Bill Maher drops the nigger bomb

[Mean_Mr.Mustard]

@Richard_Parker

Did thousands of white people hear “honky” as the last thing anyone said to them before a state-sanctioned mob tortured and hung them in the public square? No? Then maybe the context and impact of the words is teeensy bit different.

Part of context is intent. Was Pryor being intentionally hateful? Trying to stir up shit? Attempting harm?

No, he was making funny while being outrageous. That was his job.

Same goes for Maher.

To allow Pryor such leeway but not Maher is hypocrisy.
mmm

[Dante_1111]

I think if you take the time to parse what he said and consider the context, you’ll realize that he was commenting on the inherent racism of Nebraska and other Red States.

I have no problem with anyone being offended by the word he used, though. It’s an ugly word, because of what it represents. It’s used as a hammer against people because of all the weight of centuries of cruelty and oppression behind it. It’s a way of saying that all the progress on race we’ve made since the Civil War is an illusion, and that there’s no equality and never will be. That is the reason the word should never be used, in any context.

Sent from my XT1045 using Tapatalk

[octopus]

@Dante_1111

I think if you take the time to parse what he said and consider the context, you’ll realize that he was commenting on the inherent racism of Nebraska and other Red States.

I have no problem with anyone being offended by the word he used, though. It’s an ugly word, because of what it represents. It’s used as a hammer against people because of all the weight of centuries of cruelty and oppression behind it. It’s a way of saying that all the progress on race we’ve made since the Civil War is an illusion, and that there’s no equality and never will be. That is the reason the word should never be used, in any context.

Sent from my XT1045 using Tapatalk

Words change. You ever listen to rap music? Or black comedians?

[Okrahoma]

The whole brouhaha is stupid. Was Maher’s statement derogatory towards blacks (or anyone, really)? No? Then what is the outrage about?

[JRDelirious]

For those referencing Richard Pryor, IIRC it was ascertained in the famous Pryor/Chase debate that the equivalent of “nigger” is “DEAD honky”.

@Tom_Terrific

Would there have been any outrage if Maher had said, I’m not a field hand, I’m a house boy. The word boy has some pretty serious baggage in this kind of context.

@Chronos

Any outrage? Probably. It’s a big world, and there are some people who get outraged if you say “Good morning” to them.

It may have had less of a quick traction, since some of the detractors would have had to stop to explain to the more casual Social Media Shame Fan. Not everyone is up to speed on the context and a lot of people operate more on autopilot re: specific words You Must Not Say no matter what the context.

The problem with incidents such as this one and others is that even if the majority position is “meh, what do you expect of this dick”, all the attention will be given to those who make the Big Noise demanding the offender be made to pay and hit where it hurts, helping feed the BS narrative about “SJW” and “PC”.

[Spice_Weasel]

@octopus

Words change. You ever listen to rap music? Or black comedians?

Is Bill Maher black?

Seriously, when has it ever been considered socially acceptable for a white person to casually use this word? There are entire (played-out) comedy bits about how white people shouldn’t use that word.

[John_Mace]

@Spice_Weasel

Is Bill Maher black?

Seriously, when has it ever been considered socially acceptable for a white person to casually use this word? There are entire (played-out) comedy bits about how white people shouldn’t use that word.

Seriously, when has Bill Maher worried about what is socially acceptable? Personally, I would never accept such a proclamation. The idea that the color of your skin dictates which words you can and cannot use is racist. Pure and simple. I’ll use whichever words I damn well please.

[octopus]

@Spice_Weasel

Is Bill Maher black?

Seriously, when has it ever been considered socially acceptable for a white person to casually use this word? There are entire (played-out) comedy bits about how white people shouldn’t use that word.

I don’t care what color Bill Maher is. It seems somewhat a racist double standard.

[Dale_Sams]

I’m trying to think of an instance where a white person used it in jest or in a comedy, and it wasn’t a racist, say as in Blazing Saddles or the aforementioned SNL skit.

Got it. Mrs. Cleaver in"Airplane" The I speak Jive scene. “nigga don’t want no help, nigga don’t get no help.”

