June 15, 2008

Call on A&E to Keep Dog the Bounty Hunter Off-the-Air


UPDATE: Yobachi Boswell (Afrosphere Action Coalition) gave comprehensive interview on this issue with Your Black World blog earlier this week.


Many 'villagers' recall a few months back when top-rated A&E reality show star Dog, the Bounty Hunter was caught on tape mouthing off a racial rant. Dog's real name is Duane Chapman. Anyhow, his show was pulled from A&E network.

Life was good.

Well, A&E announced recently that they are re-instating the show ... and a number of bloggers of color are upset at the lack of respect being shown to the Black community. Purple Zoe and Yobachi announced campaign to express disappointment in decision to renew television appearances by an admitted racist.

I encourage all 'villagers' to support this effort in any manner possible. What say u?

16 comments:

PurpleZoe said...

Peace Villager!

Thankyou for your word on this.

Shine on
~~~~~~~~~~*

Hawa Bond said...

Hello Villager !

As you know, I posted my own objection to this A&E decision. Not a single Black person on this planet could continue to profit from a TV show after a racist rant aimed at Whites. This represents a blatant disrespect by media networks to people of all colors.

I will also participate on June 18th, and do my best to make my objection felt to the A&E network and their advertisers.

Take care!

(Oh good Lord. I'm becoming more of an activist by the minute. What has the marvelous AfroSpear done to me? LOL)

Hawa from
Fackin Truth Blog

clnmike said...

Sorry but I am going against the grain, if he truely apologised, showed remorse, made peace with his son and the girl friend than it is time to move on.

This was not like Imus were there was a pattern over time, and even than I still do not believe burying the live body.

Nothing is learned that way.

Unknown said...

PZ - I plan to join the effort on Jun 18th...

Hawa Bond - Amen young sista!

Mike - I respect your opinion. We can agree to disagree on the response to Dog's racist rantings...

Mo said...

Well, if Imus can get his job back (it boils my blood to see his billboard everytime I take the bus down to NY on the highway), I can def see them advocating for Bounty Hunter to get his back as well. Thats not right

Hawa Bond said...

There are important differences between Imus and Dog that led me to the decision:

First, Imus made his comments in public, tongue-in-cheek, as a known shock-jock. Everybody is fair game with him.

Second, Dog's comments were made during what was supposed to be a private phone conversation. He has a history of closet racism while presenting himself like some kind of moral compass.

Third, Imus did actually deliver a heartfelt apology. I watched Dog's apologies on TV - and he basically came with the lame "I have black friends" defense.

Fourth, while Dog was doing all that public faux-pologizing, he never gave a personal apology to the woman he was referring to. He paid somebody to call her for him. Lame. And she didn't accept the raggedy third party apology.

So like Village, I must agree to disagree with those who believe Dog and Imus are floating around in the same boat and deserve the same regard.

Hawa from
Fackin Truth Blog

Unknown said...

Kieya - Imus did not get his job back with CBS. He had to go to a different ... much more risky venue ... to resume his radio career. Quite frankly, I haven't heard him once on the air since he was fired from CBS and MSNBC. I'd like A&E to stay consistent in their initial decision to keep Dog off the airways. His comments were of such magnitude that he should simply get paid for being a bounty hunter without the television revenue as well...

Hawa - You hit all the key points. Good analysis!

kid said...

Anyone that Sean Hannity helps hates black people.Niger and Roy held a Tom a thon on Klannity's show.I didn't see Sean A friend of a anti-semitic,neo Nazi,racist bomb maker help,Rev.Wright or Father Pfleger. He also has a fake charity called B.O.N.D. ran by Jesse Lee Peterson, a guy that assaulted Jesse Jackson and his son.That group got rid of Affirmative Action in three states.Klannity did that, and he helps Dog.So should we help Dog,Hell naw.

Yobachi said...

Clnmike,

You said, "if he truely apologised"

Well he didn't truly apologize; he lied about what he said, pretend their was no racial animus, and still hasn't owned to what he said and why he said: racist-dog-chapman-continues-to-lie/

We're not protesting on behalf of his son about ther relationship; that's between the two of them and has nothing to do with anything.

