# Quentin Tarentino and the niggers. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 15, 2003, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quentin-tarentino-and-the-niggers/219051 "2003-12-15T02:58:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**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:** [December 15, 2003, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quentin-tarentino-and-the-niggers/219051/21 "2003-12-15T12:43:35Z")
Is it just me, or does the name of this thread sound like the title of the first in a series of less-than-popular adventure books? ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quentin-tarentino-and-the-niggers/219051/22 "2003-12-15T13:03:27Z")
Umm…The movie is titled “Pulp Fiction” people. It’s a writing voice, he was developing fictional characters that play their role true to themselves in dialogue. I think it was just appropriate to the story and the characters, simple as that. ---
**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:** [December 15, 2003, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quentin-tarentino-and-the-niggers/219051/23 "2003-12-15T13:28:50Z")
> [@](#): > > She’s listed in the credits as Pedestrian also, but I don’t know exactly where it is that she appears. Interesting. I would guess that’s in the scene where Butch runs over Marcellus Wallace. I’ve known white rednecks who used the term “nigger” casually, and I think were honestly not racist. Ideally, I’d like to see the word lose its power to hurt people, then just fade away. Of course, the real problem isn’t a word, it’s that people are assholes. ---
**Author:** ![Bakhesh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@Bakhesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bakhesh)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quentin-tarentino-and-the-niggers/219051/24 "2003-12-15T14:00:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bryan Ekers \* > \*\*Is it just me, or does the name of this thread sound like the title of the first in a series of less-than-popular adventure books? \*\* LOL. I can’t wait for “Harry Potter and the Niggers of Azkaban” “Its the one that says Bad Muggle Fucker on it” ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quentin-tarentino-and-the-niggers/219051/25 "2003-12-15T14:06:43Z")
Band name! ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quentin-tarentino-and-the-niggers/219051/26 "2003-12-15T14:15:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Little Nemo \* > \*\*I think both Spike Lee and Quentin Tarantino have some racial issues in their heads they need to resolve. In Lee’s case, he seems to feel the need to prove he’s blacker than everyone else; apparently he feels growing up in an affluent middle class suburban family damages his street cred. > \*\* As I’m given to understand it, Spike Lee spent the majority of his childhood living in Fort Greene, a Brooklyn neighborhood (where I live). While his family was middle class, the neighborhood is very mixed in terms of socio-economic issues, and definitely not suburban. We’re quite urban here in the Fort. Living here even gives _me_ a little street cred, and I’m a geeky middle aged white matronly lady. 😉 That said, I do agree with your overall assessment of Lee and his need to be blacker than black. Back to the OP, in fact, I do remember Tarantino getting some flack from Hollywood folks for his use of the work “nigger” – not so much because he uses it, but because he uses it like a 12 year old kid who seems overly-excited by the prospect of shocking someone. DID I SHOCK YA YET? HUH, HUH DID I? NIGGER NIGGER! HOW ABOUT NOW? I agree an author or filmmaker can use the word nigger effectively to portray realistic dialogue or show different aspects of a character’s background, views, or motivations. However, I’m not convinced that what Tarantino does is in this camp – it may have started out that way, but I think he’s gone 'round the bend on this particular point. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quentin-tarentino-and-the-niggers/219051/27 "2003-12-15T14:28:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by devilsknew \* > \*\*Umm…The movie is titled “Pulp Fiction” people. It’s a writing voice, he was developing fictional characters that play their role true to themselves in dialogue. I think it was just appropriate to the story and the characters, simple as that. \*\* Still, it was HIM saying it. It didn’t bother me at all, hearing it, but I always had the sneaking suspicion that QT kind of got off on seeing himself get away with dropping the N-bomb in the face of big bad Sam Jack. Sort of like I think his whole directorial career has been one giant ploy to get Uma in the sack. That’s not to say I don’t love his movies. I do. Every one of them. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quentin-tarentino-and-the-niggers/219051/28 "2003-12-15T15:05:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mr. B \* > \*\*Jimmy’s wife was a black woman. She was also a nurse. > > Tarantino’s scene is gratuitous and poorly acted. Should have been played by Steve Buscemi. > > And what **Miller** said. \*\* Tarantino may be able to direct, but he should never ever show up in a movie. He just can’t act. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quentin-tarentino-and-the-niggers/219051/29 "2003-12-15T15:42:12Z")