Also in “Kentucky Fried Movie”-Danger Seekers

[buddha_david]

@Dale_Sams

Mrs. Cleaver in"Airplane" The I speak Jive scene. “nigga don’t want no help, nigga don’t get no help.”

Also in “Kentucky Fried Movie”-Danger Seekers

Barbara Billingsley said “chump”, not “nigga.”

And the KFM word was definitely said as a racist remark. That was the whole point of the “danger seeking” stunt.

[Dale_Sams]

@buddha_david

Barbara Billingsley said “chump”, not “nigga.”

And the KFM word was definitely said as a racist remark. That was the whole point of the “danger seeking” stunt.

I didn’t say ‘racist remark’. The guy clearly isn’t a racist buffoon such as the towns folk in Blazing Saddles.

My bad on Speaking Jive. I was misremembering “Chump don’t want no help chump no get no help.”

[drad_dog]

Lenny Bruce used it doing an impression of LBJ, like he would tell jokes with that word and his aides would have to keep him under wraps.

[octopus]

@Dale_Sams

I’m trying to think of an instance where a white person used it in jest or in a comedy, and it wasn’t a racist, say as in Blazing Saddles or the aforementioned SNL skit.

Got it. Mrs. Cleaver in"Airplane" The I speak Jive scene. “nigga don’t want no help, nigga don’t get no help.”

Also in “Kentucky Fried Movie”-Danger Seekers

Howard Stern did a song about his crew.

Anyways this guy has wisdom. As I’ve always said context matters. https://youtu.be/BRJy48JWiHk Glad Fat Joe agrees.

This guy is wise as well. https://youtu.be/yyD3pomSxko

Rappers are smart. No joke.

[Spice_Weasel]

[QUOTE=John Mace]
The idea that the color of your skin dictates which words you can and cannot use is racist. Pure and simple. I’ll use whichever words I damn well please.
[/QUOTE]

Bolding mine. Can we stop pretending this has anything to do with forcing anyone to do anything? You will use whichever words you damned well please, and people will judge you accordingly. Race is not a special case for this general rule of life. If your argument is that you should never be judged negatively for using racially charged words, well, I can’t help you.

I truly do not understand, and will never understand, why people are so much in denial about the broader historical context of this word, or indeed, about the endemic nature of racism in US culture. But I grew up surrounded by racism, even had family members in the KKK. The first time I ever met my grandmother’s second husband, I was twelve years old, the first words out of his mouth were, '‘You aren’t datin’ no niggers, are ya?" And after his death, it came out we have good reason to believe he murdered black people during his involvement with the KKK. My other grandfather was also in the KKK, and he was sheriff of this lovely little town. Then there was my sociopathic stepfather, who used those words behind my back all the time while making me believe he wasn’t a racist, probably in order to manipulate me into believing we had shared values.

So I would imagine I have a different view. I am not like those people, and I will do everything conceivably possible to separate myself from them. I will never be the sort of person for whom that word just rolls off the tongue.

[QUOTE=octopus]
Words change. You ever listen to rap music? Or black comedians?
[/QUOTE]

I have never in my life heard a black person call another black person a ‘‘nigger.’’ They say “nigga.” It’s a different word, evolved from the original, with an entirely different meaning and cultural context. The original word still retains its original meaning, still has the power to hurt, denigrate, and shock.

[actualliberalnotoneofthose]

I guess I’m a little more on the Killer Mike side than the DeRay McKesson on this one, but I understand why people feel the way they do.

[octopus]

@Spice_Weasel

Bolding mine. Can we stop pretending this has anything to do with forcing anyone to do anything? You will use whichever words you damned well please, and people will judge you accordingly. Race is not a special case for this general rule of life. If your argument is that you should never be judged negatively for using racially charged words, well, I can’t help you.

