I don't know if you guys have been following the story on Paula Deen but it recently caught my eye and I did a little research. The article I found really reminds me of the Chick-Fil-A de-bock-le. (Pardon the pun.) CNN is states that Paula Deen has used the "N" word in her life and in a negative connotation. She does go on to explain that it was in a different time and she doesn't discriminate against race, sexuality or gender today. I mean, even if she did say it, at least she apologized! Even then, we have to remember that Paula Deen had had a lot of work done (she's pretty dang old) so during her teen years the major social problems included racism. The fact that she admitted to her past faults and went onto apologize is a huge thing. I know a lot of people her age are older (Especially in the South) that still believe interRACIAL marriage is wrong. That's pretty bad considering now same-sex marriage is becoming legally and socially accepted. (Score!) In short, I do believe people are over reacting (like with Chick-fil-A) and because of that, companies are saving their butts.
This leads me to my next topic: Racial and other prejudice slurs in writing. Are they okay with historical context or not? Honestly I'm a fan of the real deal nitty-gritty historical recounts in writing. (As long as the author personally doesn't favor the past.) However, if Bubba Joe wants to write book about how the only real people are White, Christian, God-Fearing men then he really can go back under the rock (read trailer) he came from. When we look at books such as To Kill a Mocking Bird and Uncle Tom's Cabin (depending on which publisher's book you read) you'll see that racial slurs are used. This is because racism did happen and still does today. Slavery existed in the United States. These are true facts of history that America is now (hopefully) ashamed of. Just like the Holocaust in during World War II, these past mistakes need to be learned and taught in order to keep the past from repeating itself and head towards a better future.
Getting off my soapbox, I'll add that personal preference and comfort is also a factor in this decision. Some people aren't comfortable with swear words; I get it. That's something that should be listed on the back of a book so that those people don't find themselves blushing in a coffee shop. (Don't get me started on book ratings.) I, myself, don't personally use the "f" word slur for homosexuality because one, it's a negatively contorted word and two, it actually means a bundle of sticks used for tanks or in English slang, a cigarette. Neither of which I really talk much about (even though I like to pretend I'm British) in daily life. Nevertheless, I did bring it up in my novel where a very narrow-minded teenager is shown to use it as a slur. The main character who could be considered just as close-off reacts negatively (like really she almost kills the chick) to the word. I do worry that with the way society is that I might be criticized for this one word and maybe not even considered by publishers because of it. What do you guys think? Am I just being my usual nervous self or could this actually be an issue?
Comment below, adventurers and I'll see ya later!
Peace&<3,
Angela
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