Dog in the Middle
Friday, August 08 2008 | Comments (0)
Dog frequently interacts with people
of all races, creeds, and colors on his show.
Spin? or part of the Reality?
One side is calling for Dog's blood, seeking the removal of his show and the censuring of A&E. The other side feels Dog is just the victim of a larger dysfunction in our culture. Dog seems to have landed in the middle of a larger debate: the role of the "N-word" in our culture.
Pundits such as conservative African American leader Jesse Lee Peterson who considers Dog just another victim of a false controversy.
Rev. Peterson believe that the lack of anger over incidents such as the Rev Jesse Jackson's recent use of the "N-word" indicate that people are offended by the word only when it is politically useful to be offended.
"Recently, black activists and rappers joined left-wing groups such as Moveon.org calling for an unwarranted boycott of Fox News Channel for alleged 'racism.' Instead, shouldn't these people boycott Jesse Jackson for referring to an entire race of people as n----rs'? They would if the word really meant something to them."
Dog with a friend on a recent shopping trip
But organizations like the Afrosphere Action Coalition, which sponsors the Respect In Media Campaign, feel that a zero tolerance policy is the only acceptable stand and are calling for a boycott of the companies which sponsor Dog the Bounty Hunter. Many continue to petition A&E for the removal of the show from the network.
This debate will continue for some time yet, the only observation here is that Dog is stuck squarely in the center of it, a microcosm of the issues. His own efforts at reconciliation, viewed as honest repentance by some and mere "spin" by others, at least help inform the debate and provide a possible template for further action. Whatever happens, no matter how they feel about him, people are watching Dog to see what happens next.
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