Prejudice: Rehab Won't Solve The Problem

Washington, Gibson And Richards Apologized, But Racism Remains

(CBS)  This editorial was written by The Showbuzz's Judy Faber.

So now there's a formula for celebrities that make racist, homophobic or anti-Semitic slurs.

Make a public apology. "Reach out" to "the community." Discuss the matter on television with someone like Diane Sawyer or David Letterman. Maybe have a celebrity friend or two come to your defense.

Then, toddle off to rehab or "counseling" and hope the rest of the world forgets the stupid things you said that got you into trouble in the first place.

Michael Richards, Mel Gibson and Isaiah Washington all used awful language, publicly expressed regret and sought professional help.

It's a little soon to determine how their outbursts will affect them in the long run. But so far Richards' career was nowhere to begin with so he can only go up, Mel Gibson bounced back with "Apocalypto," and Isaiah Washington hasn't been discharged from "Grey's Anatomy." Yet.

Unfortunately, it's too easy to vilify these three stooges for their public outbursts and ignore the fact that racism, homophobia and anti-Semitism remain a real problem in our society.

Focusing too much on the words these men used in public might be sending out the wrong message and merely teaching kids not to use those words if there's a camera rolling. The lesson should be that prejudice in all its forms is wrong.

One celebrity, Russell Simmons, is trying to make a difference. The hip-hop mogul has recorded a series of public service announcements with rapper Jay-Z encouraging young people to fight racism and anti-Semitism in their communities. The ads are airing in the United States and in Europe.

Simmons is the co-founder of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding along with Rabbi Marc Schneier, chairman of the World Jewish Congress American section. Their goal is to open discussion about prejudice, bringing together members of different communities.

"It is very important that we all position ourselves to speak to everyone when we can, because dialogue is key," Simmons said in a speech at the WJC Monday. "What you do for yourself is only as good as what you do for others."

Hopefully, other celebrities are taking notes.

[plowhandle]

Washington, Richards, and especially Gibson deserve to be put in the dustbin of entertainment history. They are all low scum, and the vast majority of Americans are DONE with them. Look at Gibson's latest turdfest "Jabberwocky." No body's interested in ANOTHER foreign-language ******** like his 'passion'.

Nobody is interested, either, in Tiny Tom Cruise's being totally brainwashed by 'scientology' (small 's')...or the other Hollyweird types that are soooooooooo lame and thought-free that they have fallen for this nasty cult. Go to www.xenu.net for info on these whack-jobs.

Americans are fed up with being treated like we don't remember slights and insults.

Wanna insult a seqment of the population ? Then stay home and do it in front of the mirror, 'cuz we won't pay to see you anymore, Chumps.

[hermit22]

I vote with Agnim too.
knyghtwolf, you're right too about getting rid of MTV and BET.

I'd say get rid of"Friends,Two and half men,How I met your mother,Old Christine,etc.
most all of the "comedy" stuff that just ain't funny no more! They just slime in on the t.v. and the remote hits them OFF.

[hermit22]

have words like "racist" and "homophobic" been tossed around too much? "racist" has come to mean "my way or the highway" "no difference of oppinion allowed". "homophobic" means "doing whatever, and you are NOT ALLOWED to question behavior that has been offensive for centuries."

Genesis 19
Judges 19

[agnim]

"Just how long is this particular story going to be crammed down our throats?

Posted by olebd at 07:18 AM : Jan 26, 2007"

For as long as the VAST SILENT MAJORITY normal people sit in silence, so long will the filth-stirring f@ggots and fairies use the opportunity to promote their sexual deviance to the younger/weaker minds in the society. LOL

The net result will be the spreading of the disease of deviant behavior in the society of 'infect' the next generation.

The media continues to push the story because the media is filled with mentally mixed up f@ggots who are desperately seeking acceptance of their deviant and perverted behaviors.

There was a story recently where a bunch of deluded CBS f@ggots foolishly came out of their and went to other people's country in the Caribbean. Can you believe the mindlessness? LOL

Hopefully their unfortunate experience forced them back into their closet of filth; but knowing these lost souls, they seem to be gluttons for the punishment that will 'straighten' them out, literally.

[bluestardad]

how long you gonna run thisbullshitstory?

[olebd]

Just how long is this particular story going to be crammed down our throats? Enough already! The guy was expressing his opinion. Rehab? What a loose word that has become.

