TX: "Wet vacs" = "Wetbacks"?
You can now get penalized not for what you say but for what people think you mean:
"Emmis Austin Radio has suspended Jason Alvarez and Deb O’Keefe, hosts of the 101x morning show on 101.5 FM. Alvarez and O'Keefe were suspended for one week after they used suggestive and insulting words on the air.
Alvarez and O'Keefe were remarking on ways that Zilker Park could be cleaned up after ACL festival. Heavy rains soaked the new grass at the park during the festival which led to mudpits. O'Keefe was heard over the air making a several comments about hiring "wet vacs" to clean up the mess. Listners called in to complain about the use of the word.
On Wednesday Emmis released the following statement about the suspension: "The Jason & Deb morning show, on 101X Tuesday morning, were discussing a news item about the problems at Zilker Park with the mud after ACL. During that discussion they did not use any slur, but they did make foolish and ugly comments for which we sincerely apologize. They suggested getting a big squeegee or a wet vac. They then repeated the wet vac suggestion in some suggestive and insulting ways. As a result, they were suspended immediately for one week..."
Source
7 comments:
Ummm...that's stupid.
I've always heard that only steers and queers come from Texas. Now i guess, PC'ists have to be added to that group. This is the result of allowing Texas to become Mexas.
With management like that, I'm sure that stations ratings are amazing...
~darko
.... or it could be time for their vacation and this is just a publicity stunt.
Nowadays, I would believer either story.
If you read the comments on the original article, the dj's started to say that you could go to Lowes or HomeDepot to rent "wet vacs."
They kept up the dialogue for several minutes laughing at the joke and kept repeating it.
This is not a case where the meaning of their words were ambiguous.
Do the dj's have the right to say what they want? Sure.
Does the station have the right to take disciplinary action against what the management feels is racially insensitive and inappropriate comments? Once again, the answer is yes.
You are now suspended and can't man the burger station at Wendy's for a week.
ghoward79,
It's ok. You can come out of the closet now. Admit to your gayness.
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