something that he’s said in private on TV by accident than this whole imo dumb ”Junior/King could cause someone to mistakenly say Coon” excuse.
You've never met him; never seen his broadcast; don't know his family, friends, coworkers; background or upbringing but yet you can come to this conclusion. With "dumbass" thrown in for good measure.
People have been known to say this, that’s what a lot on this thread clearly don’t realize. I think it’s far more likely that he simply said something that he’s said in private on TV by accident than this whole imo dumb ”Junior/King could cause someone to mistakenly say Coon” excuse. Who the hell ever says Martin Luther Jr. anyway lol? I find that excuse weak. It seems cruel lmao. Dumbass made a mistake and a bad one, there are consequences to fucking up on TV.
"Who the hell ever says Martin Luther Jr. anyway lol?"
This makes no sense. (It goes well with the rest of your opinion.)
To all the racial justice warriors, why would the word "koon" be the racial word of choice here since, according to some, it has no verbal relationship to jumbling the words "King" and "Junior".
I mean, why "koon"?! Why not something more severe?
because the question cannot be answered why he would utter a slur on air.
And that really is key. Is the guy going to give a "wink, wink" and awkwardly mishmash words, or would he have to be really overt to get his point across to those who would grasp it.
I'm thinking that if he intended to use a slur, his target audience is going to need it to be more direct, like an enunciation of the word clearly and probably while wearing a Davy Boone hat.
But we have to believe the guy just waits until a random date and time to work in a slur. Was he waiting since last February to get a chance to say Martin Luther Coon King?
People have been known to say this, that’s what a lot on this thread clearly don’t realize. I think it’s far more likely that he simply said something that he’s said in private on TV by accident than this whole imo dumb ”Junior/King could cause someone to mistakenly say Coon” excuse. Who the hell ever says Martin Luther Jr. anyway lol? I find that excuse weak. It seems cruel lmao. Dumbass made a mistake and a bad one, there are consequences to fucking up on TV.
good post
I thought it was a bad post before you posted. Now I know it was a bad post.
Freudian slip. Which, I don't believe anyone can definitely support or deny.
My opposition is to those who:
1. Are in complete denial that a logical word jumbling exists.
2. Are quick to dismiss a logical word jumbling was the cause, knowing NOTHING personal about the man himself.
And since there are multiple examples of such a gaffe existing in the media, I don't know can anyone can gloss-over such a fact and claim straight or subtle racism.
Junior has the "oon" sound in it. Guy get's his words intertwined speaking quickly and I can see where that word comes out. But, you never know. On the flip side he could have had a bet with some of his buddies that he could slip it in and make it look accidental and it backfired. Either way, his job is in the public eye and his employer deemed it worthy to release him.
Al Roker has said he sides with the weatherman. “I think @JeremyKappell made an unfortunate flub and should be given the chance to apologize on @news10nbc,” he wrote. “Anyone who has done live tv and screwed up (google any number of ones I’ve done) understands.”
There is a difference between letting a racial slur slip into a conversation, and getting tongue-tied and making the wrong sound which also happens to sound like a racial slur.
People-- especially those reading teleprompters or cue cards-- trip over their words all the time and sometimes they say the wrong words, and often times they say the wrong syllables and say things that aren't actual words at all. Often, the person's brain is a few steps ahead of their mouth, and it causes them to fumble the pronunciation, or create a spoonerism, or transpose syllables.
Next time SNL is on, watch. See how many times Leslie Jones trips over her words. Whenever Robert DeNiro makes a cameo, watch how many times he fumbles his lines and messes up saying ordinary words by injecting the wrong syllables and has to correct himself.
Go on youtube and watch the scores of newscaster flubs or blooper reels for any TV show and it will be filled with actors garbling their lines and making the wrong sounds for words.
Has no one ever heard of a tongue-twister?!?! When people mess up saying them, it's not because the faulty sounds they make are what's really in their heart and what they say in private. It's because they make an error in speech.
If a newscaster read from a teleprompter "The Doctor said Shirley should sit in a chair" and said "The doctor said Shirley should shit-- sit in a chair" would the take-away be that the newscaster was a foul-mouthed lout with "shit" in his heart?
In this case, he wanted to say Martin LOOther King JOOnior, and instead what came out was KOOng.
As soon as he realized he was saying KOOng instead of King, he stopped, and then said King right after.
That's why it sounded like Martin LOOther KOOn-King JOOnior.
It's a little sick how many people, who don't know this guy at all, want him to be a closet racist who sabotaged his own career because he just couldn't help himself.
I pray to god no otherwise innocent boy going through puberty has their voice crack while saying "oil and vinegar."
In comment 14255091 Osi Osi Osi OyOyOy said: Quote:
I think it’s far more likely that he simply said something that he’s said in private on TV by accident than this whole imo dumb ”Junior/King could cause someone to mistakenly say Coon” excuse.
You've never met him; never seen his broadcast; don't know his family, friends, coworkers; background or upbringing but yet you can come to this conclusion. With "dumbass" thrown in for good measure.
Must be nice living a perfect life
You're right about me calling him a "dumbass". That was uncalled and I apologize for that because no matter what, I do think it was a mistake. I don't think he purposefully tried to sneak this in there for shits and giggles and put himself at so much risk.
I believe he made a mistake but I see everybody and their grandma on this thread just completely assuming it was a linguistic mistake instead of a freudian mistake. And that might be true. And when I say a freudian slip, I don't think it would necessarily even make him racist because he could've just heard it from other people and had it in his head.
But again this is a well known slur that is something that people have been known to call Martin Luther King Jr. since he was alive. This is one of the go-to nicknames to insult MLK. The title of this thread hilariously has quotation marks. There's no quotation marks needed, this IS a racial slur even if it's an accident.
You acknowledge that this guy made a mistake (a word jumbling in one sentence out of countless) but can’t feel bad for him for losing his job, income, career, means to live, and reputation, because you heard somebody else, somewhere else, unrelatedly say something similar?
That seems unnecessarily cruel.
I said "I don't feel too bad for him", I didn't say "I'm happy he got fired". I do feel bad that he lost his job but again, not that much. His job is to be on live TV and if you make a mistake that offends a lot of people then there are consequences. And yes, Martin Luther Coon is offensive considering how it's a phrase that has been used purposefully to insult him in the past.
If he wasn't fired, I wouldn't be here calling for him to be fired. If nothing happened to him, I could atleast see the logic with the "linguistic error" and accept it. But now that he's fired, I'm not going to sit here and cry for him like so many on this thread because the fact is that even honest mistakes have repercussions. He accidentally fucked up and insulted a lot of people on live TV, how his employer wants to handle that is up to them.
all over again. In a video made by Tencent (a Chinese production company) for the NBA fans in China, a number of NBA players were sending messages wishing them a happy new year.
JJ ended up saying "I just wanted to wish all of the NBA [word sounding like "chink"] fans in China... a very happy Chinese New Year."
