The "N" word

Coriolanus

So, was listening to a bit of Jay-Z and it can't be helped but notice the amount of supposedly racist epitaphs that he, and I'm sure plenty of other black people use.
Last time I checked though, it was a taboo word, definitely racist to use.

So, should we all be able to use it? Should no one? Maybe just black people? Does it depend on the motive of the user?
What about other racist terms? Why are some worse than others?

brendansmith

We ARE allowed use it.

Go ahead, go nuts.

alwaysadub

Only those of the targetted ethnicity should be allowed use them.

er why have you hidden the poll results?

admiralofthefleet

None of us should be allowed use them.

nevore?

Pherekydes

brendansmith wrote: »

We ARE allowed use it.

+1.

Just say NO.

Dunjohn

The idea is that it can't possibly be racist if it's said by somebody it could also apply to. When that happens, it becomes similar to a "brotherhood" term.

Like how Irish people call each other paddies all the time, but every now and then you hear about some thin-skinned expat suing a British workmate who dared to say it.

sron

If you're going to discuss the word you may as well write it as '******', but I suppose you'll only see asterisks here.
It's really not offensive unless you use it an offensive context: Saying,"How do you feel about the word '******'" is not racist.

MikeC101

People Who Annoy You


(it was begging to be posted!)

we'llallhavetea_old

hmmm, i would never call a black person a "n****r", but to my friends i would often say "sup niggggaaaaaa". i suppose it depends on how you use it, but even still, its an offensive term and black people have the right to be offended by it.
the one i don't understand is why is it offensive to call a person from pakistan a "p**i"? its just shortening the word pakistani, like brit for british. anyone?

My name is URL

None of us should be allowed use them.

The sooner the word is loses it's status the better.. if the thread was about the word 'Paddy' being used by the English people would say we should get over it.. so should the people (of all races) that get outraged by the N word

Herb Powell

None of us should be allowed use them.

NIGGA
f**k double standards.

4zn76tysfajdxp

Dunjohn wrote: »

Like how Irish people call each other paddies all the time

What? Really? I've only ever heard it in relation to someone named Paddy.

Precious flower

Herb Powell wrote: »

NIGGA
f**k double standards.

Tupac came up with that as far as I know, maybe I'm wrong. It means Never Ignorant Getting Goals Accomplished. I love Tupac!:D Hehe!

3hn2givr7mx1sc

Dunjohn wrote: »

The idea is that it can't possibly be racist if it's said by somebody it could also apply to. When that happens, it becomes similar to a "brotherhood" term.

Like how Irish people call each other paddies all the time, but every now and then you hear about some thin-skinned expat suing a British workmate who dared to say it.

Well, tbf there's a lot of people called Paddy here.:p

Minstrel27

None of us should be allowed use them.

Damn naggers

Pete M.

unless you is jive talkin wigga, you betta reconsida referrin to any of your homies as nigga unless you is one, ya dig.

Delirium

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BIGvWKNRmA

stovelid

None of us should be allowed use them.

The cultural reclamation of the N word will be incomplete for those of us who grew up in the 70s and 80s until we hear rappers sardonically address each other as nig-nogs.

SV

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ui6-Wc0PDc4

explains it for all ye crackers out there!

Bolag_the_2nd

Only those of the targetted ethnicity should be allowed use them.

hate that word, its right up ther with the C word for me

kowloon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypmLeuWeNpc

OutlawPete

alwaysadub wrote: »

er why have you hidden the poll results?

I think most people don't intentionally mean to make their Polls private, it's just the default setting.

Maybe the default should be the other way around?

CSF

we'llallhavetea wrote: »

hmmm, i would never call a black person a "n****r", but to my friends i would often say "sup niggggaaaaaa". i suppose it depends on how you use it, but even still, its an offensive term and black people have the right to be offended by it.
the one i don't understand is why is it offensive to call a person from pakistan a "p**i"? its just shortening the word pakistani, like brit for british. anyone?

Its all to do with the connotations and the stigma attached to a word, a word becomes an offensive word, when it is used to belittle other groups of people. If n$gger was just a word that described black people, in a non-offensive way, nobody would care, but it isn't. The same applies with the term Paki. Its not the same as Brit for British, because Irish nationalists aside, its just a word used to describe British people.

Which leads me to my point on the OP, any word is ok to use to anyone, assuming the person its said to and anyone within ears reach is comfortable with its usage. But I certainly wouldn't be risking that the recipient will be comfortable with it, because pleading ignorance really isn't an excuse if the person is offended.

InKonspikuou2

None of us should be allowed use them.

I don't use it now but i went through a phase when i used nigga for a while. It was back when i went to high school in the US and played basketball. All the black dudes and other hispanics on the team used the word and sometimes it would just come out when i'd be talking. Because i'm latino i got a pass on it. There were white people in my circle of friends who got away with it too depending on the context. Never really seen as a big deal amongst us. But i have seen parties turn bad when some white guy would use it thinking it's cool and it would turn into a riot.

The whole thing is stupid though. Yeah it comes from a bad origin but when you use it so frequently and colloquially you begin to trivialize it's meaning. White people buy more hip hop albums that any other race in the US. So when you have a race that isn't supposed to say it being exposed to it by somebody they may idolize. It's not gonna take much for it to be used by them. If you put it out there so blindly. Then be prepared to have it thrown back at you.

Ash.J.Williams

Dunjohn wrote: »

The idea is that it can't possibly be racist if it's said by somebody it could also apply to. When that happens, it becomes similar to a "brotherhood" term.

Like how Irish people call each other paddies all the time, but every now and then you hear about some thin-skinned expat suing a British workmate who dared to say it.