We're refusing to have our money support a racist, and to have t.v. networks continue to disrespect us.

Further, apologizing and changing aren't nearly the same thing. In what way has he demonstrated that he's done anything to change? And who cares about him making a fake apology for saying what he meant just so he could save his job and keep making his money?

This wasn't a one time thing out of anger, as the lie he spewed on his media tour - we know because the whole rant was about how he and his crew of criminals always use the word nigger, and he didn't want the Black girl to hear them and turn them in.

clnmike said...

Yobachi said...

Well I did say "IF" and since he isnt than I agree he has no business being on TV.

At the same time I still do not the like the idea of throwing racists in the back of the closet some where.

I want them right there out in the open were I can keep my eye on them.

I trust them more than I do the white person who smiles in my face and shakes my hand.

But I understand your point.

Yobachi said...

ClnMike, I agree about the ones who hide it being scary than the ones who are up front about it. One of the things about Dog, is he pretends to be so Christian, and culturally accepting and humble and all that; and he was trying to hide it. He only got caught because his son busted him out.

Actually, Imus is way more up front about his feelings.

Anyway, we're just trying to create a media climate where we're respected and not denigrated.

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

I don't think I can support the movement to have him kept off the air.

I happened to like his show and what he represented. He represented hope for people with dirty pasts.

I am not saying what he did was right, but everyone uses racial slurs. Black people call white folks "crackers" and white folks call black people "niggers" all the time, he just got caught that's all; too bad for him. However, I do not believe that his remarks define the type of person he is and I do not think they reflect his true feelings for people of color [blacks in particular]. I think 'Dog' is a good man, he just needs to watch his mouth.

Don Imus got knocked off the air because he was a habitual offender of black people, but I do not see that with 'Dog'. That's just my two cents.

:::Marcus LANGFORD:::

SheCodes said...

Marcus, I do not call white people 'cracker' and don't personally know anyone who does.

My question is this: why should Mr. Dog get a national platform, at the head of the line, over the tens of thousands of talented media hopefuls who DON'T denigrate black people?

Why is it so impossible to give someone ELSE a chance? It frightens me that all arguments lead to 'give the racist white man the top job' -- even black people do it.

Dog deserves nothing. He has not earned our respect, nor has he made any form of restitution to my knowledge.

Have they donated any real money toward racial sensitivity programs? Instituted a morality clause in their contracts that excludes incendiary racist slurs? Apologized to the young woman? Attempted to give a black person a starring role in a show?

I support Yobachi and PurpleZoe. It frightens me that even black folk can no longer tell when they're getting PLAYED big time.

LISA VAZQUEZ said...

Hello there!

We absolutely should go after the advertisers of this show AND the networks!

What are the email addresses and complaint numbers? I will post them on my blog!!

Peace, blessings and DUNAMIS!
Lisa

Unknown said...

Kid - No question that Sean Hannity and the Fox Network are voices that seek to divide our country along racial lines. We must watch them both closely and call them when they cross the line...

Yobachi and Lisa - This blog participates in today's 'Day of Blogging for Media Justice'. My post on the subject, including links provided by the Afrosphere Action Coalition, to the sponsors and advertisers of A&E Network will be included in my post...

Marcus - I respect your opinion. I disagree with it, but I respect your right to have it. I think that any joy over the content of his show is outweighed by the racial animus he displayed in that call to his son. There needs to be consequences when you display such a cowardly and racist mindset. You should not be rewarded with a television show supported by our consumer dollars. Any sponsor that supports that show indicates that they support his racist rants. I won't spend my hard-earned money on such people or companies...

SheCodes - Amen!