Hate Speech and the Media

Recently, a number of celebrities have come under fire for their offensive speech. Some have used racially motivated hate filled slurs in the private sector, and others in more public forums. Most recently radio shock jock Imus, lost his job for a sexist and racist rant directed at a college basketball team. In each of these cases, a whole slew of apologies, press events and appearances with noted African-American community representatives (mostly Al Sharpton and Jessie Jackson). All these add up to one convoluted apology for their racist/sexist/classist/homophobic remarks. The media acknowledges the apology and the nation is free to move on until the next celebrity says something and the process is repeated.

During the time that the celebrity's tirade is in the headlines, the media and American public are outraged that the celebrity had the nerve to say what they did. Even in the apologies, most offenders apologize for "what they said" and if "their words caused pain or harm" to the people on the receiving end of their remarks. Without fail though, the original outrage, media attraction and subsequent apology all focus on the specific incidence of speech and not the cultural and deeper roots of racism that lie behind the speech. In effect, the speech is addressed but the attitude is rarely even acknowledged.

The focus on speech and not the deeper causes of the speech does two things. First, it reinforces the notion of political correctness which I believe allows most Americans to stand behind a veil of ignorance with plausible deniability that racism exists. The average person with white/male/Christian/heterosexual privilege, can say that the problem of racism has been taken care of because it's presence has been erased in the general consciousness of most Americans. If I don't see it, it doesn't exist.

Second, it creates an environment where only the most outrageous speech is acknowledge and addressed as racist. Media Matters has compiled a long list of equally offensive and more subtle racism in the media today. This list shows how sometimes racist comments are not as blatant as Imus and frankly, I think the more subtle the hate speech, the more dangerous.

I grew up in a family that had serious problems with race, I hate to say it but I think in certain members the problem persists today. I fear that I once repeated one of the most hurtful racist remarks to a teacher once, without even realizing that it was hate speech. I won't repeat it here, but suffice it to say, it was pretty horrible and I think it ruined that relationship with that particular teacher.

The point is, no one in my family would consider themselves to be racist. Largely because racism, in their view, is the KKK burning crosses on lawns, and not the more subtle racism that hides below the surface. Which to me, is even more dangerous than Imus and his rants, because they become a part of a cultural fabric, perpetuating racist ideologies and are seldom questioned.

I want to be careful and say that I believe that hate speech of any kind is dangerous, and I am glad that we live in a civil society which recognizes hate speech as a form of an -ism. However, if all focus is placed on outlandish speech, then we are at risk of not acknowledging the deeper roots of speech and the actual -ism at work. We have to acknowledge both the speech and the ideology behind it if we are to have any hope of creating a truly civil and healthy society.

Media Matters coverage here.
Another interesting take from Harvey Fierstein here.