Chris Rock and the N-Word

While on youtube the other day, I stumbled upon part of Chris Rock's comedy show.



In this clip he makes a distinction between two types of black people. He says there are normal black people and then there are Ns [I do not think I have to spell this out for you to understand what it means, and I will later address the issue of the actual use of this word]. He basically says that black people are civilized, and Ns are the criminals that "normal" people [black and white] are afraid of. Rock even addresses the effect of media. He basically says that the media can not be blamed because it has a lot of truth in it--he says he is not afraid of the media when he is getting money out of the ATM, he is afraid of Ns. Uneducated, ignorant, on welfare because they will not get a job, etc are ways he describes Ns. Rock emphasizes how much he hates these people, and that if he could, he would join the Ku Klux Klan so he could do a nation wide drive-by shooting. This "civil war" between black people and Ns is very interesting, and although a lot of what Rock says is just for entertainment purposes, it made me think.

Just like Chris Rock made the distinctions between black people and Ns, I have heard white people do the same. These white people say they do not have a problem with black people, they like them; it is Ns they do not like. These people often like to say that they are not racist, but I definitely consider them to be racist. I suppose it is because I think that it is alright for black people to make the distinction because they are within the group, but it is not ok for white people to make that distinction. White people, especially in the South, often make the distinction between white people, rednecks, and white trash, but if a black person made that distinction I would not consider them to be racist. So maybe, in reality, it is just that word.

Chris Rock expresses his feelings about the N word in this clip:



The most important quotes from this clip are: "It's the same philosophy of soul food--they gave us the scraps and we made it into cuisine. And we took this word and we made it into poetry. Yeah, it's horrible, but put some sauce on it and now it's poetry." ". . .in the wrong hands it can hurt, but if you give it to the right scientist a Dave Chappelle, an Ice Cube, an Eddie Murphy. . .it's art. It's Mark Twain." His opinion is very interesting, especially his comparison to soul food.


I also came across videos of the Dr. Phil show that discussed the use of the N word, who should or should not be able to use it, or if it should be used at all. If you get the chance, watch the clips; the show and discussion is very interesting.

part 1:: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4hVRxc-EIs&feature=related
part 2:: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAigJ6PZqCg&feature=related
part 3:: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsGT61U1DD0
part 4:: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4xb_bQaTo0&feature=related

Of course, the discussion gets quite heated at times. I will not waste my time and yours recapping an hour long show, but instead offer my opinion. I do not think it is ever appropriate for a white person to say the N word, in public or in private. I think it is less inappropriate if in an academic setting, however, such as our class or a history class. Because in an academic setting the word is most likely not being used to purposefully offend or categorize black people but rather to give a historical reference or quote something, it is less in appropriate if even a white professor says it--I am still somewhat uncomfortable with it, though. I do not feel it is my place to say whether or not it is appropriate for African-Americans to say the N word, but ideally, I would like to see no one say the word.

Some time within the past two years, I became aware of a movement to stop the use of the N word. It was started by two African-American college students. This is their website: http://www.nwordisout.com/. From the site: "Our mission is to promote ForwardProgress™ within the African American community and to oppose the usage of racial epithets by ALL." The capital "ALL" is very important, and something I agree with. I understand that the reclaiming of the word by African-Americans was very important after it was used with such hatred and discrimination before, but now I think it is time to lay it to rest. The word started of negatively, moved to "positive," then to neutral. . .let it be extinct now. The Why? and About Us sections on the home page of the website are awesome, and the goals are inspiring.

I am not quite sure how to conclude this post. The use of the N word for comical purposes, for every-day use, as a racist and degrading term, etc. with or with out hatred should be stopped in my opinion. Of course, everyone has the freedom of speech as pointed out in the Dr. Phil show though. Some people do not like being told not to do or say something when they have the right to, but out of respect for a people, for the past, everyone should have the decency not to use it.