Paula Deen and Words

Today I posted a status on my Facebook page that ran thusly:    
      <---Is very frustrated when I see nifty pics or sayings that share my sentiments, but contain the f-bomb. Really? I remember my mom saying that what comes out of your mouth reflects what's on your inside.

Several people made comments on the status, ranging from what makes a "bad word" a bad word, and eventually the discussion turned to racially charged language, which led me to share some thoughts on the recent Paula Deen controversy.  (I don't know if you'll be able to see my status unless you are my Facebook Friend, but HERE is a link in case you can see it.)  If you can't see it you could send me a friend request, but I'm not guaranteeing I'll accept.
 
Prior to this status adventure, I had been pondering the whole Paula Deen situation.  It relates on some level to my Outrage Overload posting earlier.  I feel compelled to share my thoughts on the issue.

As you may know, I teach English.  This means that I teach literature.  I love teaching literature because I love language, and I love how literature can give us a way to look at the world around us and develop our moral standards based on the experiences of the characters we encounter.  I love teaching texts with challenging issues.  Some of my favorite works to teach include Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird and John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men.  In the past I have taught such works as I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain.  One thing you may notice about these four works is that they all have race in common.  Each of these texts contains racial language that in today's culture is offensive.  In fact, these four works are in the top 25 of the most frequently challenged books list, as compiled by the American Library Association.  (You can see the full list HERE.)  The primary reason for each of these books is because of the racial language used.

Whenever I teach a text that contains potentially offensive material, I take some time to address that not only with my students but also with parents.  I will explain that I do not choose such material lightly, and that I plan to handle the material as respectfully and appropriately as possible.  I explain that in works such as these, it is important to understand the historical and cultural context in which such language is used.  The use of racial language in these works is necessary in the sense that it was a part of the culture in which the novel or memoir is set.  I use the example the presence of violence and dying in a novel about the Vietnam war; it would be impossible to write a realistic novel about something like that without death and violence.  I also emphasize that in today's culture we have an understanding that racial language is not appropriate and isn't something we should use outside of the context of discussing the novel.  If students or I must read something aloud or quote something in writing, I encourage them to handle the offensive language in a variety of ways: they can skip the word, say the first initial, or whatever else is comfortable for them.

This is all a lengthy prelude to my thoughts on the Paula Deen controversy.  Sorry, but sometimes I have to explain myself too thoroughly in order to be confident that I'm conveying myself correctly.

I am not surprised that Paula Deen admits to using racial language now or in her past.  I am not surprised that she wouldn't be fazed by the use of racial or ethnic jokes.  I am not surprised that she would think that a plantation-themed restaurant that had only African-American servers is charming.  Do I support or condone these behaviors?  Certainly not.  But I'm not surprised.

Much of what I've read about this shares some common themes.  Predominant among them is the idea that Paula Deen is a product of the culture in which she was raised.  She's white.  She's from the South.  She grew up in the South in a time when such thinking was common.  She probably heard racial language used by the people around her.  

However, Paula Deen lives in today's culture.  She's a public figure.  The fact that she may have used and allowed racial language and jokes in her presence was not the best choice to make.  Even if she was raised in a different culture, that does not excuse her turning a blind eye to such behavior.

I was raised in a different culture.  Using such language was considered beyond inappropriate..in fact racially-charged terms were (and are) considered just as bad as "swear" words.  I cannot imagine using such words out loud other than in the context of studying literature or quoting what someone else had said.   

One of the more overlooked aspects of this controversy seems to be that Deen thought it would be "impressive" to have all African-American servers at her brother's wedding.  She wanted to give hi m a "real Southern-style" wedding (See this article.) Evidently Deen had been to a restaurant where all the servers were African-American.  She thought it reflected a particular era, pre-Civil War to be exact.  Again, I'm not surprised.  

We have romanticized the Antebellum Era here in America.  The Southern plantation represents a genteel, beautiful time of hoopskirts, mint juleps, and southern drawls.  Let me rephrase this...White Americans have done this.  

We seem to overlook that the plantation culture was run on the backs of slaves.  Gone with the Wind, North and South, and hundreds of other novels, plays, and films have created this image of plantation culture that idealizes even the lives of slaves.  I myself went through a phase in high school where I was enamored of the southern belle and the plantations.  Although I can't recall specific references, I remember that there were some who believed that slavery was actually good for African Americans.

Yet I cannot believe that someone of such a high profile (or anyone, for that matter) would even consider such a theme for a wedding or a restaurant.  In this day and age, to glorify a culture that relied on the abuse of a group of people is beyond the pale.

As with any issue, there are those who are running Deen over the coals and those who support her unequivocally.  Some are saying she can never be forgiven, others are saying that she hasn't done anything worse than anyone else.  She has begun to express remorse, and after ducking out of a scheduled interview on The Today Show, she has apparently rescheduled to appear on Wednesday, June 26.  

Is she truly sorry for her actions or is she sorry that she got called out?  I don't know.  Will she survive the controversy?  Probably.  Americans are pretty forgiving.  Why?  Most of us realize that "there, but for the grace of God, go I."  All of us are quite capable of making similar, if not worse mistakes.