# The Word "Nigger" **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [July 22, 2009, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-nigger/503857 "2009-07-22T14:31:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![flickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7bcc69/32.png) [@flickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flickster)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-nigger/503857/41 "2009-07-23T01:40:28Z")
IMHO, this was a term that was all but dead in mainstream society until certain members of the black community brought it back to life by injecting it into current media and making it part of their culture all over again… I’ve said for years that this is one of the mysteries I just can not fathom :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-nigger/503857/42 "2009-07-23T01:46:30Z")
> [@freep5637](#): > > nigger, nigger, nigger. Which is pretty much what Lenny Bruce said. And he was [del]white[/del] right. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-nigger/503857/43 "2009-07-23T02:27:52Z")
> [@Kimmy\_Gibbler](#): > > Thanks for your contribution. I suspect your thoughtful and topical post will generate lots of good discussion. Let’s watch it ensue, shall we? I just love this little feud we have between the two of us. You take every opportunity to post a snide and inflammatory response to everything that I write (in this case, an attempt to add a little levity to the thread.) I’ve been posting here for more than four years, and not once has there been an instance of another poster deliberately feuding with me the way you have been doing. I think it was some debate over the Second Amendment where we first clashed, and ever since, you’ve just been kicking me whenever possible. Oh, I just love it! I love every moment of it! I hope you stick around here and never leave. Never, ever leave. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-nigger/503857/44 "2009-07-23T04:08:19Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > (in this case, an attempt to add a little levity to the thread.) I sincerely appreciate any atempts at levity around here. Of course, one might consider that in the middle of an emotional topic, discussing just how emotional that topic is, some attempts would work better than others. That is not a Delaney work I’ve gotten to, yet, so I am not sure of the exact context, but you might want to refrain from similar submissions, here, in the future. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-nigger/503857/45 "2009-07-23T05:21:58Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > INot every bigot is blatant about it; they do realize their opinions are very unpopular in most quarters. There will always be offensive words and there will always be code words used to substitute for them in settings where the bigoted realize it is not appropriate to be upfront about their prejudices. You’re absolutely right about that. The infamous Stormfront message board, where I was gang-banged in their special forum for complainers and non-bigots, forbids the use of racial pejoratives, like “nigger”. It also forbids the discussion of religion, since that can foster division. But the code words are there. They’re subtle now. Like, “Holy cow, our president is a black”. A black? That’s like saying he is a tall. Or she is a short. The hell. ---
**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:** [July 23, 2009, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-nigger/503857/46 "2009-07-23T05:40:02Z")
> [@](#): > > You’re absolutely right about that. The infamous Stormfront message board, where I was gang-banged in their special forum for complainers and non-bigots, forbids the use of racial pejoratives, like “nigger”. It also forbids the discussion of religion, since that can foster division. But the code words are there. They’re subtle now. Like, “Holy cow, our president is a black”. A black? That’s like saying he is a tall. Or she is a short. The hell. I remember there were people who thought there would be subtle racial attacks against Obama during the campaign. I predicted there would not be any. Because they were unnecessary. The people who wouldn’t vote for a black candidate didn’t need to a rumor campaign to find out that Obama was black. (I assuming the handful of blind racists in the country got the word at some point.) So Obama’s opponents could afford to take the high road and never mention race. They didn’t have to pander to the racist vote because they had it in the bag. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-nigger/503857/47 "2009-07-23T07:20:11Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > I don’t believe it’s a good idea to “de-weaponize” words; it’ll only make it harder to identify bigots. Right now, when someone uses the N-word, we know where they stand. That isn’t quite true. Many young white kids use the word in the same fashion as blacks do, eg “You my nigga!”. It isn’t meant opprobriously, it’s addressed to whites and blacks alike and it has nothing to do with racism. ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-nigger/503857/48 "2009-07-23T08:35:39Z")