I seem to remember that **Denzel Washington** confronted Tarantino, when QT visited the set of the submarine movie Denzel and Gene Hackman were in. I don’t remember the specifics other than DW confronted QT and asked him what was up with the inappropriate language and that he (DW) did not appreciate it - all said in very strong language. If I can find an anecdote I will post a link. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quentin-tarentino-and-the-niggers/219051/30 "2003-12-15T17:36:49Z")
> [@](#): > > The movie is titled “Pulp Fiction” people. It’s a writing voice, he was developing fictional characters that play their role true to themselves in dialogue. I think it was just appropriate to the story and the characters, simple as that. My point was that Tarantino’s character wasn’t authentic. In real life, someone like Jules, who was authentically hardcore, would never tolerate someone like Quentin’s character, who was just pretending. ---
**Author:** ![labboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@labboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/labboy)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quentin-tarentino-and-the-niggers/219051/31 "2003-12-15T19:46:16Z")
A few points… In Pulp Fiction Quinton makes his wife (bonnie) a black nurse. In Res Dogs the gangsters have a converstaion in a car that points out why black women are smarter/stronger/better than white women. I think it was something like ‘black women don’t take no crap.’ In promotions for Jackie Brown Quinton went around saying how he was crazy for Pam Grier in his younger days, and wrote the movie for her. So Quinton likes using the N-word and seems to have a perference for black women. Does anyone know anything about his love life? Is he dating a black woman? ---
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Bruce\_Daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Daddy)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quentin-tarentino-and-the-niggers/219051/32 "2003-12-15T21:01:25Z")
From Playboy - June 1999 (the best issue ever, btw) > [@](#): > > **Playboy** : You apparently got into a war of words sith Spike Lee over the dialog in the subsequent Tarantino film, _Jackie Brown_. He objected to the use of the N word. > > **Jackson** : Come on, you can say it [_laughs_]. In truth, I wasn’t trying to defend Quentin or shoot Spike down. I’ve said “nigger” in Spike Lee movies. He just thought Quentin used the word excessively. People have said that about _Pulp Fiction_ too. The Hughes brothers came to me with that same thing. "What the fuck is up with Quentin and this ‘nigger’ thing? I said, "And how many time did you use it in _Menace II Society_? “Oh, that’s different.” “Bullshit. You wrote your script, he wrote his.” With Ordell, I may have said it three times more than Quentin wrote, because that was who Ordell was. For Spike to say, “Well, I use the word at home, but Quentin’s got no right.” Bullshit. And if he really thought Quentin was a racist, why put him in _Girl 6_? He had Quentin in _Girl 6_ looking at a black woman’s breasts. Was that a metaphorical master-slave thing we didn’t get? [_laughs_]. ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quentin-tarentino-and-the-niggers/219051/33 "2003-12-15T22:47:52Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by E.T. Bass \* > \*\* > How come the “politically correct” Hollywood has not bashed QT on all those nigger references?_\* Because the concept of an elitist, ultra-liberal, ultra-“PC” media is a straw man set up by a right-wing propaganda machine and has unfortunately gained a great deal of popularity. I understand that there are a lot of perfectly nice people, completely free of bigotry, who rail about “political correctness”. They are wrong. There is not an organized effort by a group of people to control everyone else’s speech (at least not an effort with any power or relevance.) There are, however, successful right-wing efforts to defang casual racism. This is not good. ---
