"Dogging" the Bounty Hunter

Today’s post begins with a fractal called Atomblast. I picked it because Dwayne “Dog the Bounty Hunter” Chapman did something that may well cause his career to implode after dropping the “N Bomb” several times in a recorded conversation. After watching the story play out for several days I finally decided I needed to put in my two cents.
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All Americans seen to love to raise folk up on a pedestal--and we love it just as much when our newly-created idols come crashing down. The most recent case of this is Dwayne “Dog” Chapman. He was a bounty hunter who parlayed several high-profile captures (chief among them Andrew Luster--an heir to the “Max Factor“ cosmetics fortune and multiple rapist) into a reality show on the “A&E” Channel. He was portrayed as a compassionate badass--a family man who prayed for his targets before he took them in. He was big on sermonizing to the perps--and even reputedly promised to keep in touch and help set them on the straight-and-narrow once they’d done their time.
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The show was hugely popular (at least by “basic cable” standards) and everything seemed to be going great until the National Enquirer got hold of a taped phone call between Dwayne and his son Tucker in which the famous bounty hunter repeatedly used the “N-word”. It seems the “N-word” is tossed around with regularity at the Chapman house: “Dog” was afraid that Tucker’s black girlfriend would report this and cause their “whole career to come crashing down”. Chapman said it wasn’t a racial slur but a comment on the girl’s character.
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This is just wrong on every level! Maybe it’s just me but I really don’t feel anyone should be tossing around the “N-word” lightly. When blacks use the word it gives racist whites the impetus to misuse it. The word doesn’t elevate anyone’s moral character and it only serves to raise bad feelings. A&E was shocked, shocked! that one of their stars had used such language (like their Production Crew had never heard him use the word while they were with him) and put Dog the Bounty Hunter on indefinite suspension. Chapman apologized for his use of the word (and had the good sense not to go on an “Apologymania“ Tour like Don Imus) but it doesn’t seem to have done him any good.
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But here’s the part of the story that amazes more than anything else--and doesn’t seem to be getting much play. Chapman’s son Tucker was the one who sold the tape to the Enquirer--not only selling out his father but his entire family! Tucker Chapman has been keeping a very low profile lately-- I’m sure nobody wonders why? (unless maybe he‘s afraid his Dad will kick his candy ass). Still, I’d love to hear his justification for this: was he blinded by love? Did he feel he needed to expose his father for the sake of justice? (yeah right!) Or was he just a gigantic brat who wanted to get back at his father for getting in his business? Honestly, I don’t know and I doubt I ever will. I’m just amazed that this kid could betray his family like that. Still, family betrayal is nothing new: the kid had to learn it from somewhere--and he very likely learned it from watching his parents in action.
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Will the “Political Correctness” Police manage to nail Dwayne “Dog” Chapman for good and all? I don’t know: a lot of people seem to think the whole thing is just a bit overblown (as do I--yet still I‘m blogging about it . . .) Still, it’ll be interesting to see how this one plays out--especially with the writer’s strike (but more about that later). I’ll certainly be watching . . .