AUDIO and transcript of Dr. Laura Schlessinger’s N-word tirade and apology

Dr. Laura Schlessinger is in a whole lot of hot water after she repeatedly used the N-word while talking with a caller during her August 10 radio show.

The profanity insanity began when a woman called asking for help with her husband’s friends. She explained that she was black and her husband was white and that his friends often said racist things or pretended she wasn’t even there. Dr. Laura asked for examples and the caller said they often asked her “Oh, well, how do you black people like doing this?” and “Do black people really like doing that?”

Dr. Laura cut her off and said she didn’t believe that was racist. The caller eventually asked about the use of the n-word and Dr. Laura responded with the argument that the N-word was used all the time on HBO and that it was OK for black people to say it but not white people, which she thought was irrational. But, Dr. Laura didn’t say “N-word” she actually used the N-word! Repeatedly!

As you might expect, the caller was rather taken aback and it only got worse from there as Dr. Laura jumped up on a precarious soapbox, sharing her opinions on Barack Obama, “black-think” and the NAACP!

Here are the two audio clips from the broadcast:

  

Dr. Laura did a complete turnaround the next day, offering up a full apology at the beginning of her show. (CLICK HERE for the audio) Here is her full apology followed by the complete transcript of her conversation with the original caller named Jade:

“I talk every day about doing the right thing. And yesterday, I did the wrong thing.

I didn’t intend to hurt people, but I did. And that makes it the wrong thing to have done.

I was attempting to make a philosophical point, and I articulated the “n” word all the way out – more than one time. And that was wrong. I’ll say it again – that was wrong.

I ended up, I’m sure, with many of you losing the point I was trying to make, because you were shocked by the fact that I said the word. I, myself, realized I had made a horrible mistake, and was so upset I could not finish the show. I pulled myself off the air at the end of the hour. I had to finish the hour, because 20 minutes of dead air doesn’t work. I am very sorry. And it just won’t happen again.

I received some letters, and what touched me is that, even though many of you were upset, you still showed friendship for all the years we’ve been together on the air, and for that, trust me, I am very grateful. Here’s an example:

I’d like to thank this woman for sending me this letter. I was so very touched, and truthfully, it helped me make it through the night. So I’m going to read this letter:

Dear Dr. Laura:

I have been a listener for at least 20 years. I have bought and read several of your books. I have always held you in high regard, and have encouraged others to listen to you as well. I have to say, after today’s call with the African-American woman with the Caucasian husband who called seeking how to handle “racist” comments, I am a bit dismayed. I believe that African-Americans using the n-word is disdainful, as well as Caucasians or any other race for that matter. I agree that the argument some African-Americans use that it is ok for them to use it and not others, is ridiculous. But, I have to say, when I heard you saying the word repeatedly, it struck a negative chord with me.

I don’t believe you are a racist, and I don’t believe, as an African-American woman, that I am hypersensitive. I have to say after the call, I found it difficult to continue to listen to the rest of the show. I have not made the decision to stop listening to your show, but I felt compelled to respond because I found it offensive.

Sincerely {and she gives her name}

One last note –
The caller in question (her name is Jade), called for help from me, and didn’t get it, because we got embroiled in the “n” word, and I’m really sorry about that, because I’m here for only one reason and that’s to be helpful, so I hope Jade or somebody who knows her is listening, and hope she will call me back and I will try my best to be helpful, which is what she wanted from me in the first place and what she did not get.”

Here is the complete transcript from the call that caused all the controversy (The first instance of the use of the N-word is highlighted in red):

SCHLESSINGER: Jade, welcome to the program.

CALLER: Hi, Dr. Laura.

S: Hi.

C: I’m having an issue with my husband where I’m starting to grow very resentful of him. I’m black, and he’s white. We’ve been around some of his friends and family members who start making racist comments as if I’m not there or if I’m not black. And my husband ignores those comments, and it hurts my feelings. And he acts like —

S: Well, can you give me an example of a racist comment? ‘Cause sometimes people are hypersensitive. So tell me what’s — give me two good examples of racist comments.

C: OK. Last night — good example — we had a neighbor come over, and this neighbor — when every time he comes over, it’s always a black comment. It’s, “Oh, well, how do you black people like doing this?” And, “Do black people really like doing that?” And for a long time, I would ignore it. But last night, I got to the point where it —

S: I don’t think that’s racist.

