Funny?
The comments on the “N” word are interesting, although I’m not sure if we really have challenged our thinking. The students participating in this forum are all Black. Surely you have friends that use “the word” frequently. I want you to read “The Meanings of a Word” a short essay by Gloria Naylor. There is a brief introduction, followed by some commentary at the timesunion blog site.
I also viewed Nadane’s comment in the last entry about Southpark. Once you have read and responded to the Gloria Naylor article, respond to Nadane’s post. Is South Park doing something offensive, or are they being facetious? Dave Chappelle, for example, uses farce to make us think of how ridiculous “we” as humans can be. I often think of his skit where a blind black man is a member of the Ku Klux Klan. Because he is blind, he doesn’t realize that what he says about “niggers” describes himself. At the end of the skit, when he realizes that he is black, he divorces his white wife for “being a nigger-lover”. Chappelle’s skit uses farce to ridicule the Klan. Is Chappelle (and South Park) doing something to further our thinking, or are they playing into offensive stereotypes? Is it okay to use the word in this setting?
on May 11th, 2007 at 2:04 pm
Gloria Naylor makes a point that the word is more offensive when spoken then when it is written. I believe this is true. If a white person says the word, it is usually with hatred and emphisis is put on the word. The word might be said harsher. But when it is written, you don’t know how the writer is meaning for the word to be meant. It could be in a loving way or it can be in a harsh way but you can never know for sure. Everyone might take it differently. It might be taken out of context when it shouldn’t be or not taken out of context when it should be.
I think that South Park is offensive, but they try to make it funny. It is not just blacks that they poke fun of. They do it for all races, so I think that its just out of fun. If you laugh at something about another race then get mad that someone is laughing about uyur race then that is a bit hypocritical. If your going to stand up for something, then you need to stand up all the way. Comedy is all about sterotypes but I think people onl find it offensicve when someone that is not of their own kind is telling the sterotypical joke. If a white man was doing the same skit that Dave Chappelle was doing then it would cause a riot. It’s just like how comics poke fun of middle eastern people and think they are all apart of the taliban. Middle eastern people who are stting in the audience would find it offensive if a black or white person was telling the joke but if someone of their own kind was saying it then it would be fine to them. So I just think that people are a bit hypocritical when it comes to saying that black people and t.v. shows are being offensive when it comes to the N word.
on May 11th, 2007 at 2:10 pm
After reading “The Meanings of a Word”, I realized that the word nigger will always and has always been used. No matter if the use of it was negative or positive. For example when Naylor states that “that nigger pulled in $6000 of overime last year….”. Instead of using the word to be something negavtive they use it it be something good. By saying that this man had accomplished something good and no word could describe what kind of joy they felt for him. So in their minds, this man had accomplished something that no other man could do. He accomplished something that only a nigger could do.
In response to Nadane’s comment, I do think that South Park and Dave Chappelle are being offensive. Even though they are playing around and are making millions off of “the history of a word”, they don’t mean it offensively. As for South Park they are not the only cartoon that has been ridiculing Blacks. The cartoon “The Boondocks” has also used the word more times than once. In the world premiere of the show, it was recorded that they used the word nigger more than 25 times. So now it has come to the point where because Blacks are using the word so freely, whites feel it would be funny if they use it, as long as it causes no harm. As for the shows that air and and work their way around the word, the next thing you know, they will be using it. The Chappelle Show, The Boondocks and South Park are only the beginning. I think the word has been stretched beyond its purpose and now history doesn’t play a part in our society anymore.
on May 11th, 2007 at 2:13 pm
The brief introduction of ““The Meanings of a Word” a short essay by Gloria Naylor” was something I remember reading in class the other day. This essay was like many other people(s) story that I have either read or heard about before. Many young black children experience there first encounter with the N word by a white child in young stages. The child may take it to offense or they may not. Depending on if they have have been exposed to the word or not. If they haven’t ever heard it they would ask an elder about the word. And usually the parent would tell them not to use the word again or they would tell them that if it is said to them by a white it is not used in a nice way.
