Posted on 03/22/2006 3:16:47 PM PST by cardinal4
A radio personality at 550 KTRS was fired on the spot this morning after using the word “coon” on the air in a conversation about Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
Dave Lenihan was dismissed after what he called an inadvertent slip of the tongue. Within 20 minutes, station CEO Tim Dorsey apologized on the air to listeners and announced that Lenihan, who had been with the station for less than two weeks, had been let go.
“I don’t know what was in Mr. Lenihan’s mind,” Dorsey said in an interview. “I know what I heard. I know it was reprehensible.”
Lenihan’s comment was made during a discussion about Rice’s credentials to become commissioner of the National Football League, a topic that has been fodder for sports talk radio since the current commissioner announced he would retire later this year.
Lenihan was listing what assets Rice could bring to the league, including her tenure as a top academic officer at Stanford University and the fact that she is African-American.
“She’s just got a patent resume, of somebody that’s got such serious skill,” Linehan said on the air. “She loves football, she’s African-American, which would kind of be a big coon, a big coon – oh my God, I am totally, totally, totally, totally, totally sorry for that, OK? I didn’t mean that. That was just a slip of the tongue.” Lenihan later said he meant to use the word "coup."
Reached at home, Lenihan said he was still trying to figure out what happened, and was drafting a letter of apology to Rice.
"I was trying to say 'quite a coup' but it came out 'coon,"' he said. "I caught myself and apologized. It wasn't anything I was meaning to say. I never use that word.
(Excerpt) Read more at stltoday.com ...
I should probably add, the N word is off limits, too.
Town to town, up and down the dial ... now we know the backstory. George Carlin would have me say "booger, booger, booger" at this juncture.
Without thought police we will never triumph against "hate".
I worked in the oilfields, coon ass was acceptable in a jocular fashion among the roustabouts from Louisiana, a term called redbone would, quite possible, get you killed.
Those that know, will agree. Et toi?
WOW ~ I don't listen to KTRS, but my kneejerk reaction is PC run-amok!
Moi, I might agree, my ownself, since I have never used the term derogatorily. However, I'm not Cajun, so perhaps there are some who do find it offensive. None who have ever come into my circle have found it to be, either, so I've used it affectionately, or so I thought.
Here are some different viewpoints about it. As far as the other term, all I know about it is that it's Leon's last name and I have a lot of his CDs cause I like him a lot.
Here ya go - some discussions of the term "coonass" and also "coonie" in some places:
http://www.coonass.com/whycoon.htm
http://www.cajunculture.com/Other/coonass.htm
WARNING: Explicit language
http://www.randomhouse.com/wotd/index.pperl?date=20000815
WARNING: Explicit language
http://www.asteur.org/issue-coonass.html
http://www.geocities.com/bourbonstreet/3076/racoon.htm
LOL!
I can still see Eddie Murphy on SNL doing that Jesse Jackson impersonation singing...
"Don't let me down....Hymietown!"
"Slipsey". Nope, don't count when a resonable explanation is provided. Only works when you are a demorat and from Virginia.
Should have used "honky" instead. That would have gotten him a raise.
Dave Lenihan was dismissed after what he called an inadvertent slip of the tongue. Within 20 minutes, station CEO Tim Dorsey apologized on the air to listeners and announced that Lenihan, who had been with the station for less than two weeks, had been let go.
Air America is looking for people.
If anyone is interested, Larry Elder is talking with the host (Dave) on his show now.
It's KABC 790 in Los Angeles, http://www.kabc.com, or http://www.larryelder.com
He was supposed to speak with Charlie Brennan this morning on KMOX and I just saw him on KMOV..
Agree 100%.
Politically correct world is not a good world to live in for anyone....
Yes. Standards should be high. He is supposedly a 2-week old host. So, may be cut some slack?
Wasn't there an incident when a reporter/propagandist "mis-spoke" Niger Innis' name as the "N" word?
Nothing like sitting back with a beer and some popcorn and watching it all go by.
It obviously was an accident....he was speaking about Condi...CONdi. Say Condi a few times and then see how easy it is to mistakely add an N to "coup" within the same thought process.
I would have to hear the actual clip. Was this done in a sarcastic tone? Many have had true slips of the tongue, and many have manufactured the same as a way of getting their true point across.
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