> [@Nation](#): > > If a black man got on national tv and called another black person a nigger, you wouldnt hear anything about it, but if a white person did it, they would be rioting in LA, NOLA, etc. > > Why is it so hard for people like you to accept the truth? I think you’re way overstating the reaction (riots?) but as has been pointed out, context matters. > [@flickster](#): > > IMHO, this was a term that was all but dead in mainstream society until certain members of the black community brought it back to life by injecting it into current media and making it part of their culture all over again.. I don’t remember it this way. What time frame are you talking about? ---
**Author:** ![flickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7bcc69/32.png) [@flickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flickster)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-nigger/503857/49 "2009-07-23T10:38:56Z")
I would guess I’m thinking latter 70s to latter 80s with the 90s being where it returned again. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-nigger/503857/50 "2009-07-23T12:15:10Z")
> [@Nation](#): > > Are you trying to tell me that if a WHITE person got on National TV and called a prominent black person, or hell, ANY black person a nigger there wuddnt be an uproar??? Are you honestly saying that??? The name-caller would be criticized a great deal, but no, I don’t think people would riot. > [@](#): > > If OJ had been convicted and walking out of the courtroom and some white person said, “I hope you die nigger” or some shit like that it would have been an all out riot. People got pretty worked up over that verdict in the first place, so this may not be a good comparison to Random White Person using the word “on national TV.” > [@](#): > > Don Imus didnt call anyone a nigger that I know of. No, but he used racial insults, and that’s the closest example I could think of. > [@](#): > > Al Sharpton and whatshisname are two of, if not THE most racist people on the planet. ANYTHING those two clowns say should be discarded immediately. Good thing I cited other examples, then. I’ve got doubts about your ability to assess racism in others, since you’ve made several ridiculous assertions in here already, but you’re discarding Sharpton and Jackson only because they disprove your argument. You said black people don’t care about calling each other “nigger,” I provided cites showing that’s not so. You also said if one black person called another black person “nigger” on TV, he wouldn’t be criticized. Again, my cites show that isn’t true. ---
**Author:** ![otorophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3ab097/32.png) [@otorophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/otorophile)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-nigger/503857/51 "2009-07-23T14:30:03Z")
Because nobody responded to my first post, I’ll reiterate; I’m not buying that > [@](#): > > the very utterance of the word is taboo as mentioned by the OP. Do other people have experiences with offense and anger over using the word when quoting someone, discussing history, or whatever? Is this just a case of an oversensitive politician, like the guy who resigned for saying niggardly? ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-nigger/503857/52 "2009-07-23T15:47:36Z")
> [@Nation](#): > > If a black man got on national tv and called another black person a nigger, you wouldnt hear anything about it, but if a white person did it, they would be rioting in LA, NOLA, etc. Really? So Spike Lee goes on Larry King and calls Obama a nigger – everyone’s cool with it? And please, I’m sure Quentin Tarantino managed to slip a few n-words into his latest, even if it is set during WWII. Let us know when the rioting starts. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-nigger/503857/53 "2009-07-24T06:02:18Z")
> [@Starbreaker](#): > > Black people are only offended by the word when white people use it. Black people call each other that word. It’s hypocrisy. I remember a time when black men and women called each other brother and sister. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-nigger/503857/54 "2009-07-24T08:26:46Z")
> [@](#): > > **Fotheringay-Phipps** : FWIW, Al Sharpton apparently said, as he schemed the Tawana Brawley hoax, that if he and his associates successfully pulled it off “we will be the biggest niggers in New York”. One person claimed to reporters that Sharpton had said those words. The reporters themselves did not overhear Sharpton say it. Frankly, I don’t think it sounds like Sharpton at all. > [@](#): > > **aldiboronti** : Many young white kids use the word in the same fashion as blacks do, eg “You my nigga!”. It isn’t meant opprobriously, it’s addressed to whites and blacks alike and it has nothing to do with racism. How can you possibly know what all of their motives are? Someone needs to teach all of them a little bit about decorum. It’s not just African-Americans who find the word offensive. > [@](#): > > **otorophile** : Do other people have experiences with offense and anger over using the word when quoting someone, discussing history, or whatever? Is this just a case of an oversensitive politician, like the guy who resigned for saying niggardly? A young black friend of mine objected to use of the word _niggardly_. She knew that it had a different word origin, but she felt that people used it to taunt blacks all the same. So out of respect for her, I refrained from using it. I’ve decided that that was a mistake on my part. Hating the concept is one thing. Finding the symbol of the concept offensive is another – and one that I agree with in this case. But resenting another symbol of something else because it is a look-alike and suspecting people’s motives in using it is really stretching things. ---