Clearly he fumbled his words starting to say "NBA Ch" for either "NBA China" or "NBA Chinese" which was not what he was intending to say and flubbed it with "fans" and the result was an unintentional sound of "chink" or "chin" or "chan." And because it was a flub, it had an abrupt stop to the sound before he then said "fans." Just saying the word "chin" with sudden stop as if said in error can produce something that sounds like the slur. (similarly saying "KOOng" and stopping abruptly would drop the 'g' sound to the word resulting in a similar sound as the slur).
He caught a ton of heat for this. How could he possibly say "chink"? What a racist.
But that didn't make any sense. Why would JJ Redick, with no history of racism, use the most obvious racial slur for Chinese people in an official video made by a Chinese production company, licensed by the NBA, and specifically to be broadcast to the NBA's fans in China? It is preposterous. And why didn't Tencent (or the NBA) edit it out if it were so obviously racist? The likely answer is because they didn't catch it either and thought that it was just a flubbed line that only sounded bad when it caught someone's attention and people were looking for it.
If someone were typing quickly and made a typo, the resulting mistake could be a non-word or it could result in an actual word that randomly happens to have a spelling as that of the error.
If you transposed the 'd' and the 'e' in 'rode,' you end up with 'roed,' a nonsense word that has no meaning. But if you did it with 'code,' you end up with 'coed,' which happens to be a word by coincidence. It's the same error, but one results in nonsense and the other results in a word.
Or, imagine a typist was doing the captioning for a live event and without the chance to delete, he left out an'o' by mistake and wrote "Taylor Swift is a cuntry country artist"
Why would the assumption be that in the typist's heart, he thinks that Taylor Swift is a cunt and refers to her by that so often in private that it slipped out in the typing?
He brought too much attention on his "flub" for everyone to beleive it. I bet if he never said a word about it, people would have been far less likely to jump to conclusions one way or another....
Patience and thoughtfulness are in short supply frequently, and clearly in this case.
In a world where many things are caught on tape without our knowledge, and where our acquaintances and enemies can easily be tapped for dirt and opinions in exchange for a few bucks, if the guy was an active racist maybe there would be some evidence?
If it's in his character, and he had the intent or bad judgement to purposefully use a racist slur at work on TV no less, maybe there would be some evidence?
And maybe if the network gave it a week or so to see if some evidence surfaced, and there was none, and some thoughtfulness was applied, the guy would have his job, a news network wouldn't look so rushed to conclusions (not a good look for a news network), and there would still be the opportunity to focus and meditate on casual and subtle racism?
He brought too much attention on his "flub" for everyone to beleive it. I bet if he never said a word about it, people would have been far less likely to jump to conclusions one way or another....
Considering it went viral and he was fired before issuing his apology, this seems unlikely.
In the end, what kind of guy is he? If he's a good guy, he's genuinely nice and does his job I'd have to say the firing is over the top.
No idea how he could say this accidentally, but there are much better, more productive ways to gain vindication for the people offended by his comments.
IMO.
Martin Luther Ju, King Junior...
It was hard to hear for me. If he was going to use a slur, why that one? That's an odd word to use. Haven't heard it since Forest Gump.
Unfortunate if it was an innocent mistake and he was fired for it, going to have his life ruined over it.
Unfortunate that social media justice has so much influence nowadays.
Yeah, that's how I heard it as well.
When you trying saying “Junior” before “king” which is what I 100% think happened. When your thoughts are slightly ahead of your words, this happens and happens a lot. Just sucks that’s the combo of words he got tongue tied on.
Him being fired for that is a joke. He didn’t make a bad punchline, he clearly mixed up two words in the wrong order.
Quote:
By blending King and Junior like ki-un. This is ridiculous.
Yeah, that's how I heard it as well.
I had to play it back multiple times to catch what people were talking about but then the person interviewed was outraged that it wasn't caught in time? Get the f outta here.
To do something like that intentionally would be career suicide. Unless there is history with this guy to suggest this is part of his character, he doesn’t deserve this type of capital punishment.
It’s very sad where we are as a society with speech.
Firing might be pretty strong, but I don't really know what he was thinking. Perhaps the folks he worked for had a better idea.
Quote:
How do you accidentally say "Martin Luther Coon King"?
When you trying saying “Junior” before “king” which is what I 100% think happened. When your thoughts are slightly ahead of your words, this happens and happens a lot. Just sucks that’s the combo of words he got tongue tied on.
Him being fired for that is a joke. He didn’t make a bad punchline, he clearly mixed up two words in the wrong order.
I didn't hear it that way. But I guess it's possible.
Ultimately if it was really an accident I feel a bit bad for him but the word he used is highly offensive, it was in respect of a revered American and he’s in a very public job.
Bunch of reactionary weaklings out there to allow this to happen. I hope he is rehired by a rival station for more money and that their ratings beat the hell out of his former employer.
This comment on his FB apology thread hit it, for me:
I teach in an urban school district with a high percentage of minority children, and I do not ever worry that I'm going to accidentally say a racial slur.
Firing might be pretty strong, but I don't really know what he was thinking. Perhaps the folks he worked for had a better idea.
Don't see that at all.
I see it and hear it more that he - as he says in his video, trying to jam a ton of info into a tight video window, he speaks very quickly - jumbled King/Junior and it started to sound like Coo, at which point he corrected to KING, with his emphasis.
I can see a very brief apology video, or even a very brief one for the mis-speak during a weather-cast with him in the studio, but holy shit, FIRED???
That's really fucked up, and I hope some TV exec somewhere will get this guy under contract asap. Enough of the nonsense.
Disgusting.
#gofuckyourself
what the fuck are we doing??
Others have pointed out that he probably combined "King" and "Junior" which is possible. It could have also been the word before "King."
Both "Luther" and "Junior" have that long "u" sound, and I think he had a slip of the tongue applying it to "King" and as he was saying "Koooong" he cut himself short as soon as he realized he misspoke and said "King" properly.
The result was what we heard.
People, especially newscasters, get tongue-tied all the time.
This guy just had the worst possible luck in that the mispronunciation was a racial slur.
what the fuck are we doing??
What we are doing - or what we have done - is flipped innocent until proven guilty to guilty until proven innocent.
And the road to get to innocence is more difficult than ever, especially in the court of public opinion.
I teach in an urban school district with a high percentage of minority children, and I do not ever worry that I'm going to accidentally say a racial slur.
I love amateur pusychology.
Others have pointed out that he probably combined "King" and "Junior" which is possible. It could have also been the word before "King."
Both "Luther" and "Junior" have that long "u" sound, and I think he had a slip of the tongue applying it to "King" and as he was saying "Koooong" he cut himself short as soon as he realized he misspoke and said "King" properly.
The result was what we heard.
People, especially newscasters, get tongue-tied all the time.
This guy just had the worst possible luck in that the mispronunciation was a racial slur.
Agree. so we have...