**Author:** ![E.T.Bass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9fc29f/32.png) [@E.T.Bass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E.T.Bass)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2003, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quentin-tarentino-and-the-niggers/219051/34 "2003-12-16T04:25:22Z")
DeNiro must have a lot of respect for QT, taking a supporting role in Jackie Brown. DeNiro is also married to a black woman. Harvey Kietel did a movie (bad) called Holy Smoke! His wife was Pam Grier. That Kietel is one tough dude. He’s used a lot in QT’s movies. I think QT goes bonkers over black women and Uma Thurman. I also believe that the guy does not have a racist bone in his body, people of all races have been dominant in his films plus interracial romances. Spike Lee is just a racist, little jerkoff. ET ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2003, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quentin-tarentino-and-the-niggers/219051/35 "2003-12-16T05:44:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Eve \* > \*\*Band name! \*\* …along with the comedy stylings of Vinnie Vega. Two shows nightly at the Pulp Room, downtown, through January 15th. $5.00 cover and two-drink minimum. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2003, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quentin-tarentino-and-the-niggers/219051/36 "2003-12-16T06:18:46Z")
Spike definitely has his head up his ass on this one. Tarrantino probably does like surprising people by using the word in his movies, but he’s not sticking it in places it doesn’t belong either- I don’t think he’s making up excuses to use it. And for whatever it’s worth, I think “dead nigger storage” is funny. Even if the man himself isn’t. ---
**Author:** ![MonkeyMule](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc348/32.png) [@MonkeyMule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMule)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2003, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quentin-tarentino-and-the-niggers/219051/37 "2003-12-16T07:02:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Little Nemo \* > \*\*My point was that Tarantino’s character wasn’t authentic. In real life, someone like Jules, who was authentically hardcore, would never tolerate someone like Quentin’s character, who was just pretending. \*\* Don’t look at the scene in a bubble. 1. Jules was asking for a favor. Its not good to beat the piss out of your friend who’s trying to help you out when you show up with a dead body that you need taken care of. Quentin’s character had a right to be pissed. In helping out Jules he putt his marraige in jeapordy 2. This was Jules’s friend, and as such didn’t feel as threatd by him. Jules didn’t strike me as the kind of guy to hurt his friends just becasue he could 3. and even if 1 and 2 don’t apply jules was in the midst of a transformation. and was likely not to much in the mindset of doing violence. ---
**Author:** ![Raymond\_Luxury\_Yacht](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raymond_luxury_yacht/32/4099_2.png) [@Raymond\_Luxury\_Yacht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raymond_Luxury_Yacht)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2003, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quentin-tarentino-and-the-niggers/219051/38 "2003-12-16T07:12:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by E.T. Bass \* > \*\*you have Samual Jackson’s (verne) calling Vincent a nigger while they were washing their hands at Jimmy’s house. > \*\* Syn. - homes, homey, black, B, G, my brothah. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2003, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quentin-tarentino-and-the-niggers/219051/39 "2003-12-16T09:13:54Z")
MonkeyMule, I’m not saying that Jules was going to kick Jimmie’s ass, but I have a hard time believing that Jules would have a friend like Jimmie in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2003, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quentin-tarentino-and-the-niggers/219051/40 "2003-12-16T14:55:57Z")
It is interesting to note that the word “nigger” is not used once in Tarantino’s last movie. Granted, there’s only one black character of any note. I don’t see any evidence at all that Tarantino is a racist; his use of the word “nigger” seems to be no different from his frequent use of the word “fuck,” that is, as over-the-top shock value and to cast his characters as being criminal lowlifes. Shock value is half the point of “Pulp Fiction” anyway, a movie that also includes a scene where a crooked boxer uses a katana to save a mob boss from being gang raped by two redneck kidnappers after kayoing a leatherbound love slave named “The Gimp” who was being kept in a footlocker. After that scene, using the word “nigger” hardly registers. Tarantino’s own behavior and his casting choices suggest he himself is color blind. Hell, he’s had more interracial couple in his films so far (two) than some famed directors have had in careers four times as long. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quentin-tarentino-and-the-niggers/219051.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quentin-tarentino-and-the-niggers/219051.md?page=3)