Black leaders: End N-word in entertainment

chopitdown

Collin wrote:

I thought they were going to try to ban it from tv. My bad.

i think they are trying to do both. Stop it's use in the media and subsequently the public

chopitdown

Collin wrote:

Here's an analogy:

My friend's brother has cerebral palsy, which makes him do weird movements. We have a word in our language of which I don't know the English equivalent, but you could say it means 'spastic person.' Now, if my friend uses that word and calls his brother that, his brother doesn't mind, he doesn't mind when his best friends use it but when somebody else uses it, even if they don't mean it in an offensive way, he says it hurts and he really hates it. The reason why he doesn't mind when his brother or best friends say it is because they know him, love him, care about him and know how hard his life is...

that's a good point. I guess the counter to that is why do we assume someone we don't know is saying that in a derogatory manner? I understand the sensitivity issues and that it would most likely be inappropriate of me to call someone with CP "spastic person" but that doesn't mean i don't care for him and don't understand how hard his life is. But you do raise a very good point.

Collin

chopitdown wrote:

i think they are trying to do both. Stop it's use in the media and subsequently the public

I guess the two would go hand in hand.

Ahnimus

The real problem with the word is that people take offense to it.

farfromglorified

Ahnimus wrote:

The real problem with the word is that people take offense to it.

Thank God!!! I was hoping someone would say that.

The Waiting Trophy Man

Ahnimus wrote:

The real problem with the word is that people take offense to it.

so the black people in the crowd that night shouldn't have been offended when michael richards was screaming "nigger, nigger, nigger, nigger, look there's a nigger"!!??

Collin

Ahnimus wrote:

The real problem with the word is that people take offense to it.

The word has a certain connotation. If a white person says it, he's basically saying: "I think you are inferior to me based on the colour of your skin." It's no surprise people take offense to it, if you ask me.

farfromglorified

Collin wrote:

The word has a certain connotation. If a white person says it, he's basically saying: "I think you are inferior to me based on the colour of your skin." It's no surprise people take offense to it, if you ask me.

Let me ask you something -- if I called you a cheetah, would you take offense?

Collin

farfromglorified wrote:

Let me ask you something -- if I called you a cheetah, would you take offense?

No, I would not. I might look at you funny, though.

farfromglorified

Collin wrote:

No, I would not. I might look at you funny, though.

Good. Now, can you tell me why your reaction would be different?

Collin

farfromglorified wrote:

Good. Now, can you tell me why your reaction would be different?

Yes. The word "cheetah" doesn't have such a connotation, as far as I'm aware of anyway.

farfromglorified

Collin wrote:

Yes. The word "cheetah" doesn't have such a connotation, as far as I'm aware of anyway.

Good. Now, can you tell me where that connotation lives?

Collin

farfromglorified wrote:

Good. Now, can you tell me where that connotation lives?

I'm not sure what you mean by this, could you rephrase?

Ahnimus

aBoxOfFear wrote:

so the black people in the crowd that night shouldn't have been offended when michael richards was screaming "nigger, nigger, nigger, nigger, look there's a nigger"!!??

If they didn't take offense, he wouldn't have used it.

Why does a young boy poke his sister with his finger knowing she doesn't like it? Because she doesn't like it.

farfromglorified

Collin wrote:

I'm not sure what you mean by this, could you rephrase?

No problem. Let's use a hypothetical:

1) Person A (white) refers to Person B (black) as a "nigger". Offense ensues.

2) Person A (white) refers to Person B (black) as a "cheetah". No offense taken.

3) Person C (black) refers to Person B (black) as a "nigger". No offense ensues.

I certainly agree with you that the major differentiation between these three situations (other than the words) is measured by connotations.

Now, a connotation is a real thing. It's exists. My question is: where does the connotation exist?

Collin

farfromglorified wrote:

I certainly agree with you that the major differentiation between these three situations (other than the words) is measured by connotations.

Now, a connotation is a real thing. It's exists. My question is: where does the connotation exist?

My answer would be; everywhere? (in the United States)

farfromglorified

Collin wrote:

My answer would be; everywhere? (in the United States)

Are you sure about that? If, for instance, Person A (white) and Person B (black) were completely isolated in some tiny village in the hills of Montana without any contact to the outside world for the past 300 years, would those connotations exist there?

Ahnimus

The connotation exists in the mind of the person taking offense.

These people are concerned with the language that other people use and they try to control it, which is an impossible task. What is much easier and more probable is to control their own interpretations of the word. If they choose not to take offense to the word alone, then the word has no deragatory meaning.

White dude "You nigger! Your a nigger!"

Black dude "You are correct sir, I am a decendant of Africa, the term nigger was originally coined "black" possibly from Negro or Niger, it could possibly even be traced back to Nero spanish for Black."

White dude "Yea, but your a... a... jerk!"

Black dude "Ok... have a nice day sir!"

farfromglorified

Ahnimus wrote:

The connotation exists in the mind of the person taking offense.

These people are concerned with the language that other people use and they try to control it, which is an impossible task. What is much easier and more probable is to control their own interpretations of the word. If they choose not to take offense to the word alone, then the word has no deragatory meaning.

White dude "You nigger! Your a nigger!"

Black dude "You are correct sir, I am a decendant of Africa, the term nigger was originally coined "black" possibly from Negro or Niger, it could possibly even be traced back to Nero spanish for Black."

White dude "Yea, but your a... a... jerk!"

Black dude "Ok... have a nice day sir!"

Very nice.

godpt3

racist???


Rock N Roll Nigger

Baby was a black sheep. Baby was a whore.
Baby got big and baby get bigger.
Baby get something. Baby get more.
Baby, baby, baby was a rock-and-roll nigger.
Oh, look around you, all around you,
riding on a copper wave.
Do you like the world around you?
Are you ready to behave?

Outside of society, they're waitin' for me.
Outside of society, that's where I want to be.

(Lenny!)

Baby was a black sheep. Baby was a whore.
You know she got big. Well, she's gonna get bigger.
Baby got a hand; got a finger on the trigger.
Baby, baby, baby is a rock-and-roll nigger.

Outside of society, that's where I want to be.
Outside of society, they're waitin' for me.

(those who have suffered, understand suffering,
and thereby extend their hand
the storm that brings harm
also makes fertile
blessed is the grass
and herb and the true thorn and light)

I was lost in a valley of pleasure.
I was lost in the infinite sea.
I was lost, and measure for measure,
love spewed from the heart of me.
I was lost, and the cost,
and the cost didn't matter to me.
I was lost, and the cost
was to be outside society.

Jimi Hendrix was a nigger.
Jesus Christ and Grandma, too.
Jackson Pollock was a nigger.
Nigger, nigger, nigger, nigger,
nigger, nigger, nigger.

Outside of society, they're waitin' for me.
Outside of society, if you're looking,
that's where you'll find me.
Outside of society, they're waitin' for me.
Outside of society. (Repeat)