-VERY plausible deniability
-no history of this type of stuff from the individual
-an apology that in no way seems disingenuous or inauthentic
let's take his job from him. that will really advance things forward for the society/community.
I really don't like what we have become.
To me it's a one-and-done offense. I guess only he knows the truth of what he said and why; we may never know.
To me it's a one-and-done offense. I guess only he knows the truth of what he said and why; we may never know.
just so we're clear -- you agree that "guilty until proven innocent" is the right MO?
The reality though, keeping this pot stirred keeps folks like Al Sharpton current & feed$ their wallet$.
A Freudian slip was more like when Shepard Smith talked reported on JLo and meant to say "folks are more likely to give her a curb job than a block party" and instead said "folks are more likely to give her a curb job than a blow job." At least with that, you knew it was an error but thought "what's on his mind?"
It also seems unlikely that this slur would be intentional. Forgive my ignorance, but I always associated that slur with something from the South from decades ago, but maybe that's because I've never heard it used outside of movies like Forrest Gump and Remember the Titans. Is it really a slur that would be prevalent in 2018 Rochester, NY, such that it would be on the tip of this guy's tongue?
I'm happy to be corrected on that previous notion.
I really don't like what we have become.
I agree with this but for me it's much more about >2 million people in jails, many waiting for trials and there cause they are too poor to make bail. And one-and-done measures re drug use.
I teach in an urban school district with a high percentage of minority children, and I do not ever worry that I'm going to accidentally say a racial slur.
Hopefully one day your life isn't destroyed from talking too quickly.
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I heard no stumbling or correcting. That's the way I heard it. In my mind he said it. I guess the technology exists to analyze it further.
To me it's a one-and-done offense. I guess only he knows the truth of what he said and why; we may never know.
just so we're clear -- you agree that "guilty until proven innocent" is the right MO?
Interestingly, though I am on the other side, I find myself compelled by the argument that he is a private employee and judged to have done something that is offensive to many customers (argument made by owners re kneeling players).
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I really don't like what we have become.
I agree with this but for me it's much more about >2 million people in jails, many waiting for trials and there cause they are too poor to make bail. And one-and-done measures re drug use.
I give you credit for admitting that your opinion on this is about some other racial agenda that has nothing to do with the weatherman who was fired from his job.
I think you'd do better to separate the two, but your thoughts are yours.
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In comment 14253891 Jay in Toronto said:
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I heard no stumbling or correcting. That's the way I heard it. In my mind he said it. I guess the technology exists to analyze it further.
To me it's a one-and-done offense. I guess only he knows the truth of what he said and why; we may never know.
just so we're clear -- you agree that "guilty until proven innocent" is the right MO?
Interestingly, though I am on the other side, I find myself compelled by the argument that he is a private employee and judged to have done something that is offensive to many customers (argument made by owners re kneeling players).
And I think it would be fair to put him on leave till there is a technical assessment as to what he said. But this has a much bigger down side for him if he is shown to be either a clueless racist or an out-and-out liar.
To me that sounded like a slip of the tongue, and if so he should have just apologized and it should have ended. But we all know in the current era of social media, he would just become the racist weatherman and the station would just be branded the guys who do nothing about their racists. From a business standpoint it would have taken some balls to stand up for the guy if they believed it was an innocent flub. Maybe they just didn't have the balls to do it?
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In comment 14253881 bigbluehoya said:
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I really don't like what we have become.
I agree with this but for me it's much more about >2 million people in jails, many waiting for trials and there cause they are too poor to make bail. And one-and-done measures re drug use.
I give you credit for admitting that your opinion on this is about some other racial agenda that has nothing to do with the weatherman who was fired from his job.
I think you'd do better to separate the two, but your thoughts are yours.
Agreed. My linking them is merely to point out a certain loss of perspective, IMO, as to what brings out the sense of injustice.
He'd have a solitary cell in Sing Sing waiting for him.
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In comment 14253891 Jay in Toronto said:
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I heard no stumbling or correcting. That's the way I heard it. In my mind he said it. I guess the technology exists to analyze it further.
To me it's a one-and-done offense. I guess only he knows the truth of what he said and why; we may never know.
just so we're clear -- you agree that "guilty until proven innocent" is the right MO?
Interestingly, though I am on the other side, I find myself compelled by the argument that he is a private employee and judged to have done something that is offensive to many customers (argument made by owners re kneeling players).
I can sympathize with the private employee/employer angle. I agree that nobody is charging him with a crime.
I still think the employer in this case made a regrettable decision and that stuff like this gets us absolutely nowhere. Nobody is better off for this.
I would love for that to happen.
And you know this how?
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How you say that by accident, obviously he has said it before.
And you know this how?
because he just knows!
I don't remember seeing corporations or public facing organizations of any type cave so easily to mobs before.
Is it social media? Is it always this way in periods of divide?
just curious really.
And you know that how? What a ridiculous comment.
I don't remember seeing corporations or public facing organizations of any type cave so easily to mobs before.
Is it social media? Is it always this way in periods of divide?
just curious really.
social media my man....it's all social media
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because I was too young (Vietnam, etc.) but did the mobs rule then too?
I don't remember seeing corporations or public facing organizations of any type cave so easily to mobs before.
Is it social media? Is it always this way in periods of divide?
just curious really.
social media my man....it's all social media
But like my brother in law pointed out to me when we had this conversation a week or two ago.... Don't blame the tech. Blame the users.
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In comment 14253947 pjcas18 said:
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because I was too young (Vietnam, etc.) but did the mobs rule then too?
I don't remember seeing corporations or public facing organizations of any type cave so easily to mobs before.
Is it social media? Is it always this way in periods of divide?
just curious really.
social media my man....it's all social media
But like my brother in law pointed out to me when we had this conversation a week or two ago.... Don't blame the tech. Blame the users.
oh absolutely.
The reality though, keeping this pot stirred keeps folks like Al Sharpton current & feed$ their wallet$.
Yep how far the pendulum has swung back - Lebron James calls NFL owners "old white guys" with "slave mentalities" and not a peep from the media but this guy stutters and gets his life ruined. Fact that Al Sharpton even has a show on MSNBC after all the racist remarks he's made through the years shows what a double standard there is.
Holy fuck.
Interestingly, though I am on the other side, I find myself compelled by the argument that he is a private employee and judged to have done something that is offensive to many customers (argument made by owners re kneeling players).
This was an error made in a public setting for the private company.
So his firing, if truly an error in speech, may be hugely detrimental in this guy's ability to continue his career.
Serious question - do you find that offensive?
But... Pandora's Box has been opened and there's no going back.
In comment 14253891 Jay in Toronto said:
Interestingly, though I am on the other side, I find myself compelled by the argument that he is a private employee and judged to have done something that is offensive to many customers (argument made by owners re kneeling players).
