Richards revisted: can we all get along?

[nostatic]

OK...Jesse asks *everyone* (including rappers) to quit using the "n" word.

Can we get an "amen"?

http://edition.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/TV/11/27/michaelrichards.ap/

[dd74]

I'd rather we got rid of the word "amen."

[sammyg2]

Instead we should lie about our illegitimate children until we get caught and then fess up, just like the good Reverend. right? He's a hypocritical poverty pimp who profits from other people's misery.

[nostatic]

Originally posted by sammyg2
Instead we should lie about our illegitimate children until we get caught and then fess up, just like the good Reverend. right? He's a hypocritical poverty pimp who profits from other people's misery.

could you be anymore angry sammy?

[Moses]

Originally posted by sammyg2
He's a hypocritical poverty pimp who profits from other people's misery.

Actually, he's a world-class extortionist. But he's right about abandoning the "n" word. It serves no one.

[sammyg2]

Angry? I would say I'm angry. I am frustrated that people like the good reverend get away with what he does and others lap it up.
I'm frustrated that people give him money just to get him off their backs, and that he knows this and takes advantage of it.
I'm frustrated that he and his twin brother sharpton get rich because they are willing to jump on the bandwagon any time there is a photo op.
I'm frustrated because Michael Richards will sell out and become a spokesperson for the black cause, going all over the place speaking out against racial injustice, and he will profit from this hypocracy.

I'm frustrated because all this hoopla and rabble-rousing came about because one person called another person a freaking name.

sticks and stones.

EDIT, I forgot the amen.

[craigster59]

Thank God maxine Waters was there to bring some dignity to the room...

[dd74]

Originally posted by Moses
But he's right about abandoning the "n" word. It serves no one.

I disagree. Not using the word is one thing. Abandoning it because of its projected meaning is completely short-sided.

If at all, the word serves a cultural purpose. Yes, it is offensive, as are many other distateful words - the f-word and c-word included. But the n-word has a much deeper social context than the f or c-word, s-word, a-word or any other inflamatory word who someone could find offensive. T n-word is important because it holds connotation and definition in this country which should not be conveniently swept away. To refuse it refuses a part of American's past and present.

I think the same idea was tried in Germany with the word "Nazi." Obliterating the word, however, did not obliterate the fact Nazis did (and still do) exist.

Or, as another example, take "fat" which is an offensive word in many cases. Should we abandon that word because it, when used from one person to another, can be offensive, hurtful, and in most cases, egregious?

It may be hard to believe, but abandoning words because they are rendered offensive or archaic, is how societies lose their history and definition.

[tabs]

U mean CIA sellin Crack in Compton Waters

[Nathans_Dad]

Originally posted by nostatic
OK...Jesse asks *everyone* (including rappers) to quit using the "n" word.

Can we get an "amen"?

http://edition.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/TV/11/27/michaelrichards.ap/

I agree with Jesse Jackson for once. Man, the world must be due to spin off its axis soon too....

My opinion on the issue (for what it is worth which is about zero) is along the lines of Bill Cosby's. I think that the black community as a whole should make a point of divesting themselves from the entire slavery/discrimination/racism culture as a whole. Yes, black people in this country have gotten a bad deal. Yes, in some cases they still get bad deals. Yes, they start life with a strike against them. This is all true. However, until young black people in this country decide to stop playing the victim card as an excuse for their failures and just press forward, they will perpetuate some of the stereotypes.

Perhaps my words are coming out wrong, to be honest I'm having trouble putting my thoughts down in words here. Basically it's the old "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" idea. If I were a young black man in this country I think the best way to give the big middle finger to the power establishment in this country would be to nut up and be successful. I think that it would take all my energy to do that, and making excuses for my failures before I even start seems counterproductive. I think that the younger generation today starts out with a big chip on their shoulder, sometimes before anything has even happened to them.

At some point, the black community is going to have to stop asking for reparations and making excuses based on what happened to their grandparents or great-grandparents and move on.

Perhaps that time is now.

[Jims5543]

What was the difference between Michael Richards and Cris Rocks stage show?

The color of their skin.

Rappers and comedians have taken a word that was once responded to with a gasp and made it a household word. Every little white kid in America knows the word. I think back to when I was in grade school and cannot remember ever hearing the word Nigger growing up on Long Island in the early 70's. I would venture a guess that I first heard the word was in Middle School.

Today? Its everywhere but dont say it if your white. Only blacks can say it and they can say it 50x in one song.

Masada also said the comedy club will ban comedians from using all "hateful words" including the "n-word."

I want to see him enforce that with likes of Cris Rock or Earthquake.

[Hugh R]

Is the revrend jackson also advocating that we no longer say "Heime town"

[VaSteve]

Originally posted by dd74
fuse it refuses a part of American's past and present.

I think the same idea was tried in Germany with the word "Nazi." Obliterating the word, however, did not obliterate the fact Nazis did (and still do) exist.

Eliminating "Nazi" sure would change the way we argue on the interweb.

[Flatbutt1]

Originally posted by Hugh R
Is the revrend jackson also advocating that we no longer say "Heime town"

oopsy

[Dottore]

Originally posted by Jim Cesiro
What was the difference between Michael Richards and Cris Rocks stage show?

The color of their skin.

I think you may have missed the whole discussion in the previous thread about INTENTION - and the difference between a direct personal attack against specific individuals on the one hand - and calculated satire of a racial/ethnic stereotype on the other.

[jluetjen]

Aaaaaaaaaaaaa....
meeeeeeeeen!!!!!!!

(Sung in a deep gospel blues style)

[Jims5543]

Originally posted by Dottore
I think you may have missed the whole discussion in the previous thread about INTENTION - and the difference between a direct personal attack against specific individuals on the one hand - and calculated satire of a racial/ethnic stereotype on the other.

No I understand his intent, I know he was out of line.

If you took the transcript from that night and had Cris Rock say it word for word no one would have batted an eye.

Cris Rock could have called those hecklers stupid N-words and he still would not have ruffled a feather.

Its all about skin color and nothing more. If you want respect, act respectable.

As much as I do not like Jesse he is right, its about time black entertainers stop using the word nigger in their songs and comedians too.

[the]

Interesting, Paul Mooney was on TV talking about it. He's a black comedian that used to write for richard pryor. Been on Chappelle's show, etc. So pretty plugged in.

He explained that in his view, blacks used and use the word as a way to "de-power" it. You innoculate yourself to it by exposing yourself to it.

But after seeing Kramer's outburst, he has changed his mind. He said it gave him a different perspective, finally being able to see it "outside of myself." The word has such negative connotation, that he's not going to use it any more, and doesn't think it is helpful for anyone, black or white, to use it, even in comedy acts. If there ever was any purpose for blacks using it themselves, he believes that time has passed, and there is more harm than good being done by blacks who continue to use the word.

[930addict]

Originally posted by Moses
Actually, he's a world-class extortionist. But he's right about abandoning the "n" word. It serves no one.

+1

[Tim Hancock]

Originally posted by Nathans_Dad
However, until young black people in this country decide to stop playing the victim card as an excuse for their failures and just press forward, they will perpetuate some of the stereotypes.

I think that the younger generation today starts out with a big chip on their shoulder, sometimes before anything has even happened to them.

At some point, the black community is going to have to stop asking for reparations and making excuses based on what happened to their grandparents or great-grandparents and move on.

This is EXACTLY how I feel.