I truly do not understand, and will never understand, why people are so much in denial about the broader historical context of this word, or indeed, about the endemic nature of racism in US culture. But I grew up surrounded by racism, even had family members in the KKK. The first time I ever met my grandmother’s second husband, I was twelve years old, the first words out of his mouth were, '‘You aren’t datin’ no niggers, are ya?" And after his death, it came out we have good reason to believe he murdered black people during his involvement with the KKK. My other grandfather was also in the KKK, and he was sheriff of this lovely little town. Then there was my sociopathic stepfather, who used those words behind my back all the time while making me believe he wasn’t a racist, probably in order to manipulate me into believing we had shared values.

So I would imagine I have a different view. I am not like those people, and I will do everything conceivably possible to separate myself from them. I will never be the sort of person for whom that word just rolls off the tongue.
I have never in my life heard a black person call another black person a ‘‘nigger.’’ They say “nigga.” It’s a different word, evolved from the original, with an entirely different meaning and cultural context. The original word still retains its original meaning, still has the power to hurt, denigrate, and shock.

My experience is vastly different than yours. I have lived in predominantly black parts of town. I have attended predominantly black schools. I went to a black church for about a year.

And I’m sure I could find many examples online that confirm my experience. Here’s one that took 2 seconds to find .https://youtu.be/EG0wQRsXLi4 I also disagree that -a and -er make a difference.

Also check out WorldStar to see how people use words. It might be educational.

And many words have the power to denigrate, hurt, and shock. Again, it depends on the context.

[Spice_Weasel]

Have you ever used the word ‘‘nigger’’ with your black friends? How did they respond?

[Mean_Mr.Mustard]

@Spice_Weasel

I have never in my life heard a black person call another black person a ‘‘nigger.’’…

I have many, many times.

Not that that proves anything. I don’t think African American speakers of “nigger/niggah” are that sensitive to the subtleties of the word and are making a conscious choice whether to offend or not.

I find myself saying ‘yawanna?’ rather than ‘do you want to?’ I could list countless other examples of my own feats of lazy language use. In my opinion, ‘nigger’ evolved into ‘niggah’ similarly.
mmm

[Novelty_Bobble]

@Spice_Weasel

I truly do not understand, and will never understand, why people are so much in denial about the broader historical context of this word, or indeed, about the endemic nature of racism in US culture. But I grew up surrounded by racism, even had family members in the KKK. The first time I ever met my grandmother’s second husband, I was twelve years old, the first words out of his mouth were, '‘You aren’t datin’ no niggers, are ya?" And after his death, it came out we have good reason to believe he murdered black people during his involvement with the KKK. My other grandfather was also in the KKK, and he was sheriff of this lovely little town. Then there was my sociopathic stepfather, who used those words behind my back all the time while making me believe he wasn’t a racist, probably in order to manipulate me into believing we had shared values.

So I would imagine I have a different view. I am not like those people, and I will do everything conceivably possible to separate myself from them. I will never be the sort of person for whom that word just rolls off the tongue.

That’s interesting background but you must see that it probably makes your view of the word and its usage very biased.
Others with less baggage are probably very able to use the word without it being racist. Context and meaning is everything.

[John_Mace]

@Spice_Weasel

Bolding mine. Can we stop pretending this has anything to do with forcing anyone to do anything? You will use whichever words you damned well please, and people will judge you accordingly. Race is not a special case for this general rule of life.

Eh. Change it “try and tell me”.

If your argument is that you should never be judged negatively for using racially charged words, well, I can’t help you.

When I make that argument, you’ll know. Because I’ll actually make that argument.

I truly do not understand, and will never understand, why people are so much in denial about the broader historical context of this word, or indeed, about the endemic nature of racism in US culture.

I agree.

So I would imagine I have a different view. I am not like those people, and I will do everything conceivably possible to separate myself from them. I will never be the sort of person for whom that word just rolls off the tongue.
I have never in my life heard a black person call another black person a ‘‘nigger.’’ They say “nigga.” It’s a different word, evolved from the original, with an entirely different meaning and cultural context. The original word still retains its original meaning, still has the power to hurt, denigrate, and shock.

Oddly enough, if you actually listen to what Maher said, he used the “nigga” word, not “nigger”.