End Of The 'N'-Word In Entertainment?

After Michael Richards' Rant, Black Leaders Ask Stars To Stop Using Racial Slur

(CBS/AP)  Black leaders on Monday challenged the entertainment industry, including rap artists, actors and major studios, to stop use of the racial slur that triggered the Michael Richards scandal.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson and others said they will meet with TV networks, film companies and musicians to discuss the "N"-word.

"We want to give our ancestors a present," Jackson said at a news conference. "Dignity over degradation."

Jackson says the Richards episode shows the word still has the power to hurt and belittle, even though it has been co-opted into much of the African-American vernacular.

"We must not profit off degradation and self-hate to a music beat," he said. "We deserve a higher sense of dignity and respect."

Jackson also asked the public to not buy a DVD box set of the seventh season of the TV show "Seinfeld" that was released last week.

Richards, who played the wacky neighbor, Kramer, on "Seinfeld," triggered outrage with a Nov. 17 racial tirade against two black men when he was heckled during a stand-up comedy routine at the Laugh Factory nightclub in West Hollywood. A patron recorded the outburst with a video camera phone.

Richards has made several apologies, including one Sunday on Jackson's syndicated radio program, in which he has said he is not a racist and was motivated by anger.

At the news conference, comedian Paul Mooney said he has used the "N"-word numerous times during stand-up performances but will no longer do so after watching Richards' rant.

"He's my Dr. Phil," the black comedian said. "He's cured me."

Mooney is just one of many entertainers who use the word. In a standup routine, comedian Chris Rock declared that there are "black people and there's niggers. The niggers have got to go."

Asked about free-speech issues, Jackson said the word is "unprotected."

But not every black person feels that the word should be banned. University of Southern California professor of cinematic arts Todd Boyd says today's black artists have embraced the word and use it almost as a term of endearment.

"If you listen to the way Michael Richards used the word nigger and then listen to the way nigga is used in hip hop, it's clearly two different words and it means two different things," he told CBS News correspondent Bill Whitaker.

U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., charged that only situations such as the Richards incident turn mainstream media attention to issues involving the black community.

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Photos: Michael Richards

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"This is not simply about whether or not the black community forgives or forgets. This is about understanding that this is pervasive, that this happens in all of our institutions, one way or the other," Waters said.

[agnim]

"Yeah, but blacks are telling blacks they're offended by it, so there goes your theory about what's acceptable within the club."

Blacks may 'tell' Blacks whatever they like, no big deal.

What should be more noticeable is that Blacks don't make and WILL NEVER make the kind of stink with each other over the word nig.ga that they are making with the rabid racist, richards!

Borat, a Jew, make statements, which coming from non-Jews would be considered anti-Semitic.

Yet Jews ARE NOT up in arms over Borat's comments about Jews.


People are at liberty to call themselves whatever they like! Outsiders/enemies ARE NOT!

The wise people get this simple fact of life, about addressing oneself. The fools may never will in this lifetime.

[ronniehm]

Yeah, but blacks are telling blacks they're offended by it, so there goes your theory about what's acceptable within the club. Maybe it's because the millions of people who watch movies and listen to music aren't among the "near and dear" who are willing to grant the privilege of using slurs.

[agnim]

mav80404 at 10:07 PM : Nov 28, 2006

Obviously, from your imagination you are manufacturing your rules of so-called ethics and morality. And that is why they have no relevance to reality.

The reality is this:

One may call oneself whatever one wishes.
And those who are near and dear may also have privileges to call one a thing or two.

However, an ENEMY/OUTSIDER HAS NO SUCH LIBERTIES!

Whites call each other rednecks with a wink and a nod all the time. It's their right to call each other whatever the hell they want.

Alert Blacks know that they DON'T HAVE the same red neck privileges.

Similarly, Blacks may call each other nig.gaz or whatever they bloody well wish any time with a wink and a nod.
Alert whites know that they ARE NOT allowed such nig.ga privileges.

That fool, richards, (an OUTSIDER/ENEMY) violated a fundamental Law of Human Interactions, hence the uproar EVERY TIME!



This present problem is less about the word nig.ger. It's more about who is using it, to whom, and for what effect.
I can't make it any simpler.

People should be free and ARE FREE to call themselves whatever they wish.

Others don't have the same privileges to you as you have to yourself. Get it?

[hermit22]

"Thou shalt NOT take the name of the LORD thy GOD in vain for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain."

The above would be a good commandment to plaster up on the walls of the new HAYES office and every t.v. studio! Give every actor and huge bar of soap and tell him that it is aiming for his MOUTH! if need be.

[hermit22]

Who was that old doctor who diagnosed: "Constipation of thought, and diareaha of the mouth."?

Hollyweird needs the HAYES office back.
Jack Valenti did a grave disservice to the public with being such a wuz in 1995 with regard to decency....FCC needs to get a backbone again.

Scienfield is a vulgar foulmouth program too, but if Michael Richards got Black leaders to finally DO something about rap and movie vulgarity good for him! Don't forget those repulsive "crotch grabbers" when you are cleaning house!

[akarsno]

What i meant was take this word with careful thoughts and gentleness and not be rude with it.

[akarsno]

I think this word use is only for those who understand it from the person whom they are comfortable with as friends or whom ever but not as a joke or racism to hurt or to be laugh at.
Words are use only be use in a proper manner, so take this word lightly but with careful thoughts when you use it and use it with gentleness and not of mocking or of hatred. Too many people is has many meanings in many diffrent ways. be considerate to each other feelings.
Please!