I don't care what you do behind closed doors but just leave it there and you'll be treated better for it. No gay pride this or that, no stickers, no t-shirts, no TV channels. Just do your twirling at home little ballerina. In public, it's courteous and the decent thing to do. I am a proud hetero but I don't want to flaunt it by waving my porno collection out in the open.

[lieberman18]

Agnim,

Again, I find myself in full agreement with you.

Isaiah Washington should NOT have to pay the price here. Personally I am sick to death of celebs like T.R. Knight and Neal Patrick Harris publicizing the fact that they are G^Y.

Fine, if that's your lifestyle, then have a happy life, and hopefully one free of prejudice. But if you have the desire to put it in other peoples' faces, as I presume Knight did to Washington, that's quite another matter.

If Washington needs the rehab, then so does Knight. There are still heterosexual actors and actresses in Hollywood, T.R.

[knyghtwolf]

Where I substitute teach, they have a girl there that constantly uses the "F" word, "B" word, is CONSTANTLY disrepectful to the instructors at the school, and when they call her to the office on her behavior along with the two others that she is involved with, RACE becomes the issue. I am so weary of hearing about Black students being "angry", "vengeful" & "vindictive" towards a "White society" that hates "them" that I could just puke. REMOVE MTV, BET from the airwaves along with any other programs that promote the "gangsta" life style and start early in school about respect for ALL races starting in pre-school and you will see a change in society. The race card is older than dirt and of no use any longer. Disrespect is disrespect, doesn't matter what color you are.

[knyghtwolf]

Hmmm, seems as though it works both ways for most folks. I have a mobility dog for Ms and a spinal cord injury, went through a Wal-Mart supercenter yesterday and as I was walking down an isle getting some groceries, a Black woman & her four children were there also. Her oldest child asked why I was allowed to have a dog in the store and her response was, "He's a Mighty Whitey and they's is allowed to do that". I turned to her and called her a "racist b*tch" right in front of her children, she had a fit and stormed off calling me more racial slurs. So racism goes both ways and is being taught by ALL races as a means of ignorance to truly getting along in society.

[agnim]

"It's all subtle mind control brought to you by big media and big brother.

Posted by bildooreilly at 03:45 AM : Jan 26, 2007"

Actually, it's more accurate to say that the 'mind control' is being guided by the mixed up and deluded and filth-stirring f@ggots and the like in the media!

I still can't get over just how hilarious it is that a healthy man is supposed to be going to so-called 'rehab', while the sick f@ggot is deluded into thinking that his deviant behavior is healthy.
What a joke! LOL
What a misguiding of American youth by perverted and evil creatures!
Like Rome before it, this super powerful nation is rotting from inside!

[bildooreilly]

What's up with all the one sided hyper sensitivity re-education BS... this is america, if someone wants to say something they can say it. All of these people are prime examples of media manipulation who are now trying to convince americans they can't say what they want to say. Notice how all 3 of these conniving spineless worms immediately bent over backwards apologizing. It's all subtle mind control brought to you by big media and big brother. You're not required by law to like anyone or their racial group or their sexual preference no matter what the goons in hollyweird have to say about it.

[agnim]

"Rehab Won't Solve The Problem"

Of course rehab won't solve the problem.

THERE IS NO PROBLEM! LOL

More often than not, the IMAGINED 'problem' is much ado about nothing.

And in the case of Isiah, the WRONG party is going to the so-called 'rehab'!
The mentally mixed-up f@ggot is the one who badly in need of the cure/closet/confinement; since he hasn't even yet learned what even the beast of the field has: Pe-nis and *** are the natural and ONLY fit when humans seek to mate!

[ssporleder]

"Unfortunately, it's too easy to vilify these three stooges for their public outbursts and ignore the fact that racism, homophobia and anti-Semitism remain a real problem in our society."

Your resorting to name calling is different how?

If Washington stays in this program longer than 2 days, such as Lindsay Lohan, he maybe cannot redeem himself entirely, but hopefully make some improvements.
This will blow over like Gibson's rant, which was far worse.

[shortmama2]

A huge, complex issue; I commend you for tackling
it. And for telling us about Mr. Simmons' efforts.
Don't know if his program will help, but at least
he's trying. And we each gotta work on ourselves;
I'm sure trying to do that.

[ronmwanga]

It is too easy to vilify them and sentence them to showbiz hell without redemption. Ideally, I'd rather there was some sort of redemption. That way we can come away with what sentiments are and are not acceptable in civilized society (like the f-word and the n-word). I don't always agress with Simmons but I do in this instance.