Or abroad when a load of rowdy irish walk into the pub ya think "ah here come the paddies" but an English guy shouting "oi paddy" would be an entirely different matter!

m@cc@

I've managed to get through life so far without feeling the need to use it. It's not about whether you should be allowed to use it, it's about why do you want to?

Bolag_the_2nd wrote: »

hate that word, its right up ther with the C word for me

You're talkin' about CUNT, right?

JPA

Stupid thread is stupid.

bertie4evr

Only those of the targetted ethnicity should be allowed use them.

What's wrong with cunt?

MIN2511

None of us should be allowed use them.

Why is it okay for black people to use nigga that's retarded as far as i know! If someone calls me a nigga i don't get offended....

I lie; call me a nigga in a derrogatory manner and i'll be very pissed off!

Bolag_the_2nd

Only those of the targetted ethnicity should be allowed use them.

m@cc@ wrote: »

I've managed to get through life so far without feeling the need to use it. It's not about whether you should be allowed to use it, it's about why do you want to?






You're talkin' about CUNT, right?

yes [EMAIL="m@cc"]m@cc[/EMAIL]
well done!

bazmaiden

None of us should be allowed use them.

MIN2511 wrote: »

Why is it okay for black people to use nigga that's retarded as far as i know! If someone calls me a nigga i don't get offended....

http://www.r-word.org/

we'llallhavetea_old

CSF wrote: »

Its all to do with the connotations and the stigma attached to a word, a word becomes an offensive word, when it is used to belittle other groups of people. If n$gger was just a word that described black people, in a non-offensive way, nobody would care, but it isn't. The same applies with the term Paki. Its not the same as Brit for British, because Irish nationalists aside, its just a word used to describe British people.

what muppet thought that calling someone a paki would be a great insult in the first place? how.... unoriginal.

Prof.Badass

brendansmith wrote: »

We ARE allowed use it.

Go ahead, go nuts.

<_<

>_>

<_<

n¡gger

<_<

>_>

<_<



I'd never use it properly (just mentioning it on it's own to acknowledge it's existance hardly counts.....). Interestingly, the only Irish person i've ever actually heard using it meaningfully was the driver of a taxi i once got....

Sea Sharp

Only those of the targetted ethnicity should be allowed use them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6OselVRTsM

molloyjazz

None of us should be allowed use them.

"coon" is a nicer more pc alternative to nig.

i.e:
guy:"Wheres your tool, coon?"
nig: "What tool?"
guy: "this fooking tool"

bazmaiden

None of us should be allowed use them.

Uh oh peter drops the N-Bomb!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRS6gW_k1uc

Somnus

I wouldn't say it myself. It sounds a very harsh term to my ears and I see it as disrespectful/insulting.

But I wouldn't tell other people not to. That's just my take on it and if other people don't see it as an insulting phrase then I guess that's ok as long as they're not offending anyone.

Corkfeen

I don't see the issue with saying it and why would black people care. Nothing wrong with saying "Neighbour".

Fear Uladh

None of us should be allowed use them.

They took our jobs!

MickShamrock

Only those of the targetted ethnicity should be allowed use them.

None of us should be allowed use them.

Rockn

Only use the word if it applies to yourself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVN_0qvuhhw

molloyjazz

None of us should be allowed use them.

Chillaxe wrote: »

They took our jobs!

Dey tuk r jeerbs!

speedboatchase

The bad news is we can't say it, but the good news is hey, we're white :cool:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TG4f9zR5yzY

SugarHigh

we'llallhavetea wrote: »

hmmm, i would never call a black person a "n****r", but to my friends i would often say "sup niggggaaaaaa". i suppose it depends on how you use it, but even still, its an offensive term and black people have the right to be offended by it.
the one i don't understand is why is it offensive to call a person from pakistan a "p**i"? its just shortening the word pakistani, like brit for british. anyone?

It was used in a derogatory way for so long it is now tarnished by it's association and by using that word you are seen to be associating yourself with the racists, it's just how language works like how cunt is offensive to some but vagina wouldn't be.

It also depends on where you are. Calling Japanese poeple japs is a big no but I don't think Japanese people settled in other countries find it offensive.

OutlawPete

Genius

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKd35EmCIx8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBT7I788uwI

we'llallhavetea_old

SugarHigh wrote: »

It was used in a derogatory way for so long it is now tarnished by it's association and by using that word you are seen to be associating yourself with the racists, it's just how language works like how cunt is offensive to some but vagina wouldn't be.

It also depends on where you are. Calling Japanese poeple japs is a big no but I don't think Japanese people settled in other countries find it offensive.

so soon enough we wont be able to call mary harney, mary harney.

fontanalis

Martin Luther King must be so proud of them.

speedboatchase

Kermit doesn't take no sh1t

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmFUkLP0wP8

mahamageehad

OutlawPete wrote: »

I think most people don't intentionally mean to make their Polls private, it's just the default setting.

Maybe the default should be the other way around?

I think it's silly to have the results hidden. Hide who vote what way, that's fair enough but what's the point in a poll if no-one can see the end result- ie the general consensus.

Maybe i took this up the wrong way and you're revealing the results later??

OutlawPete

mahamageehad wrote: »

Maybe i took this up the wrong way and you're revealing the results later??

It's not my thread sure.

No, what I am saying is that where you start a Poll, the Default is that the results are hidden.

It's up to whoever starts the thread to check the option to make the Poll results "Public".

I have forget to check the option myself a few times.

arybvtcw0eolkf

Bolag_the_2nd wrote: »

hate that word, its right up ther with the C word for me

More or less the same here.

IMO, its a horrible word - made even more horrible when blacks use it like its a right of passage for them.