[mav80404]

And as far as history. It's better left in the past. If people want a change, they have to put the past behind them and look to the future. It is tragic what people went through some 200 years ago. But you know what? NOBODY living today was here 200 years ago. We have to move on from that, and live life for tomorrow. Is that tomorrow going to involve the "n" word? Well, that's not only up to anyone here. But I can sure hope not, and I will continue to do my part to negate it from society - regardless of the mouth from which it leaves!

[mav80404]

First off, Agnim, let's define "Double Standard", as that seems to be a catching point. Off dictionary.com, (c)2003, Princeton University: Double Standard
n : an ethical or moral code that applies more strictly to one group than to another

Now... we have to understand that it is an ethical issue, and also a MORAL issue about saying "the N-word" or variations of such. You yourself have posed it as being an issue about ethics, stating that it isn't right to use the term.
And since we have 2 groups that we are primarily talking about, that being the caucasion race, and the African American race, we can compare them against the defination that is placed for "Double Standard". You yourself said that blacks can "call each other whatever they bloody well please". However, you have made it obvious that whites cannot follow suit.
Therefore, the moral and ethical code stating whether or not it is "racist" does indeed apply more strictly to whites more than blacks.
Therefore, we can conclude that using your own arguments, Agnim, and the defination that was given to us for the term "Double Standard", that this situation DOES fit in that framework, and IS a "double standard".
Now, MY stance is that it should be done away with altogether.

[ronniehm]

OK, sorry. Your blips are a*holes.

[agnim]

"based on your personal attacks on everyone who disagrees with you"

RonnieHM at 07:32 PM : Nov 28, 2006

Again, being obtuse. How can there be 'personal attacks by blips, on a computer screen?
There are no 'persons' here, just written ideas being exchanged across cyberspace.

[ronniehm]

Agnim, based on your personal attacks on everyone who disagrees with you, it seems incredibly unlikely that you're seriously concerned about offending people. It's more likely that you're just an a*hole.

[ckspeakie]

My parents are Southerns - educators - who raised me in Southern California. I never heard that word used by my parents, family or friends. I started hearing the word on rap songs and from my pre-teen son who, because he loves rap music, found the use of the word perfectly acceptable (in spite of my scolding!). The word has been re-introduced into the lexicon and regardless of who says it or why, there cannot be such public uses of the word - marketable products that employ it without others imitating or using it also.

[agnim]

"Just to bring you up to speed, the topic is public uses of the nig-word in the entertainment industry. If you're going to keep a word active in the minds of the black and white people who watch your films or hear your songs, you probably have some responsibility for its continued use."

RonnieHM at 05:46 PM : Nov 28, 2006

Are you really that obtuse? You must be, or is looking for an excuse for racism, which is the root cause of the problem. LOL

It IS NOT the use of the word, per se, that is the problem. The problem is the WHO that is using the word, and for to what end.

[agnim]

"Unfortuneately, I agree that there should be no double standard."

mav80404 at 05:41 PM : Nov 28, 2006

You too with the childish talk about 'double standards'?

If racism from whites weren't a problem, then the word nig.ger FROM WHITES TOWARDS BLACK wouldn't have been a problem, since the word nig.ger coming from whites IS EXPRESSIVE OF THEIR RACISM!

Black friends may call each other whatever they bloody well please. Since whites are historically NOT FRIENDLY to Blacks, they have NO so privileges.

I would dare that rabid racist richards to call Black rappers nig.gers to their faces, even though the Black rappers may freely address each other as nig.gaz.

Likewise, no Black person is going to feel they are at liberty to address whites as rednecks, even though whites may freely address each other as rednecks.

[ronniehm]

"So you want to dictate how Blacks should address EACH OTHER? LOL"

I guess it never occurred to anyone that there'd be one guy in the crowd who thinks we're talking about private conversations between you and your mom or your friend.

Just to bring you up to speed, the topic is public uses of the nig-word in the entertainment industry. If you're going to keep a word active in the minds of the black and white people who watch your films or hear your songs, you probably have some responsibility for its continued use.

[mav80404]

Agnim: Unfortuneately, I agree that there should be no double standard. What you described easily is offensive REGARDLESS of who says it, and should not be said at all. There is a differance... If you don't want me to address you a certain way, don't address others that way, and don't allow ANYBODY to address you that way. It's a simple fix. The double standard exists, and it's uncalled for. My opinion is "the 'N'-word" should not be said by anyone to anyone. Not white to white, not white to black, not black to black, and not black to white. Beyond that, it's futile. Comeon people, leave the double standard and nobody use the term.

[superchez1]

How long is the African-American population going to keep hiding behind these kinds of words to justify trying to move ahead as a people. It was fine when those hecklers retaliated with anti-semetic remarks. If you want the public to follow an unspoken line of right and wrong it's about time the african-american population does the same. They seem to keep using the past to justify hypocricy. African american men betwqeen the age of 15-35 are far more racist toward whit men than whites are towards them.

[gmond]

Apparently it is perfectly alright for Jackson to call NYC "Hymietown", and then demand a boycott of Seinfeld DVDs allegedly for the actions of one person - he just keeps showing his own hatemongering anti-Semitic racism, and anyone who listens to him is a hypocritical idiot.
Oh and btw, Richard Pryor pleaded with the black community to stop using the N word many years ago, and Mooney damned well knows that, he proves he is just another opportunist jumping on the poor pitiful me Jacksonwagon.

[ronniehm]

Kemetorigin, the reason no one uses the word honky anymore is because no one made a big deal out of it, so it simply went away. People use the nig-word because they want to offend people and it works.