# The use of the N word **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 9, 2020, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-use-of-the-n-word/846160 "2020-01-09T03:52:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2020, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-use-of-the-n-word/846160/21 "2020-01-09T16:21:04Z")
I read one book on censorship that pointed out if you said “fucking nigger,” it’s ridiculous to beep the first word and allow the second. I agree And let’s not forget the whole OJ Simpson/Mark Furman brouhaha that started this mess. ---
**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 9, 2020, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-use-of-the-n-word/846160/22 "2020-01-09T19:02:09Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > And let’s not forget the whole OJ Simpson/Mark Furman brouhaha that started this mess. _Bleep_, Please! ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2020, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-use-of-the-n-word/846160/23 "2020-01-09T19:18:31Z")
The comparison of _Huck Finn_ with _Blazing Saddles_ is interesting, for the different ways in which the N-word is used. In _Blazing Saddles_, it’s only used by the common clay of the New West - you know, morons - and they are outside the vicarious experience of the audience, who are on the side of Cleavon Little right from the start. Or at least from the “I Get No Kick From Champagne” scene, which is the first direct response to the use of the word, and sets the tone of the emotional response Mel Brooks is trying to get. In _Huck Finn_, the word is used by the protagonist, including as part of his internal monologue. The audience is expected to, and does, identify with Huck. Thus the use of the word is more subversive - readers who are jarred by it can be re-involved in the narrative by identifying with Huck’s struggle against “sivilization” and its attendant racism and general inhumanity. Therefore in _Blazing Saddles_ it is less important that the N-word remains unbleeped - the townspeople are already known as inferior, and it can be more taken as understood. In _Huck_, IMO, excising the word altogether removes much of the emotional punch when readers find themselves hearing someone they are involved in understanding use the word. And thus the struggle Huck goes thru trying to extricate his moral sense from what he learns from community is less impactful. Of course, I read a lot more books than I see movies, so YMMV. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2020, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-use-of-the-n-word/846160/24 "2020-01-09T19:27:15Z")
Much to their chagrin, many have discovered that personal opinion is irrelevant when it comes to society’s view of the word’s use. Even Blacks have moved to an alternative, albeit closely related, word when referring to another Black person in a friendly manner. I’m not going to print it, though, because I’m not sure it is kosher for a white person to use that, either. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2020, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-use-of-the-n-word/846160/25 "2020-01-09T19:40:40Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > Even Blacks have moved to an alternative, albeit closely related, word when referring to another Black person in a friendly manner. Not in my universe. Even the white people that are tangentially in the lives of black people feel they somehow are allowed to freely use the N-word. For certain younger communties that is. “Blacks” arent a monolithic group that move and change as one block of humanity. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2020, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-use-of-the-n-word/846160/26 "2020-01-09T20:08:22Z")
I remember when some TV airings of Blazing Saddles censored the entire farting scene. That was so shockingly heavy handed that I don’t even remember if anything else was censored in the same broadcast. ---
**Author:** ![ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chockfullofheadygoodness/32/511_2.png) [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2020, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-use-of-the-n-word/846160/27 "2020-01-09T20:40:10Z")
A tangent on the word’s usage in media over time. Recently my teenage son and I watched both “It” movies as well as the 1990 mini-series. One thing my son noticed when comparing a 1990 made-for-television production with 2 modern R-rated theatrical films, was, as expected, the movies contained more blood, more violence, creepy nudity and much more profanity. However, in the older TV version, vicious bully Henry Bowers frequently uses the n-word slur against Mike Hanlon, yet that word never appears in the newer films, despite Henry being portrayed as much more psychotic than his TV-counterpart. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2020, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-use-of-the-n-word/846160/28 "2020-01-09T20:41:42Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > I just watched \*Blazing Saddles \* (Comedy genius!)on TCM, and they bleeped out the N word. I saw part of the movie last week on TV (not sure if it was on TCM or not) and no dialogue was censored. If they really wanted to make sure no one would be offended by the movie, the resulting cuts/bleeps would’ve resulted in a run time of about 14 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![Patch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Patch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patch)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2020, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-use-of-the-n-word/846160/29 "2020-01-09T20:52:11Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > I just watched \*Blazing Saddles \* (Comedy genius!)on TCM, and they bleeped out the N word. I found that rather sad. But I kinda understood it. Not sure about how I felt in the end. I am curious to know if the editing got so out of hand, if in the scene where the Gov wraps his arm around Cleavon and says “Don’t you realize that man is a ni-” they bleeped out “ni-”. ---
