Superstar of the Week: Nik Wallenda
On Sunday night, the country became abuzz with talk of a man crossing the Grand Canyon on a tightrope without a harness or safety net below. Was he insane? Was he suicidal? Would he fall? Would we get to see it? I know I had those questions run through my mind while watching the two-hour special. On a special entitled Skywalk on the Discovery Channel, Nik Wallenda – a seventh generation tightrope walker – successfully crossed the Grand Canyon in a little over 22 minutes.
As simple and pointless as it sounds on paper, actually witnessing someone cross one of the natural wonders of the world on a two-inch wide wire is cool. That said, the two hours of hype before the actual event did cause many – including myself – to root for the worst to happen from time to time just to make this colossal investment of time feel worth it. Wallenda successfully did the unthinkable though as he crossed the Grand Canyon. Many viewed Wallenda’s walk as an act of human stupidity on the grandest scale. Others viewed it as a testament to God’s glory since Wallenda said, “I love you, Jesus,” more than Tim Tebow after getting out of New York and “Oh God” more than busty porn stars do on any given afternoon in the San Fernando Valley. The reality is Wallenda did something that we will never see again in our lifetimes. As much as the cynic in me would like to, I cannot hate on him for his achievement. Congratulations to Nik Wallenda for raising the bar for daredevils everywhere… even though you did it wearing Mom jeans.
Jerk of the Week: Food Network, QVC, Smithfield Pork products, Wal-Mart, and anyone else giving Paula Deen a hard time
The Paula Deen Empire came crumbling down last week in the aftermath of a deposition released to the public while a trial is currently underway after the television chef was sued for sexual and racial discrimination. In the deposition, Deen admitted to using the “n-word” in her past. When this became public knowledge, Deen might as well have kicked a puppy, stole candy from a baby, and sang the praises of Adolph Hitler because things could not have gotten any worse. As the lynch mob mentality of the American Public reacted to the revelation, Food Network pulled all of Paula Deen’s programming from the network. QVC then announced they were “reviewing their contract” with Deen. Smithfield Pork, a longtime sponsor for Deen, canceled their contract with Deen. Wal-Mart pulled all of Deen’s merchandise from their stores. Paula Deen’s empire crumbled before her feet in less than a week.
I want to know why. Why did Paula Deen become Public Enemy #1 over admitting to saying the “n-word” in the past?
I do not think saying the “n-word” is acceptable behavior and I am not justifying the usage of the hateful racial slur. However, I am criticizing America’s reaction to Paula Deen’s usage of the word because she is one of only a handful of people to receive this kind of backlash from use of the word. More importantly, Deen did not say this hateful word in the present – she admitted to saying it 20 years ago. This is not a Michael Richards situation where it was said in a public venue and a recording lives online forever. There was no denial from Deen, only apology after apology. Yet, Paula Deen is the devil for this and I want to know why.
I guess another reason I want to know why is because the “n-word” – this horrible, ugly, vicious word – is said by 99% of all African-American comedians, actors, and rappers within the context of their craft on a daily basis. Not a whimper of backlash comes from this. Paula Deen, a white woman, admits to saying it 20 years ago in the context of a joke and it is the end of the world as we know it. I call BS on that. This is the very definition of hypocrisy.
I cannot imagine how horrible it is to be the victim of that racial slur. Of course, if it as horrible and angering as many claim, you would think they would not celebrate people of their own race using this vulgar and hate-filled term. The word would be eliminated outright; not acceptable for usage by some and grounds for persecution and slanderous accusations upon usage by others. If people in America lost their job for using a racial slur of any kind – yes, there are racial slurs for every single race as the “n-word” is not alone – America would have unemployment rates reaching 99%. That is not an overestimation of how many say these words currently or have said them once in their past; that is a fact. Cold. Hard. Truth.
Paula Deen is paying the price for being honest – regardless of how ugly honesty can be – in the United States of Hypocrisy. I just hope that everyone who is as offended by what Paula Deen said 20 years ago get as offended by what Chris Rock says in his next stand-up special. I hope they get just as offended by the photo of Honey Boo Boo making “oriental eyes” or the next time Gabriel Iglesias makes a joke about “honkeys” or “gringos.” They will not though because that is not how the United States of Hypocrisy rolls.
Babe of the Week: Carrie Underwood
A Melancholy Happy Trails to…
- Jackie Fargo, 82 - American professional wrestler famed in the Memphis region (June 24th)
- Richard Matheson, 87 - American author and screenwriter best known for episodes of The Twilight Zone, Duel, and I Am Legend (June 23rd)
- Allen Simonsen, 34 - Danish race car driver killed during the 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans (June 22nd)
- Chet Flippo, 69 - American music journalist and music critic (June 19th)
- James Gandolfini, 51 - American actor best known for The Sopranos (June 19th)
- Slim Whitman, 90 - American country singer-songwriter (June 19th)
A Very Special Finger Wag of Shame to… Aaron Hernandez
The world of former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez has come crashing down around him over the last two weeks after the murder of his friend, Odin Lloyd.
On June 18th, North Attleborough, Massachusetts police searched the home of Hernandez after Lloyd’s body was found a day earlier in an industrial park one mile away from the Hernandez property. Lloyd was shot multiple times in the chest and back. During this search, and subsequent searches, Massachusetts authorities noted Hernandez intentionally destroyed his home’s video surveillance system and cell phone as well as hired professional cleaners multiple times to clean his property. Finally, on June 26th, Massachusetts authorities arrested Hernandez and charged the former Patriots tight end with first-degree murder and five additional gun-related charges.
This story is still developing at this time. However, one fact is that Aaron Hernandez either murdered his friend or was covering up for someone else who murdered his friend with the destruction of evidence. Ultimately, Aaron Hernandez took a life that could have been full of joy, wealth, and success as an NFL player and threw it away because of youthful arrogance and pure ignorance. He will never play another down in the NFL. In fact, in a world where OJ Simpson got away with murder and Ray Lewis may have gotten away with murder, Aaron Hernandez may become an exception to the rule and actually pay the price for his crime. We still do not have a motive or the gruesome details yet but those will certainly come out in time because this is the sports story of the summer. That is a shame too when the story of the summer could have been whether or not Tim Tebow would last in New England.
Wow. That... that says it all, right there.
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