That's a great comparison since the players also ended up on their knees by accident and have apologized for it, just like this guy
I sympathize with victims of discrimination and hate who have not only faced the hate directly, but who also deal with subtle hate and have intentional bad actors who pretend that they aren't being hurtful. It must be beyond frustrating to navigate that constantly.
And when that happens, I understand why many are on edge and sometimes see the hurt where it might otherwise not exists. When legitimate victimization happens so often, it's easy to lose giving the benefit of the doubt.
But the solution cannot be an over-correction that punishes innocent people.
We are, but this is even beyond hyper sensitivity. This is pretending something happened that didn't happen. This is one of the grossest things I've seen happen in quite some time.
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this hypersensitivity bullshit needs to stop.
We are, but this is even beyond hyper sensitivity. This is pretending something happened that didn't happen. This is one of the grossest things I've seen happen in quite some time.
You must lead a very sheltered life then.
Holy fuck.
In all likelihood, yes, that's the explanation.
The greater point for me is that we really don't know either way, and therefore should look to some other available facts/evidence before taking him to the woodshed.
We know that a noise came out of his mouth that most people don't like.
-what was he saying? was he being otherwise aggressive, mean, or inappropriate in the words/tone/body language he used?
-Is there anything to suggest that he was using his platform to spread negative feelings/thoughts based on race?
-does he have any history of negative racial commentary / hate speech / insensitivity?
-what was his reaction afterward? Was he contrite / apologetic? Did he seem genuine?
There are likely a dozen other meaningful contextual questions that could be added to this.
The real shame is that we're too unwilling to actually be thoughtful about this, or worse yet, that we have thought about all of it and the virtue signal of firing the guy is deemed to be more valuable than the moral evaluation of whether the guy genuinely deserves to be fired.
What weatherman would knowingly say a racial epithet on a local newscast? Nobody. He didn't mean to say.
There are plenty of secret racists out there, but does anyone really think he would subconsciously slip an epithet into MLK's name on a local newscast? Hard to believe.
Or did he get his tongue tied and misspeak, like hundreds of people before him on live television? I think this is clearly the obvious answer. He has a lot more in common with the "Boom goes the dynamite" guy than Steve Bannon. Come on, folks...
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In comment 14253995 antdog24 said:
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this hypersensitivity bullshit needs to stop.
We are, but this is even beyond hyper sensitivity. This is pretending something happened that didn't happen. This is one of the grossest things I've seen happen in quite some time.
You must lead a very sheltered life then.
Of course!
I don't remember seeing corporations or public facing organizations of any type cave so easily to mobs before.
Is it social media? Is it always this way in periods of divide?
just curious really.
Social media, without a single doubt.
Otherwise, you might get 6-7 calls (which are probably working in concert), and at MOST, the employee having 20 seconds during a telecast, mentioning it, apologizing for it, and everyone moving forward.
With social media, it a wildfire that builds with anonymous gas.
"Martin Luther Koong-- King Junior Park" instead of
"Martin Luther Coon King, Jr. Park"
My fellow old geezers should be able to remember a New York weatherman by the name of Tex Antoine. This guy regularly came on the air drunk as a skunk. Finally He cracked some joke that women who were being raped should sit back and enjoy it. That finally got him axed.
What weatherman would knowingly say a racial epithet on a local newscast? Nobody. He didn't mean to say.
There are plenty of secret racists out there, but does anyone really think he would subconsciously slip an epithet into MLK's name on a local newscast? Hard to believe.
Or did he get his tongue tied and misspeak, like hundreds of people before him on live television? I think this is clearly the obvious answer. He has a lot more in common with the "Boom goes the dynamite" guy than Steve Bannon. Come on, folks...
Obviously -- clearly -- the guy was trying to say "King" and "Jun" at the same time.
The mayor of Rochester and whoever fired him at the TV station should be punted into the sun.
In this case, the alleged word "coon" or "koong" or "kun" is not only a word on its own, but also the sound made when transposing or jumbling the first syllables of consecutive words.
I think something closer would be a newcaster reading off a teleprompter "Senator Tom Smith said Congresswoman Wilson can't punt on the issues" and instead saying "Senator Tom Smith said Comgresswoman Wilson cunt-- can't punt on the issues."
In this case, the alleged word "coon" or "koong" or "kun" is not only a word on its own, but also the sound made when transposing or jumbling the first syllables of consecutive words.
I think something closer would be a newcaster reading off a teleprompter "Senator Tom Smith said Congresswoman Wilson can't punt on the issues" and instead saying "Senator Tom Smith said Comgresswoman Wilson cunt-- can't punt on the issues."
My examples? What examples?
I sympathize with victims of discrimination and hate who have not only faced the hate directly, but who also deal with subtle hate and have intentional bad actors who pretend that they aren't being hurtful. It must be beyond frustrating to navigate that constantly.
And when that happens, I understand why many are on edge and sometimes see the hurt where it might otherwise not exists. When legitimate victimization happens so often, it's easy to lose giving the benefit of the doubt.
But the solution cannot be an over-correction that punishes innocent people.
Well said Paul. This smells of over reaction. I’d like to see him get his career back. Wondering if the black leaders in the Rochester community would consider accepting his apology.
But... Pandora's Box has been opened and there's no going back.
The tech is simply what enabled the behavior. Technology is neither good nor bad. That is up to the people that use it.
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because I was too young (Vietnam, etc.) but did the mobs rule then too?
I don't remember seeing corporations or public facing organizations of any type cave so easily to mobs before.
Is it social media? Is it always this way in periods of divide?
just curious really.
social media my man....it's all social media
Yeah. I shudder to think that would have happened if they had social media back in Salem. People could have gotten hurt.
Or as many hear assert, he actually said "Martin Luther Kun King" by accidentally combining "King" and "Junior."
Context matters.
Even when writing, it's not difficult to transpose words or even miss one or two completely. If you catch my drift. Glass houses and all that jazz.
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the guy said martin luther coon king. i'm pretty that will get you fired anywhere regardless of why.
Or as many hear assert, he actually said "Martin Luther Kun King" by accidentally combining "King" and "Junior."
Context matters.
Impressive how you heard how it was spelled.
And I too miss our BBI Weatherman’s insight. C’mon back WM.
Of all the absurd takes I've seen on BBI, this is up there. Congratulations!
He had to have been drunk on-air, not for the 1st time.
He had to have been drunk on-air, not for the 1st time.
I was living in Texas when Clayton Williams tubed his election chances with the same "joke". Never heard of Antoine and don't know the dates, so I don't know who stole it from whom.
A couple of people have said that the slur combined with MLK's name is common.
In my 42 and have years living in Virginia and Florida, working and socializing with all kinds of different people, I have never heard this before. I don't run in racist circles, sure, I've heard some racist things from acquaintances before but never that.
I really can't believe he would get fired for what is clearly an innocent fumbling over words.
Only a shitty person wouldn't give someone like this guy the benefit of the doubt, especially given his extremely (and IMO, unnecessary) heartfelt apology.
Really this is all that even needs to be said.
