# Blazing Saddles **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 5, 2004, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blazing-saddles/222850 "2004-01-05T18:14:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Knighted\_Vorpal\_Sword](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ac91a4/32.png) [@Knighted\_Vorpal\_Sword](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knighted_Vorpal_Sword)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2004, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blazing-saddles/222850/1 "2004-01-05T18:14:47Z")
The movie **Blazing Saddles** was made back in 1974. How was Mel Brooks allowed to get away with using the “N” word so much? Was there any sort of outcry? ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2004, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blazing-saddles/222850/2 "2004-01-05T18:33:00Z")
People could take a joke in 1974. Just look at what Detroit was putting on the roads. * * * USC Trojans: Hail the National Champions! ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2004, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blazing-saddles/222850/3 "2004-01-05T18:37:52Z")
That’s _Hedly!_ ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2004, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blazing-saddles/222850/4 "2004-01-05T18:58:51Z")
A serious answer. The farther back in time you go, the _less_ outcry you hear about this word, rather than the greater. Blacks simply had next to no social, cultural, or political power back then. And, of course, this was the attitude that Brooks - not to mention his black co-writer, Richard Pryor - were _satirizing_ in the movie, mocking the idiot whites who were using the word. ---
**Author:** ![hypnoboth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/bb73d2/32.png) [@hypnoboth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hypnoboth)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2004, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blazing-saddles/222850/5 "2004-01-05T19:34:37Z")
Precisely. Brooks used the word to make bigots look like horse’s asses. That is the one acceptable use of the word, and even today, in a much more politically correct world, it sometimes makes the world acceptable (although today, only blacks can use it, even for that purpose). When they show it on television, they usually cut it, but it was effective in the theater — everyone who said the N word was an idiot and a moron, and it showed. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2004, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blazing-saddles/222850/6 "2004-01-05T21:03:35Z")
> [@](#): > > everyone who said the N word was an idiot and a moron, and it showed. Except that little old lady who brought Sherrif Bart the pie. She was just a hypocrite. You have to remember, Brooks also poked fun at the gay stereotype, government, big business, and the movie studios. It wasn’t just blacks and rednecks. ---
**Author:** ![Horseflesh](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horseflesh/32/7502_2.png) [@Horseflesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horseflesh)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2004, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blazing-saddles/222850/7 "2004-01-05T22:42:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by NoClueBoy \* > \*\*You have to remember, Brooks also poked fun at the gay stereotype, government, big business, and the movie studios. It wasn’t just blacks and rednecks. \*\* And the Irish. And the Chinese a little bit. And don’t forget 2D cutouts of people with sproingy heads. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2004, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blazing-saddles/222850/8 "2004-01-05T22:56:50Z")
Yes. The sproingy headed 2D community was outraged. ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blazing-saddles/222850/9 "2004-01-06T02:02:18Z")
> [@](#): > > And, of course, this was the attitude that Brooks - not to mention his black co-writer, Richard Pryor - were satirizing in the movie, mocking the idiot whites who were using the word. Perfectly illustrated when the redneck railroad supervisor demands, “Give us a good ol’ nigger work song!” and Bart responds with the Cole Porter song “I Get a Kick Out of You”. Mel Brooks’ movies have always sympathized with the underdog – the more powerful a group is, the more ridicule they’ve got coming. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blazing-saddles/222850/10 "2004-01-06T02:26:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by NoClueBoy \* > **Except that little old lady who brought Sherrif Bart the pie. She was just a hypocrite.** And except for Bart himself, who held himself hostage with the N word. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blazing-saddles/222850/11 "2004-01-06T02:53:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by tracer \* > \*\*And except for Bart himself, who held himself hostage with the N word. \*\* I don’t much like the movie as a whole, but I LOVE that scene. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mullets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/aeb1de/32.png) [@John\_Mullets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mullets)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blazing-saddles/222850/12 "2004-01-06T03:29:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tengu \* > **I don’t much like the movie as a whole** Blasphamy! ---
**Author:** ![TERRA\_Rising](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TERRA\_Rising](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TERRA_Rising)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blazing-saddles/222850/13 "2004-01-06T08:59:26Z")
I loved this movie. Especially the bean scene! Too bad that fire didn’t flare up after every fart! ---
**Author:** ![widdershins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f0a364/32.png) [@widdershins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/widdershins)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blazing-saddles/222850/14 "2004-01-06T12:12:05Z")
But until the Rock Ridge townsfolk changed their ways they were marginal bad guys in the context of the story, and it was the bad guys who said “nigger”, most of whom were stupid as well. And they were idiots and morons since they all fell for Bart “hostage” trick (Oh, baby you are so brilliant! And they are so dumb!") Besides the hint was that the whole town was inbred anyway. The gov. wasn’t strictly a villain, but was dumb enough to be Hedley’s dupe. Besides does he ever say the whole word? Although he says “nig-” twice during the “Lincoln, Jefferson, Le Petomane” scene. ---
**Author:** ![MeanJoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanjoe/32/5693_2.png) [@MeanJoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanJoe)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blazing-saddles/222850/15 "2004-01-06T12:25:17Z")
_sneaks into the thread_ Oh fellas, look what I found! \ Where da’ white women at? \ _sneaks out of thread_ MeanJoe ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blazing-saddles/222850/16 "2004-01-06T12:48:22Z")
I think it’s interesting that almost every time I run across this on TV, the fart scene is edited out. “Nigger? Well, OK, but no farting!” I did once catch it with the N-word taken out. I hope nobody else watching that one was seeing it for the first time. ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blazing-saddles/222850/17 "2004-01-06T14:16:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dung Beetle \* > \*\*I did once catch it with the N-word taken out. I hope nobody else watching that one was seeing it for the first time. \*\* I’ve seen that airing, too. They also eliminated the school marm referring to the Governor as the “leading asshole in the state.” TV exec: “Gee, I’ve got an idea. Let’s show a very funny movie, but bleep out every bit of humor we can find!” ---
**Author:** ![malaka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@malaka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/malaka)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blazing-saddles/222850/18 "2004-01-06T14:23:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dung Beetle \* > \*\*I think it’s interesting that almost every time I run across this on TV, the fart scene is edited out. “Nigger? Well, OK, but no farting!” > I did once catch it with the N-word taken out. I hope nobody else watching that one was seeing it for the first time. \*\* I saw it once where the fart scene was IN, but the fart noise was edited out. The scene made no sense whatsoever. The same version contained the N-word. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blazing-saddles/222850/19 "2004-01-06T14:24:31Z")
Now, this movie doesn’t do justice to itself. I recall seeing this at a cinema when it was first released and it was far more subversive than it seems now. My friends and I were continually laughing at things that the rest of the audience didn’t think was all that funny. Naturally we ended up in hysterics. And no chemical enhancement required. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blazing-saddles/222850/20 "2004-01-06T14:28:17Z")
> [@](#): > > I saw it once where the fart scene was IN, but the fart noise was edited out. The scene made no sense whatsoever. The same version contained the N-word. Actually, that’s what I meant to say. Thanks, **malaka**. You see all these cowboys eating beans, standing up a little, then sitting down. It’s not til Taggert comes out waving his hat that you say to yourself, “_Oh! Beans!_ I get it.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blazing-saddles/222850.md?page=2)