**Author:** ![you\_with\_the\_face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ecccb3/32.png) [@you\_with\_the\_face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/you_with_the_face)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-nigger/503857/55 "2009-07-24T10:20:24Z")
> [@Zoe](#): > > A young black friend of mine objected to use of the word _niggardly_. She knew that it had a different word origin, but she felt that people used it to taunt blacks all the same. So out of respect for her, I refrained from using it. > > I’ve decided that that was a mistake on my part. Hating the concept is one thing. Finding the symbol of the concept offensive is another – and one that I agree with in this case. But resenting another symbol of something else because it is a look-alike and suspecting people’s motives in using it is really stretching things. I don’t think it’s a stretch at all. We have people on this very board who said they would start going out of their way to use “niggardly” when that whole flapped happened. If someone dropped the word in casual conversation around me, I’m not going to lie: I’d be temped to raise an eyebrow too. When 99% of other everyone else would choose the word “cheap” or “stingy”, you do have to question why 1% would choose to communicate with an outdated term that rightly or wrongly has a bad reputation. It’d be the same thing as if someone dropped the word “faggot” in casual conversation, when it would have been far more sensible and natural to say “a bunch of sticks”. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-nigger/503857/56 "2009-07-24T16:18:40Z")
> [@you\_with\_the\_face](#): > > I don’t think it’s a stretch at all. We have people on this very board who said they would start going out of their way to use “niggardly” when that whole flapped happened. If someone dropped the word in casual conversation around me, I’m not going to lie: I’d be temped to raise an eyebrow too. When 99% of other everyone else would choose the word “cheap” or “stingy”, you do have to question why 1% would choose to communicate with an outdated term that rightly or wrongly has a bad reputation. It reminds me of some debate we were having on the Dope and someone said something like, “Blacks have made it so we can’t say niggardly eleventyone!!11!” and someone else was all, “:dubious:” and the first poster said, “Well, would you go to a black neighborhood as a white person and drop the word niggardly?” And I think a lot of people’s response was that if you went up to a black person randomly and used that word, it would be kind of obvious you were baiting them or doing it to make some point. I guess it’s not really a word I’d think to use because “cheap” or “tight with the pocket strings” comes to mind way sooner than a word that I rarely hear used. ---
**Author:** ![Nation](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@Nation](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nation)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2009, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-nigger/503857/57 "2009-07-25T03:48:22Z")
> [@Cat\_Fight](#): > > Really? So Spike Lee goes on Larry King and calls Obama a nigger – everyone’s cool with it? > > And please, I’m sure Quentin Tarantino managed to slip a few n-words into his latest, even if it is set during WWII. Let us know when the rioting starts. Spike Lee could walk up and down Penn Avenue with a obama is a nigger billboard strapped to his back and nothing would happen, but if a white man did it he would be shot. I’m sure Tarantino will use it. And blacks will choose not to be offended by it, because they’re GREAT at choosing those times, but if Tarantino walked up and down Detroit screaming- niggers niggers everywhere he wouldnt last very long would he? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2009, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-nigger/503857/58 "2009-07-25T17:14:18Z")
> [@Nation](#): > > And blacks will choose not to be offended by it, because they’re GREAT at choosing those times, but if Tarantino walked up and down Detroit screaming- niggers niggers everywhere he wouldnt last very long would he? You realize you’re speaking from total ignorance and that you’re stereotyping, right? ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2009, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-nigger/503857/59 "2009-07-26T22:12:45Z")
> [@Nation](#): > > I’m sure Tarantino will use it. And blacks will choose not to be offended by it, because they’re GREAT at choosing those times, but if Tarantino walked up and down Detroit screaming- niggers niggers everywhere he wouldnt last very long would he? Maybe he is just looking for his pack of lost dogs ? 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-nigger/503857.md?page=2)