# PULP FICTION and the "N" word. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 17, 2003, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulp-fiction-and-the-n-word/189076 "2003-07-17T05:26:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hayduke\_Lives](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Hayduke\_Lives](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hayduke_Lives)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulp-fiction-and-the-n-word/189076/1 "2003-07-17T05:26:56Z")
Was Pulp Fiction ever on standard tv? Did they bleep out the “N” word? What I don’t get is, how did they get away with saying it so much? And it was always a white guy saying it? “Where on my house is there a sign saying 'Dead N… Parking?” (guy with shotgun) “Get off the N… and put your hands up” Didn’t any groups object? ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulp-fiction-and-the-n-word/189076/2 "2003-07-17T05:34:10Z")
There was more than just the N-word to object to in Pulp Fiction. But it was a great film, so I think nobody really cared about the objectors. ---
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulp-fiction-and-the-n-word/189076/3 "2003-07-17T05:37:56Z")
I think I heard somewhere that Samuel L. Jackson uses that word a lot in everyday life, maybe they got the idea from him? Also, do a google search with - Samuel L. Jackson n-word - seems to be a lot of information out there on him connected to that word (mostly connected with Pulp Fiction and Jackie Brown movies). ---
**Author:** ![Hayduke\_Lives](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Hayduke\_Lives](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hayduke_Lives)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulp-fiction-and-the-n-word/189076/4 "2003-07-17T05:41:03Z")
Yeah, but Sam is black. Nobody seems to care when a brother says N. Those other characters was white. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Elvis\_Rojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@El\_Elvis\_Rojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Elvis_Rojo)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulp-fiction-and-the-n-word/189076/5 "2003-07-17T05:53:50Z")
Well, the store owner isn’t really an issue for the most part. Hate to break it to you, but a lot of people still use that word on an everyday basis, and the character didn’t seem like you’re high intelligence, open minded type. Tarrentino’s character on the other hand…he was a bit harsh. I think the difference is that, obviously, this character was not meant to be a racist, being a good friend of Jules, but as circumstance would have it, it was a term he used in everyday life. Whether that means his character was constantly surrounded by black people, or just the area he lived in was rather more “urban” in their speach, it didn’t seem to phase Jules once, so I take it it’s a non issue. It did take me back a bit with the casualness with which he used the word, but Tarrentino isn’t known for being very clean with his speach. Watching any movie he’s scripted, you’d think he was a six year old who just discovered the word “fuck” and was given permission to use it by his parents. So, in the context of the film itself, I don’t think it’s ever been an issue by anybody. And the fact it’s got such great acclaim as a good movie, I think that helps negate it as well. He’s obviously not a racist, so my guess is he feels that fact takes some of the edge off the word’s usage. I don’t know anyone who’s felt otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![Tertius01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e99b99/32.png) [@Tertius01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tertius01)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulp-fiction-and-the-n-word/189076/6 "2003-07-17T05:54:08Z")
I don’t think Sam Jackson cared. That probably made it okay. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Elvis\_Rojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@El\_Elvis\_Rojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Elvis_Rojo)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulp-fiction-and-the-n-word/189076/7 "2003-07-17T06:09:42Z")
Okay, just to clarrify…I really butchered Tarantino’s name. I’m going to go watch **Pulp Fiction** till my eyes bleed now to make up for it. ---
**Author:** ![psychomonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/dec6dc/32.png) [@psychomonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychomonkey)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulp-fiction-and-the-n-word/189076/8 "2003-07-17T06:29:52Z")
I just watched it last night with the enchanced track. It makes several references to the groups condemning it, and a little to the airing of it on tv. Keep in mind that this held the record for Hollywood use of the F-bomb for a few years (broke by the Southpark movie). Groups object to everything all the time, and they get tuned out. I could go on about this, but it really belongs in the Pit, I have nothing objective to say other than yes, yes they did. I did happen to catch the broadcast version as well. It was on WB or something similar. There were several complete scenes cut out of it, and lots and lots of bleeping. One example of the creative editing they did: _ **SPOILER** _ When Marvin gets shot in the head, its not shown in the same way as in the theatrical version. They cut to a black screen, with a Travolta sound alike saying “Hey, I shot Marvin” Creative… ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulp-fiction-and-the-n-word/189076/9 "2003-07-17T06:43:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by psychomonkey \* > \*\*Keep in mind that this held the record for Hollywood use of the F-bomb for a few years \*\* Whoa! You mean it’s said more in South Park than in Scar Face? Are you sure about that? I mean, it wouldn’t exactly shock me seeing it’s South Park. But, have you ever seen Scar Face? They should have just named that movie “Fuck”. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulp-fiction-and-the-n-word/189076/10 "2003-07-17T07:02:30Z")
Holy Shit! I’ve got _Pulp Fiction_ going on DVD right now as I browse these threads and just when I see this thread, guess which scene is playing? Yup, Tarantino’s character bitching about “dead n\*\*\*\*\* storage.” ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulp-fiction-and-the-n-word/189076/11 "2003-07-17T07:05:30Z")
