The context, apparently, is papa John being nudged by an ad company to hire Kanye for ad spots. John didn't want to be associated with a guy who uses [n-word] in his lyrics, then went on some misguided tangent about Colonel Sanders. The agency was fired, and tried to extort money from Papa John's. When that didn't work they went public.
Schnatter resigned his post last week at the behest of Papa John's board after confirming the Forbes' report. However, he said the comments were taken out of context and that he was provoked into using the N-word after Laundry Service executives on the call suggested the pizza chain bring on performer Kanye West as a co-spokesman for television spots and promotions.
Schnatter said he refused to work with West because "he uses the 'N' word in his lyrics," according to the letter. It was later on the call that Schnatter said he used the actual word when pressed whether or not he was a racist.
"I then said something on the order of, Colonel Sanders used the word 'N,' (I actually used the word,) that I would never use that word and Papa Johns doesnt use that word," Schnatter told the board. "Let me be very clear: I never used the 'N' word in that meeting as a racial epithet, nor would I ever."
There's a reason "let's wait for all the facts" became a meme.
That's absolute bullshit. Nobody who would avoid Kanye because he uses the n word a lot would then go on to actually say the n word during a conference call with multiple people on it, no matter the context. ---
The sea was angry that day, my friends. Like an old man trying to send back soup at a deli.