Elaborate, Motown.
You think this guy is a racist and needed to have been fired? You think he said this intentionally? You think he apparently says racially charged things so often in his private life that he slipped?
What "true colors" are you referring to?
With respect, I'd like to have your full commentary, rather than a drive-by post.
I suppose you could have been kidding. Which would make the defending R Kelly comparison less ludicrous.
He's saying that the people who think it was a case of this guy merely being tongue-tied instead of a self-sabotaging racist are the ones showing their true colors-- that those people are not only racists, but they are just as bad as people who defend a serial child molester.
He's saying that the people who think it was a case of this guy merely being tongue-tied instead of a self-sabotaging racist are the ones showing their true colors-- that those people are not only racists, but they are just as bad as people who defend a serial child molester.
Ha. Paul, no ... I didn't miss it. I'm just merely in a bit of disbelief, and would like to hear more. Hoping he backs himself out of that ... or dives headlong. Just curious to know more. Like some would crane their neck to see more passing by a particularly bad-looking highway car wreck.
His posts have always required a secret decoder ring.
I don't remember seeing corporations or public facing organizations of any type cave so easily to mobs before.
Is it social media? Is it always this way in periods of divide?
just curious really.
The country was always this divided. What's happening now is that people who were forced into silence can speak out.
Racists.
When I was a young man, my family would often eat dinners in my parents living room, around the TV, always watching our beloved Giants on Sunday afternoon/evening. I remember a showing of an "All in the Family" episode that followed one game. It was a great put down of Archie and his racist instincts, however a softer more inclusive side of him was highlighted, making viewers wonder if he really meant some of the outrageous things he said, or was just blowing off steam, as many did back then.
Our country has come so far since those earlier days and we have made progress, with certainly more to achieve. I am saddened that we have not progressed with the vitriolic instant guilt we assign others, often who we do not even know.
The comment on this weather show was repugnant and should not be heard om any show by anyone today. All sides have made similar mistakes (if this in fact was). I however will not indict this man, losing one's career and facing such public scorn saddens me, seeming punitive acts that do not show maturation and forgiveness, again so far without further evidence, but bitter partisan vitriol. Just my two cents.
His posts have always required a secret decoder ring.
+1
Motown has a long, proud tradition on BBI of making absolutely zero sense.
I ask because if it was an actual mess up, I hope he apologized in that way - insisting it was a mistake. Not that he was sorry and it won't happen again.
Also - what's the guy's history? Good colleague? Never posts similar stuff on social media? Generally well liked by all?
MotownGIANTS : 12:41 pm : link : reply
trying to defend R. Kelly .... smh but hey let your true colors shine through.
He'd give him one bad ass eye stoving to remember!!
Is there some groundswell of support for him that I missed?
I ask because if it was an actual mess up, I hope he apologized in that way - insisting it was a mistake. Not that he was sorry and it won't happen again.
Said he was speaking too quickly and got tongue tied, didn't even realize how it had come out, and would never have said anything like that. He wasn't apologizing for a word slip, he was explaining that the words of MLK's name simply got jumbled up as he was speaking, and it came out wrong.
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He meant to say it, he misspoke, and he is secretly a racist and lets his inner alt-right loony shine through when he's not careful.
What weatherman would knowingly say a racial epithet on a local newscast? Nobody. He didn't mean to say.
There are plenty of secret racists out there, but does anyone really think he would subconsciously slip an epithet into MLK's name on a local newscast? Hard to believe.
Or did he get his tongue tied and misspeak, like hundreds of people before him on live television? I think this is clearly the obvious answer. He has a lot more in common with the "Boom goes the dynamite" guy than Steve Bannon. Come on, folks...
I don’t believe he intended to say it however given that it is an epithet used to describe MLK, I understand why people are upset that he said it. Just as some posters here would be offended if a reporter accidentally said Ronald Retard Reagan park or George White Trash WBush park
Huh?
It's at the very very least plausible that a person would say "king Junior" quickly enough where it comes out sounding like "Coon"..
It is not plausible by any stretch of the imagination that a person would say "white trash" when saying W Bush or 'retard' when saying Reagan. Those are completely different sets of sounds. You can't be serious.
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This guy gets canned, yet I see TV shows like "Blackish" & "The Neighborhood" use the words like "Cracka", "honkey" & "White boy" freely & without ridicule... One for all, all for one - But my opinion is that we all need to STOP being so damn overly sensitive!!!
The reality though, keeping this pot stirred keeps folks like Al Sharpton current & feed$ their wallet$.
Yep how far the pendulum has swung back - Lebron James calls NFL owners "old white guys" with "slave mentalities" and not a peep from the media but this guy stutters and gets his life ruined. Fact that Al Sharpton even has a show on MSNBC after all the racist remarks he's made through the years shows what a double standard there is.
I wish I could bet on things like "over/under on how long it will take giant24 to weigh in on a topic regarding race" or "guess how long it will take giant24 to somehow claim that white men are oppressed."
Not a good use of your time.
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In comment 14253902 Jim Bur(n)t said:
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This guy gets canned, yet I see TV shows like "Blackish" & "The Neighborhood" use the words like "Cracka", "honkey" & "White boy" freely & without ridicule... One for all, all for one - But my opinion is that we all need to STOP being so damn overly sensitive!!!
The reality though, keeping this pot stirred keeps folks like Al Sharpton current & feed$ their wallet$.
Yep how far the pendulum has swung back - Lebron James calls NFL owners "old white guys" with "slave mentalities" and not a peep from the media but this guy stutters and gets his life ruined. Fact that Al Sharpton even has a show on MSNBC after all the racist remarks he's made through the years shows what a double standard there is.
I wish I could bet on things like "over/under on how long it will take giant24 to weigh in on a topic regarding race" or "guess how long it will take giant24 to somehow claim that white men are oppressed."
but given the context of the thread (being bullshit, unwarranted outrage), he's pretty much in context with his bullshit, unwarranted, outrage. No non-sequitur this time.
Well said B. This seems like a mistake and if I heard it on TV as it was, I wouldn’t have noticed it. I would have noticed that he jumbled his words, but I would not have picked up on what the mob is claiming he said. In his apology he seemed sincere and he looks pretty torn up by it.
The ironic part is that the city council member that originally brought it up is a former Rochester weather man and said that most broadcasts are ad libbed and mistakes happen, but this one is unforgivable. Jerk.
Atrocities like this can't go uncommented on!!
I could see it... King is followed by Junior which produces the oooo sounds, and sometimes, your speaking mechanism just gets all discombobulated.
Disgusting.
Well, let's not get to the emotional response of "disgusted" to something before it's actually happened and is still merely a hypothetical.
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In comment 14253902 Jim Bur(n)t said:
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This guy gets canned, yet I see TV shows like "Blackish" & "The Neighborhood" use the words like "Cracka", "honkey" & "White boy" freely & without ridicule... One for all, all for one - But my opinion is that we all need to STOP being so damn overly sensitive!!!
