High Risk Radio: "Fat Lesbian"

Derogatory comments fly fast on radio, but Boston's WRKO-AM show host John DePetro (right) learned that there's a line you can't cross. Calling someone fat might be OK. Calling someone a lesbian might be OK ... but never, never, never combine the words.

The comment was made during a radio broadcast of a debate of candidates for Mass. governor. Reports AP:

The host, who calls himself the "Independent Man," said he made the remark because he was exasperated that [Green-Rainbow party candidate Grace] Ross and independent candidate Christy Mihos were eating up time during a debate earlier in the week that included Republican candidate Kerry Healey and Democrat Deval Patrick.

He said it was then that he told listeners he wished someone would "tell the fat lesbian to shut up."

Would "scrawny lesbian" have gotten him fired? Maybe. Would "piggy country club Republican?" "Greedy breeder?" Never.

If this bit is indicative of DePetro's style, it's a style I'm no fan of. But I like even less over-rigorous PC-ness that punishes derrogatory speech against PC-protected classes, but allows it to be used towards the folks the PC crowd doesn't like.

Related Tags: PC, Political correctness, DePetro