C: Well, the stereotype —

S: I don’t think that’s racist. No, I think that —

C: [unintelligible]

S: No, no, no. I think that’s — well, listen, without giving much thought, a lot of blacks voted for Obama simply ’cause he was half-black. Didn’t matter what he was gonna do in office, it was a black thing. You gotta know that. That’s not a surprise. Not everything that somebody says — we had friends over the other day; we got about 35 people here — the guys who were gonna start playing basketball. I was going to go out and play basketball. My bodyguard and my dear friend is a black man. And I said, “White men can’t jump; I want you on my team.” That was racist? That was funny.

C: How about the N-word? So, the N-word’s been thrown around —

S: Black guys use it all the time. Turn on HBO, listen to a black comic, and all you hear is n!gger, n!gger, n!gger.

C: That isn’t —

S: I don’t get it. If anybody without enough melanin says it, it’s a horrible thing; but when black people say it, it’s affectionate. It’s very confusing. Don’t hang up, I want to talk to you some more. Don’t go away.

I’m Dr. Laura Schlessinger. I’ll be right back.

——– BREAK ———

SCHLESSINGER: I’m Dr. Laura Schlessinger, talking to Jade. What did you think about during the break, by the way?

CALLER: I was a little caught back by the N-word that you spewed out, I have to be honest with you. But my point is, race relations —

S: Oh, then I guess you don’t watch HBO or listen to any black comedians.

C: But that doesn’t make it right. I mean, race is a [unintelligible] —

S: My dear, my dear —

C: — since Obama’s been in office —

S: — the point I’m trying to make —

C: — racism has come to another level that’s unacceptable.

S: Yeah. We’ve got a black man as president, and we have more complaining about racism than ever. I mean, I think that’s hilarious.

C: But I think, honestly, because there’s more white people afraid of a black man taking over the nation.

S: They’re afraid.

C: If you want to be honest about it [unintelligible]

S: Dear, they voted him in. Only 12 percent of the population’s black. Whites voted him in.

C: It was the younger generation that did it. It wasn’t the older white people who did it.

S: Oh, OK.

C: It was the younger generation —

S: All right. All right.

C: — that did it.

S: Chip on your shoulder. I can’t do much about that.

C: It’s not like that.

S: Yeah. I think you have too much sensitivity —

C: So it’s OK to say “n!gger”?

S: — and not enough sense of humor.

C: It’s OK to say that word?

S: It depends how it’s said.

C: Is it OK to say that word? Is it ever OK to say that word?

S: It’s — it depends how it’s said. Black guys talking to each other seem to think it’s OK.

C: But you’re not black. They’re not black. My husband is white.

S: Oh, I see. So, a word is restricted to race. Got it. Can’t do much about that.

C: I can’t believe someone like you is on the radio spewing out the “n!gger” word, and I hope everybody heard it.

S: I didn’t spew out the “n!gger” word.

C: You said, “N!gger, n!gger, n!gger.”

S: Right, I said that’s what you hear.

C: Everybody heard it.

S: Yes, they did.

C: I hope everybody heard it.

S: They did, and I’ll say it again —

C: So what makes it OK for you to say the word?

S: — n!gger, n!gger, n!gger is what you hear on HB —

C: So what makes it —

S: Why don’t you let me finish a sentence?

C: OK.

S: Don’t take things out of context. Don’t double N — NAACP me. Tape the —

C: I know what the NAACP —

S: Leave them in context.

C: I know what the N-word means and I know it came from a white person. And I know the white person made it bad.

S: All right. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Can’t have this argument. You know what? If you’re that hypersensitive about color and don’t have a sense of humor, don’t marry out of your race. If you’re going to marry out of your race, people are going to say, “OK, what do blacks think? What do whites think? What do Jews think? What do Catholics think?” Of course there isn’t a one-think per se. But in general there’s “think.”

And what I just heard from Jade is a lot of what I hear from black-think — and it’s really distressting [sic] and disturbing. And to put it in its context, she said the N-word, and I said, on HBO, listening to black comics, you hear “n!gger, n!gger, n!gger.” I didn’t call anybody a n!gger. Nice try, Jade. Actually, sucky try.

Need a sense of humor, sense of humor — and answer the question. When somebody says, “What do blacks think?” say, “This is what I think. This is what I read that if you take a poll the majority of blacks think this.” Answer the question and discuss the issue. It’s like we can’t discuss anything without saying there’s -isms?

We have to be able to discuss these things. We’re people — goodness gracious me. Ah — hypersensitivity, OK, which is being bred by black activists. I really thought that once we had a black president, the attempt to demonize whites hating blacks would stop, but it seems to have grown, and I don’t get it. Yes, I do. It’s all about power. I do get it. It’s all about power and that’s sad because what should be in power is not power or righteousness to do good — that should be the greatest power.

Top Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images