The reality though, keeping this pot stirred keeps folks like Al Sharpton current & feed$ their wallet$.
Yep how far the pendulum has swung back - Lebron James calls NFL owners "old white guys" with "slave mentalities" and not a peep from the media but this guy stutters and gets his life ruined. Fact that Al Sharpton even has a show on MSNBC after all the racist remarks he's made through the years shows what a double standard there is.
I wish I could bet on things like "over/under on how long it will take giant24 to weigh in on a topic regarding race" or "guess how long it will take giant24 to somehow claim that white men are oppressed."
Dude really? Am I not allowed to have an opinion on race? I see lots of other posters on here that have commented on other race related posts, why single me out. Why don't you just come out and say what you're really thinking?
I couldn't make it out either, though once I read what it was, I can kind of hear it. That doesn't absolve him imo. If I were going to try to sneak in dirty word, I'd probably say it super quick and a little hard to catch too. But the context of his history, and the fact that it's a plausible thing to misspeak, should.
Yeah, it's sure a puzzlement.
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Dude really? Am I not allowed to have an opinion on race? I see lots of other posters on here that have commented on other race related posts, why single me out. Why don't you just come out and say what you're really thinking?
Yeah, it's sure a puzzlement.
Not a stretch at all. When you have the consecutive syllables "king" and "june" you could accidentally say "jing" or "kune" with absolutely no nefarious intentions whatsoever.
And to fire someone over it is abusive beyond words.
I think speech professionals would greatly disagree with you. I listen to people in my office, clients and friends get tongue tied on a daily basis, most of the time it sounds like slop but sometimes it sounds like a legitimate word. I think this is pretty cut and dry.
Yes, in all of my employees employment contracts I specifically spell out Freudian slips as cause for termination.
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He meant to say it, he misspoke, and he is secretly a racist and lets his inner alt-right loony shine through when he's not careful.
What weatherman would knowingly say a racial epithet on a local newscast? Nobody. He didn't mean to say.
There are plenty of secret racists out there, but does anyone really think he would subconsciously slip an epithet into MLK's name on a local newscast? Hard to believe.
Or did he get his tongue tied and misspeak, like hundreds of people before him on live television? I think this is clearly the obvious answer. He has a lot more in common with the "Boom goes the dynamite" guy than Steve Bannon. Come on, folks...
I don’t believe he intended to say it however given that it is an epithet used to describe MLK, I understand why people are upset that he said it. Just as some posters here would be offended if a reporter accidentally said Ronald Retard Reagan park or George White Trash WBush park
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He meant to say it, he misspoke, and he is secretly a racist and lets his inner alt-right loony shine through when he's not careful.
What weatherman would knowingly say a racial epithet on a local newscast? Nobody. He didn't mean to say.
There are plenty of secret racists out there, but does anyone really think he would subconsciously slip an epithet into MLK's name on a local newscast? Hard to believe.
Or did he get his tongue tied and misspeak, like hundreds of people before him on live television? I think this is clearly the obvious answer. He has a lot more in common with the "Boom goes the dynamite" guy than Steve Bannon. Come on, folks...
I don’t believe he intended to say it however given that it is an epithet used to describe MLK, I understand why people are upset that he said it. Just as some posters here would be offended if a reporter accidentally said Ronald Retard Reagan park or George White Trash WBush park
Retard Reagan?
White Trash Bush?
Where the fuck do you come up with this shit? Good lord.
So you actually think it’s plausible a guy in the news business would wake up one day and decide I’m going to mix in “coon” when referencing Martin Luther King? Intentionally. And commit career suicide.
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When I listened to it initially, I thought he fumbled his words. Then listening a few more times I could go either way.
So you actually think it’s plausible a guy in the news business would wake up one day and decide I’m going to mix in “coon” when referencing Martin Luther King? Intentionally. And commit career suicide.
this is scraping the bottom of the white people racist barrel. Identity politics needs the oppressor vs oppressed angle.
Attributing our worst instincts to social media is at best silly, and at worst dismissive.
The lesson we learn (and forget) every time we get ourselves all wrapped in paranoia and distrust, is to think it out before acting out.
Probably a good lesson for those in charge at the news station.
Maybe the guy is a klansman, I have no clue; but have some amount of intelligent and objectivity to see the perfect storm that "King Junior" can cause if you incorrectly stumble over those two words.
Nope, just easier to call him a racist and pat oneself on the back. Job well done!
I’ve asked this several times. You’ll get no answer because there is none.
Which debunks this theory that he did it on purpose for some unexplained, irrational reason...
Attributing our worst instincts to social media is at best silly, and at worst dismissive.
The lesson we learn (and forget) every time we get ourselves all wrapped in paranoia and distrust, is to think it out before acting out.
Probably a good lesson for those in charge at the news station.
We’ve burned witches????
I want to see proof of that.
Yeah, I just can’t get behind that.
You acknowledge that this guy made a mistake (a word jumbling in one sentence out of countless) but can’t feel bad for him for losing his job, income, career, means to live, and reputation, because you heard somebody else, somewhere else, unrelatedly say something similar?
That seems unnecessarily cruel.
That just seems
In essence, Osi is saying the guy made a unintentional mistake but should suffer the consequences for a mistake because the social mob called for it.
Anyone have and answer to the questions above about why a guy would intentionally utter a racist phrase on TV and pick a very awkward way of doing it?
His apology may be sincere, which is appropriate.
His job should be ruined, but his career is not. If he has talent and desire, he can overcome this. I hope he does.
Everyone doesn't get to keep a good job if they can't preform acceptable. This guy failed and will need to find someone else to take a chance on him or find a new career.
Metnut : 9:38 am : link : reply
qualified for these on-air jobs vastly exceeds the number of jobs available. In such a competitive industry, I'm sure the network can find someone who can manage to not ever use racial slurs on the air.
Why limit it to racial slurs? In such a competitive industry, why not fire any on air person who flubs their words. Why not fire any sportscaster who gets the down and distance wrong, as isn't accuracy a huge part of their job?
You do realize that going down that rabbit hole means that anyone can be fired for an unintentional mistake.
Next guy that is off by 5 degrees or more - fire his incompetent ass!
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The amount of people who want and are
Metnut : 9:38 am : link : reply
qualified for these on-air jobs vastly exceeds the number of jobs available. In such a competitive industry, I'm sure the network can find someone who can manage to not ever use racial slurs on the air.
Why limit it to racial slurs? In such a competitive industry, why not fire any on air person who flubs their words. Why not fire any sportscaster who gets the down and distance wrong, as isn't accuracy a huge part of their job?
You do realize that going down that rabbit hole means that anyone can be fired for an unintentional mistake.
With even minimal Search Skills, you can call up thousands of youtube videos dedicated to news announcer bloopers. In fact, a large proportion of them include weathermen, where it seems like there's a propensity for misspeaking. It seems like it's a very common thing.
