Laura Ingraham “conservative” radio talk show host, once asked Donald Trump to introduce her to men who would be acceptable for her to date. After listening to her latest show it is obvious that she does not want to date Italians or Italian-Americans. It is just as obvious that she feels that some disparaging epithets are more equal than others.

During her June 14, 2004 broadcast, Laura commented that she was appalled by the apparel of some of the people who went to the Reagan viewing at the Capitol Rotunda. Laura was aghast that some were wearing flip-flops and “Guinea Tees.”

Guinea Tees?

I knew guinea was a derogatory term for a person who was Italian or of Italian descent. I was called that name often. Having never heard the term before, I wondered whether there was a reason related to Italians or Italian-Americans that these t-shirts were called Guinea tees.

I learned guinea t-shirts are the white cotton, undershirts normally called tank tops. They are called Guinea Tees because Sylvester Stallone often wore them in his movies. They are also known as “wife-beaters,” because they are worn by men from the South who are reputed to abuse their wives (think of Marlon Brando in Streetcar Named Desire).

Obviously, this sobriquet is as much a classist slur as it is an ethnic one. Given that Italian-Americans and American southerners are disparaged, one can only conclude that the term originated with upper-middle class Northeasterners Anglo-Saxon descent - which certainly defines the Dartmouth educated, Connecticut native Ingraham.

Ethnic and other type slurs normally did not disturb me. At least, not until certain ethnic slurs became politically incorrect, and the hypocrisy of what is and is not an acceptable ethnic slur became apparent.

Many people have called me a wop, guinea, etc. and I always replied in kind. However, about ten years ago, when I was a part of the management staff of a Fortune 500 corporation, one of my colleagues, during a managers’ staff meeting, made a derogatory reference about Italians. While the remark itself was actually kind of funny, I realized that this type of comment would not have been made about African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, or certain other groups. After thinking about it, I thought that it would be appropriate to complain to my boss. What is good for the goose is good for the gander I thought.

My colleague was “counseled” about the remark and later apologized to me. I told him that ordinarily I would not have complained except that I wanted to make management aware of the double standard that existed within the corporate culture.

This was an extremely politically correct corporation. New York corporate HQ ordained that “Take Your Daughter to Work Day” be accorded all the ceremony of a religious holiday. One of the executive staff was a woman who once told me to stop making analogies that included sports - because such comments alienate women.

So when Ingraham used the term “guinea tees,” and less than a half hour later mentioned her brother was “gay,” I realized she too has a double standard. Ingraham did not say her brother was a “fag,” or “ queer.” No, she said her brother is gay.

Just as it is acceptable among liberals to prohibit the criticism or ridicule of any religion except Christians, so it is acceptable to use caricatures about Italian-Americans, while it is totally unacceptable to use caricatures of African-Americans, Hispanics, and certain other groups. There is no way in this world, or the next, that Laura Ingraham is going to say nigger-pants or spic-shoes. I doubt she would even think of saying such a thing. Certainly, her sponsors would not appreciate it and they abandon her like she was the Titanic.

Yet, it is permissible for Ingraham to say guinea.

Ingraham is from the same elite culture that spawns the liberal socialist vanguard. She has more in common with Bill Maher (they are both Ivy Leaguers) than she does with John Q. Public. The executives of the ad firms that represent her sponsors are from that same culture. They do not find any hypocrisy in prohibiting nigger, yet permitting guinea.

This is Laura Ingraham’s universe. It is a universe where some ethnic slurs are more equal than others.

Memo to Donald Trump – when thinking of blind date candidates for Laura remember Italians need not apply.