> [@](#): > > Whoa! You mean it’s said more in South Park than in Scar Face? > Are you sure about that? I mean, it wouldn’t exactly shock me seeing it’s South Park. But, have you ever seen Scar Face? > They should have just named that movie “Fuck”. Well the Uncle Fucker song alone probably beat 99 percent of all movies. ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulp-fiction-and-the-n-word/189076/12 "2003-07-17T07:12:17Z")
I saw Pulp Fiction air on the WB (Broadcast TV) during the dinner hour. They chopped up and censored so much of the movie it was just about pure gibberish. I watched anyway, even though it’s one of my favorite movies. It was like a train wreck. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulp-fiction-and-the-n-word/189076/13 "2003-07-17T07:44:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by GMRyujin \* > \*\*They chopped up and censored so much of the movie it was just about pure gibberish. I watched anyway, even though it’s one of my favorite movies. It was like a train wreck. \*\* Hahahaha:p hahaha:smack: haha! The image just makes me laugh…hard! There are some movies that just can’t be edited for television! Yet the censor Nazis try anyway! Remeber “Little darlings”? The line was “who ever becomes a woman first…wins!” They edited it to: “whom ever becomes a winner first…wins!” :pWTF?😕 Rember “Meatballs”? there was a hillarious line where Bill Murray says “You’re pacing around here like an expectant father with the clap”. NBC edited it to say “an expectant father with bad teeth”.😕 😕 😕 😕 😕 😕 😕 I can’t imagine Pulp Fiction on regular television! Oh God!😛 ---
**Author:** ![Fibber\_McGee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a6a055/32.png) [@Fibber\_McGee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fibber_McGee)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulp-fiction-and-the-n-word/189076/14 "2003-07-17T07:45:44Z")
I seem to recall that at the time Pulp Fiction was released, Spike Lee came out against the use of the N-Word in the film, saying that as a white man QT doesn’t have the right to use the word in any way shape or form. I sort of agree, but the recent SpikeTV mess has caused to retroactively dismiss anything Spike Lee has to say as crap, so I won’t accept it out of his mouth, cheap undertalented attention-whoring mofo . . . ---
**Author:** ![Kyomara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8edcca/32.png) [@Kyomara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyomara)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulp-fiction-and-the-n-word/189076/15 "2003-07-17T10:39:59Z")
According to Pam Grier’s interview in the Onion, the script for _Jackie Brown_ originally had 37 “niggers” in it, but Sam Jackson decided he wanted to add more. I got the impression from other parts of the film that “nigger” was used by these criminals as a term of endearment for anyone in their circle, and by extension any guy in general. Like where Marcellus calls Vincent “my nigger.” I interpreted Jimmy’s line as “Where is the sign on my front lawn that says ‘dead guy storage.’” But maybe I’m being optomisic. I did hear that the NAACP was a little upset, and that Spike Lee said something like “Why does Quentin use that word so much?? It’s like he wants to be an honorary black person.” i.e. Spike wasn’t hopping mad about it, but he didn’t like it either. ---
**Author:** ![Alias](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e4f/32.png) [@Alias](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alias)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulp-fiction-and-the-n-word/189076/16 "2003-07-17T11:09:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pkbites \* > \*\*Hahahaha:p hahaha:smack: haha! The image just makes me laugh…hard! > There are some movies that just can’t be edited for television! > Yet the censor Nazis try anyway! > > Remeber “Little darlings”? The line was “who ever becomes a woman first…wins!” They edited it to: “whom ever becomes a winner first…wins!” :pWTF?😕 > > Rember “Meatballs”? there was a hillarious line where Bill Murray says “You’re pacing around here like an expectant father with the clap”. NBC edited it to say “an expectant father with bad teeth”.😕 😕 😕 😕 😕 😕 😕 > > I can’t imagine Pulp Fiction on regular television! Oh God!😛 \*\* I remember watching “Real Genius” on the Disney channel once. There’s a part where Val Kilmer’s character calls someone an “unbelievable bastard” Disney changed it to “unbelievable bonehead” :smack: ---
**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:** [July 17, 2003, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulp-fiction-and-the-n-word/189076/17 "2003-07-17T12:04:00Z")
_Book Recommendation_ _Nigger: The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word_ by Randall Kennedy ---
**Author:** ![Pergau](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7c8e57/32.png) [@Pergau](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pergau)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulp-fiction-and-the-n-word/189076/18 "2003-07-17T12:22:43Z")
Pulp fiction was shown on Sky1 only last week, complete with Marvin’s brains and dead nigger storage. I understood from Tarantino interviews that he doesn’t think that the word is racist unless it is said in a racist way or meaning, so the way the Marcellus and Jules and Tarantino say nigger is different to Zed and the other guy in the shop. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulp-fiction-and-the-n-word/189076/19 "2003-07-17T12:44:43Z")
Speaking of Sameul L. and profanity, he has a cute moment with Geena Davis in the little-known _The Long Kiss Goodnight_: Jackson: And another thing, did you always curse this much? I mean, when we first met you were all, like, “Oh, phooey, I burned the darned muffins.” Now, you walk into a bar, ten minutes later sailors come running out. What up with that? ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulp-fiction-and-the-n-word/189076/20 "2003-07-17T12:46:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by psychomonkey \* > **Keep in mind that this held the record for Hollywood use of the F-bomb for a few years (broke by the Southpark movie).** Actually this is untrue, the current champion is Casino which came out in 1993, before Pulp Fiction and way before South Park. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulp-fiction-and-the-n-word/189076.md?page=2)