**Author:** ![atimnie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atimnie/32/11_2.png) [@atimnie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/atimnie)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2020, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-use-of-the-n-word/846160/30 "2020-01-09T21:06:18Z")
_I’m not going to print it, though, because I’m not sure it is kosher for a white person to use that, either._ As in the Dr. Laura example, saying the word _niggah_ is perfectly acceptable. How can you discuss the word if you can’t even say the word? But, as with the Dr. Laura example, you don’t have to keep repeating that word and be an absolute dick about it. Say the word once, then refer to _that word_ hereafter. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2020, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-use-of-the-n-word/846160/31 "2020-01-09T21:27:06Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Blazing Saddles is very funny movie, but I don’t think it loses much by bleeping out “nigger.” Although Canada, if you recall, decided that Dire Straights “Money for Nothing” could no longer be played on the radio without bleeping or removing the word “faggot.” > [@Musicat](#): > > How did they feel about Arlo Guthrie’s use of the same word in _Alice’s Restaurant?_ IMO the one in Alice’s Restaurant is more offensive because it more blatantly implies that two people are actually homosexuals using an offensive slur, rather than using the word out of jealousy and vaguely disparaging their manliness, which isn’t to say calling a pretty boy who doesn’t have a “real job” a “faggot” is not offensive, it’s just not as offensive as calling someone a “faggot” for enthusiastically singing with another man. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2020, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-use-of-the-n-word/846160/32 "2020-01-09T21:34:53Z")
With regards to the word in question in the thread, I don’t think it’s acceptable for anyone to say these days. I don’t have some secret hankering to say it: rather the opposite, I don’t want anyone else to say it either. I don’t make exceptions for the culture that someone grew up in either, but if someone grew up around people who call each other “nigga” then I’ll merely look down on it as vulgar rather than racist. It certainly is no longer “reclaiming” anything because that’s the majority of its usage these days. With regards to Blazing Saddles, the only time I saw it was around 10 years ago and it’s treatment of the word seemed to skirt the line between satire and exploitation. I think of exploitation as art that ostensibly is against what it is showing but is using this “concern” as a cover to show it anyway. I can’t decide whether Blazing Saddles was only trying to make a point with its use of the N-word, or was also trying to be edgelords and use the issue as an excuse to be vulgar. ---
**Author:** ![Tatterdemalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/43a26b/32.png) [@Tatterdemalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tatterdemalion)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2020, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-use-of-the-n-word/846160/33 "2020-01-09T22:01:29Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > I can’t decide whether Blazing Saddles was only trying to make a point with its use of the N-word, or was also trying to be edgelords and use the issue as an excuse to be vulgar. Mel Brooks would never take just any excuse to be vulgar! How could you suggest such a thing! ---
**Author:** ![atimnie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atimnie/32/11_2.png) [@atimnie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/atimnie)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-use-of-the-n-word/846160/34 "2020-01-10T00:15:37Z")
Sarcasm aside, this was not the case with Blazing Saddles. Yes, it was vulgar, but there was also a satiric point being made. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-use-of-the-n-word/846160/35 "2020-01-10T00:37:41Z")
Hard to believe TCM censors\* Blazing Saddles\* when they have no problem showing the appalling blackface of **Holiday Inn**. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-use-of-the-n-word/846160/36 "2020-01-10T00:43:05Z")
I think that it’s abundantly clear that the message of _Blazing Saddles_ is anti-racist, and I’m not sure how someone could fail to see that. ---
**Author:** ![Mike\_Mabes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mike_mabes/32/1782_2.png) [@Mike\_Mabes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mike_Mabes)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-use-of-the-n-word/846160/37 "2020-01-10T01:11:02Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > IMO the one in Alice’s Restaurant is more offensive because it more blatantly implies that two people are actually homosexuals using an offensive slur, rather than using the word out of jealousy and vaguely disparaging their manliness, which isn’t to say calling a pretty boy who doesn’t have a “real job” a “faggot” is not offensive, it’s just not as offensive as calling someone a “faggot” for enthusiastically singing with another man. I had to look up the line to remind me- _And if two people do it, in harmony, they may think they’re both faggots and they won’t take either of them_ It is the Army recruiters who would think that, so I think they are the ones being disparaged. Even so, I bet if Arlo wrote the song today he would just say “gay.” ---
**Author:** ![sps49sd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@sps49sd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sps49sd)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-use-of-the-n-word/846160/38 "2020-01-10T02:35:06Z")
I laughed at the word’s use in Blazing Saddles, and understand it’s use in Huckleberry Finn, but I still don’t think it ever needs to be used. Not that my disapproval carries any force, but I don’t think anyone should use it. Color, relationship status, who your best friends are, no. In this thread I wonder if some are taking the opportunity to, hee hee, type the entire disgusting and offensive word out with no repercussions. In this day and age the word should be dropped from our language. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-use-of-the-n-word/846160/39 "2020-01-10T02:49:53Z")
I sometime watch reruns of _The Jeffersons_ and _Sanford and Son_ on [TV One](https://tvone.tv/)–a “black channel.” Sometimes George or Fred drop the n-bomb and it isn’t censored. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-use-of-the-n-word/846160/40 "2020-01-10T03:23:46Z")
> [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](#): > > A tangent on the word’s usage in media over time. > > Recently my teenage son and I watched both “It” movies as well as the 1990 mini-series. One thing my son noticed when comparing a 1990 made-for-television production with 2 modern R-rated theatrical films, was, as expected, the movies contained more blood, more violence, creepy nudity and much more profanity. However, in the older TV version, vicious bully Henry Bowers frequently uses the n-word slur against Mike Hanlon, yet that word never appears in the newer films, despite Henry being portrayed as much more psychotic than his TV-counterpart. The original mini-series also didn’t have the murder of the gay guy, but it did in the new one. (Interestingly enough, I read somewhere that the kid who played Henry in the mini-series absolutely hated using the n-word, and after every scene, he’d apologize to the kid playing Mike.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-use-of-the-n-word/846160.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-use-of-the-n-word/846160.md?page=3)