To want a guy fired and all that entails, although you recognize it's a mistake, even if you attempt to rationalize by stating., with zero evidence or justification whatsoever, that it's Freudian or something he usually says hundreds of times when he's alone in his bedroom, is cruel. I think it reflects more poorly on those with that behavior rather than on a person making an error.
Never mind that that a replacement head coach is worse than the incumbent, doesn’t matter, the incumbent must be held accountable. At all costs. Same shit in the real world. Fire him fire her worry about the rest later. Never mind due process... someone has to pay. It’s all garbage.
There is that too... I mean... how?
That’s one hell of a slip.
Anyway, about 9 months later, the woman was laid off. She was a pain in the ass to deal with and really wasn't that good at what she did.
So what did she do? Sued the company for gender bias and went off on social media about the injustice of being let go.
I don't think she ever saw the irony or the tie-in to her behavior
Anyway, about 9 months later, the woman was laid off. She was a pain in the ass to deal with and really wasn't that good at what she did.
So what did she do? Sued the company for gender bias and went off on social media about the injustice of being let go.
I don't think she ever saw the irony or the tie-in to her behavior
I am really not surprised to read this FMiC. Hopefully she lost the law suit. I know what I am about to say may sound a little ridiculous, but as our society has evolved, it has gotten worse. Technology has improved the quality of life without question but society has degraded to a degree.
Nothing was more pure than thousands of years ago when people had to hunt and gather and fend for themselves to stay alive. No safety nets. No offending anyone. No blaming others if you starve, etc
Anyway, about 9 months later, the woman was laid off. She was a pain in the ass to deal with and really wasn't that good at what she did.
So what did she do? Sued the company for gender bias and went off on social media about the injustice of being let go.
I don't think she ever saw the irony or the tie-in to her behavior
Did she have this haircut?
The suit against the company was thrown out and I actually think the company let her off the hook by not pursuing her having to pay the legal fees.
She went on to work for a competitor and was let go there too.
And yet, I'd bet that if we had the same lunch today, she'd still go off on the cashier the same way.
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The amount of people who want and are
Metnut : 9:38 am : link : reply
qualified for these on-air jobs vastly exceeds the number of jobs available. In such a competitive industry, I'm sure the network can find someone who can manage to not ever use racial slurs on the air.
Why limit it to racial slurs? In such a competitive industry, why not fire any on air person who flubs their words. Why not fire any sportscaster who gets the down and distance wrong, as isn't accuracy a huge part of their job?
You do realize that going down that rabbit hole means that anyone can be fired for an unintentional mistake.
People get fired for unintentional mistakes all the time. This is a capitalistic country.
It comes down to the magnitude of the mistake. Personally, I (and the network) think that using a racial slur on the air is fair grounds for dismissal. Reasonable people can disagree certainly, but I'm fine with what the network did.
Easy to look like a good guy when you're begging for your cushy job back.
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not willing to give - a person who seems like an upstanding member of society, family man and good guy - the benefit of the doubt. Real tough guys.
Easy to look like a good guy when you're begging for your cushy job back.
Yeah, except according to everyone who knows the guy personally he's a great guy. But you know better, Metnut.
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The amount of people who want and are
Metnut : 9:38 am : link : reply
qualified for these on-air jobs vastly exceeds the number of jobs available. In such a competitive industry, I'm sure the network can find someone who can manage to not ever use racial slurs on the air.
Why limit it to racial slurs? In such a competitive industry, why not fire any on air person who flubs their words. Why not fire any sportscaster who gets the down and distance wrong, as isn't accuracy a huge part of their job?
You do realize that going down that rabbit hole means that anyone can be fired for an unintentional mistake.
People get fired for unintentional mistakes all the time. This is a capitalistic country.
It comes down to the magnitude of the mistake. Personally, I (and the network) think that using a racial slur on the air is fair grounds for dismissal. Reasonable people can disagree certainly, but I'm fine with what the network did.
He didn't intentionally use a racial slur. I choose to give him the benefit of the doubt. You don't, because you're a tuff guy. No big deal. Enjoy.
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Who cares if he used a vulgar racial slur on the air!
He didn't intentionally use a racial slur. I choose to give him the benefit of the doubt. You don't, because you're a tuff guy. No big deal. Enjoy.
You're the one insulting people on the internet because they don't agree with you. Have a good day.
SO, your position is that "what is" is irrelevant. People lives rise and fall on your whim?
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to me.
SO, your position is that "what is" is irrelevant. People lives rise and fall on your whim?
I'm not sure what your point is here. This is a message board. Isn't the point to chime in with opinions and comments?
The network and a lot of other people also thought that he said a disgusting vulgar racial slur on the air. Actions have consequences.
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In comment 14255504 Metnut said:
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to me.
SO, your position is that "what is" is irrelevant. People lives rise and fall on your whim?
I'm not sure what your point is here. This is a message board. Isn't the point to chime in with opinions and comments?
The network and a lot of other people also thought that he said a disgusting vulgar racial slur on the air. Actions have consequences.
But you're blurring actions with peoples' interpretations.
My point is that somewhere there is a "truth" here but several posters view the truth to be irrelevant when you get the chance to rejoice in someone's demise.
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In comment 14255491 Metnut said:
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Who cares if he used a vulgar racial slur on the air!
He didn't intentionally use a racial slur. I choose to give him the benefit of the doubt. You don't, because you're a tuff guy. No big deal. Enjoy.
You're the one insulting people on the internet because they don't agree with you. Have a good day.
Not insulting anyone. Just some real tough guys with some tough stances.
You've never met him; never seen his broadcast; don't know his family, friends, coworkers; background or upbringing but yet you can come to this conclusion. With "dumbass" thrown in for good measure.
Must be nice living a perfect life
"Who the hell ever says Martin Luther Jr. anyway lol?"
This makes no sense. (It goes well with the rest of your opinion.)
The irony of siding with a majority because a lot of people thought the same thing on a thread about race is just dripping with hypocrisy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qJOA4Tt3Ko
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDTXsRWIE-o
To all the racial justice warriors, why would the word "koon" be the racial word of choice here since, according to some, it has no verbal relationship to jumbling the words "King" and "Junior".
I mean, why "koon"?! Why not something more severe?
And that really is key. Is the guy going to give a "wink, wink" and awkwardly mishmash words, or would he have to be really overt to get his point across to those who would grasp it.
I'm thinking that if he intended to use a slur, his target audience is going to need it to be more direct, like an enunciation of the word clearly and probably while wearing a Davy Boone hat.
But we have to believe the guy just waits until a random date and time to work in a slur. Was he waiting since last February to get a chance to say Martin Luther Coon King?
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People have been known to say this, that’s what a lot on this thread clearly don’t realize. I think it’s far more likely that he simply said something that he’s said in private on TV by accident than this whole imo dumb ”Junior/King could cause someone to mistakenly say Coon” excuse. Who the hell ever says Martin Luther Jr. anyway lol? I find that excuse weak. It seems cruel lmao. Dumbass made a mistake and a bad one, there are consequences to fucking up on TV.
good post
I thought it was a bad post before you posted. Now I know it was a bad post.
My opposition is to those who:
1. Are in complete denial that a logical word jumbling exists.
2. Are quick to dismiss a logical word jumbling was the cause, knowing NOTHING personal about the man himself.
And since there are multiple examples of such a gaffe existing in the media, I don't know can anyone can gloss-over such a fact and claim straight or subtle racism.
People-- especially those reading teleprompters or cue cards-- trip over their words all the time and sometimes they say the wrong words, and often times they say the wrong syllables and say things that aren't actual words at all. Often, the person's brain is a few steps ahead of their mouth, and it causes them to fumble the pronunciation, or create a spoonerism, or transpose syllables.
Next time SNL is on, watch. See how many times Leslie Jones trips over her words. Whenever Robert DeNiro makes a cameo, watch how many times he fumbles his lines and messes up saying ordinary words by injecting the wrong syllables and has to correct himself.
Go on youtube and watch the scores of newscaster flubs or blooper reels for any TV show and it will be filled with actors garbling their lines and making the wrong sounds for words.
Has no one ever heard of a tongue-twister?!?! When people mess up saying them, it's not because the faulty sounds they make are what's really in their heart and what they say in private. It's because they make an error in speech.
If a newscaster read from a teleprompter "The Doctor said Shirley should sit in a chair" and said "The doctor said Shirley should shit-- sit in a chair" would the take-away be that the newscaster was a foul-mouthed lout with "shit" in his heart?
In this case, he wanted to say Martin LOOther King JOOnior, and instead what came out was KOOng.
As soon as he realized he was saying KOOng instead of King, he stopped, and then said King right after.
That's why it sounded like Martin LOOther KOOn-King JOOnior.
It's a little sick how many people, who don't know this guy at all, want him to be a closet racist who sabotaged his own career because he just couldn't help himself.
I pray to god no otherwise innocent boy going through puberty has their voice crack while saying "oil and vinegar."
I think it’s far more likely that he simply said something that he’s said in private on TV by accident than this whole imo dumb ”Junior/King could cause someone to mistakenly say Coon” excuse.
You've never met him; never seen his broadcast; don't know his family, friends, coworkers; background or upbringing but yet you can come to this conclusion. With "dumbass" thrown in for good measure.
Must be nice living a perfect life
You're right about me calling him a "dumbass". That was uncalled and I apologize for that because no matter what, I do think it was a mistake. I don't think he purposefully tried to sneak this in there for shits and giggles and put himself at so much risk.
I believe he made a mistake but I see everybody and their grandma on this thread just completely assuming it was a linguistic mistake instead of a freudian mistake. And that might be true. And when I say a freudian slip, I don't think it would necessarily even make him racist because he could've just heard it from other people and had it in his head.
But again this is a well known slur that is something that people have been known to call Martin Luther King Jr. since he was alive. This is one of the go-to nicknames to insult MLK. The title of this thread hilariously has quotation marks. There's no quotation marks needed, this IS a racial slur even if it's an accident.
Yeah, I just can’t get behind that.
You acknowledge that this guy made a mistake (a word jumbling in one sentence out of countless) but can’t feel bad for him for losing his job, income, career, means to live, and reputation, because you heard somebody else, somewhere else, unrelatedly say something similar?
That seems unnecessarily cruel.
I said "I don't feel too bad for him", I didn't say "I'm happy he got fired". I do feel bad that he lost his job but again, not that much. His job is to be on live TV and if you make a mistake that offends a lot of people then there are consequences. And yes, Martin Luther Coon is offensive considering how it's a phrase that has been used purposefully to insult him in the past.
If he wasn't fired, I wouldn't be here calling for him to be fired. If nothing happened to him, I could atleast see the logic with the "linguistic error" and accept it. But now that he's fired, I'm not going to sit here and cry for him like so many on this thread because the fact is that even honest mistakes have repercussions. He accidentally fucked up and insulted a lot of people on live TV, how his employer wants to handle that is up to them.
JJ ended up saying "I just wanted to wish all of the NBA [word sounding like "chink"] fans in China... a very happy Chinese New Year."
Clearly he fumbled his words starting to say "NBA Ch" for either "NBA China" or "NBA Chinese" which was not what he was intending to say and flubbed it with "fans" and the result was an unintentional sound of "chink" or "chin" or "chan." And because it was a flub, it had an abrupt stop to the sound before he then said "fans." Just saying the word "chin" with sudden stop as if said in error can produce something that sounds like the slur. (similarly saying "KOOng" and stopping abruptly would drop the 'g' sound to the word resulting in a similar sound as the slur).
He caught a ton of heat for this. How could he possibly say "chink"? What a racist.
But that didn't make any sense. Why would JJ Redick, with no history of racism, use the most obvious racial slur for Chinese people in an official video made by a Chinese production company, licensed by the NBA, and specifically to be broadcast to the NBA's fans in China? It is preposterous. And why didn't Tencent (or the NBA) edit it out if it were so obviously racist? The likely answer is because they didn't catch it either and thought that it was just a flubbed line that only sounded bad when it caught someone's attention and people were looking for it.
If you transposed the 'd' and the 'e' in 'rode,' you end up with 'roed,' a nonsense word that has no meaning. But if you did it with 'code,' you end up with 'coed,' which happens to be a word by coincidence. It's the same error, but one results in nonsense and the other results in a word.
Or, imagine a typist was doing the captioning for a live event and without the chance to delete, he left out an'o' by mistake and wrote "Taylor Swift is a cuntry country artist"
Why would the assumption be that in the typist's heart, he thinks that Taylor Swift is a cunt and refers to her by that so often in private that it slipped out in the typing?
That seems ridiculous to me.
He brought too much attention on his "flub" for everyone to beleive it. I bet if he never said a word about it, people would have been far less likely to jump to conclusions one way or another....
In a world where many things are caught on tape without our knowledge, and where our acquaintances and enemies can easily be tapped for dirt and opinions in exchange for a few bucks, if the guy was an active racist maybe there would be some evidence?
If it's in his character, and he had the intent or bad judgement to purposefully use a racist slur at work on TV no less, maybe there would be some evidence?
And maybe if the network gave it a week or so to see if some evidence surfaced, and there was none, and some thoughtfulness was applied, the guy would have his job, a news network wouldn't look so rushed to conclusions (not a good look for a news network), and there would still be the opportunity to focus and meditate on casual and subtle racism?
So, if I said, "Osi's erratic behavior is extremely odd today; he's acting very queer".
That would be a racial slur according to you?!
He brought too much attention on his "flub" for everyone to beleive it. I bet if he never said a word about it, people would have been far less likely to jump to conclusions one way or another....
Considering it went viral and he was fired before issuing his apology, this seems unlikely.