South Park:It may be offensive to blacks or maybe even non-blacks. Like in the video with south park it looked like people were happy for the show but when the words were appearing the blacks in the crowd and the guy in the camera area was looking over to see what the word was. There face / eye brows changed to look kind of angry. Some of the whites in the crowd had there eye brows up as well ,some were covering there mouth and others just didn’t react to what he said. But the guy playing the game knew that he was wrong.
Dave Chappelle and South Park are doing things to further our thinking. I think that because it seemed like the authors or the shows know many people watch these shows for entertainment. Since knowing that they know that if they keep the comedy going in the show they can put whatever kind of facts into the show. When watching this many people can get offended from what they were watching. I don’t think these shows would get canceled even from bad ratings because the viewings would be counted even if a person dislike the shows. I don’t think the word is okay to use in the settings of either shows, but it is a reality check. Maybe to show that both blacks and whites use the words
Another example I have found on Dave Chappelle is how Black Americans act …http://www.noolmusic.com/blogs/Youtube_Comedy_Video_-_Dave_Chappelle_-_WacArnold.shtml
Chappelle show with the KKK action
http://www.videojunkyard.com/file/280-dave-chappelle-kkk-clip.html
on May 30th, 2007 at 12:16 pm
I think the word nigger is going to be used weather you like it or not. because everybody is saying it and with the defintion they are giving now i am not surprised.
For Nadane question i do not think that they are being offensive. i think they are just trying to make people think what the word means to get their point of view on the topic.
on May 30th, 2007 at 12:24 pm
In Gloria Naylor article it talks about how the n word is used. Naylor uses examples to prove that the n word is used more in a negative way. In one part of the article she gives a example of ow it is use: “Yeah, that old foreman found out quick enough–you don’t mess with a nigger.” In this sentence the word nigger is used as a threatening person.
In regards to what Nadane said I do believe that South Park and Dave Chappelle is using the word in a degoratory sense. Both of the shows are consistently watch, and it’s affecting people. People watch these shows as entertainment. After watching the Dave Chappelle KKK clip I found out that the clip was making fun of white supremists, and how the white people use the word in the south. In one part of the clip Dave Chappelle yells at a couple of white teenagers tell them to turn off that “nigger music”. The white teenagers thought it was cool to be called a nigger. I feel it’s not o.k to be called a nigger rigardless of what race you are. In the South Park clip one of the cartoons uses the word nigger. I think that the creators of the South Park didn’t want to be offensive but it was. Alot of people were actually commending the show. In one clip I found, it showing people opinion of the show.One person said, “It not about the word,it’s important on how you look on it on the inside”.I feel that South Park could have done it another way. I found out that both races use the word.
on May 30th, 2007 at 12:26 pm
Gloria Naylor makes a very good point when she says the word is more offensive when spoken then when it is written. I believe this definitely true. If a white person says the word or another racist person that isn’t African American says the word. It is used with hatred and as a derogatory word. The word definitely has more emphasis on it and turns heads around while making people want to become violent if called that word. I know when I was playing soccer in seventh grade and some European girl called me a “nigger” after my team was winning and I accidentally kicked her leg and said sorry she still had to say it to me. It was hurtful and as a biracial person in which I never experienced that before was shocking and my reaction wasn’t so positive because I did punch her in her face. Even as a child it makes you angry to hear that word because you know it’s bad and not a nice thing for someone to say to you. So the word is still extremely offensive and disgusting.
Plus she wasn’t even American; it was confusing to me and sad actually that racist people are not just here but globally as well. I believe race is only skin deep and I racism needs to end even though it still exists. I’m happy to have a little brother that is white with blond hair and blue eyes, while me having darker features and darker skin tone because I think it changes the world a little bit that no matter what color you are your still family and people are people, love is love and if you want to live a miserable life hating then that’s on you. If we all lived in a world where we all looked a like not only will it be boring but people will still try to find something to discriminate against someone even if we all looked a like.
I think that South Park is offensive, but they try to make it funny. It is not just blacks that they poke fun of. They do it for all races, it’s wrong but this is the type of world we live in reality. Come on we don’t live in utopia, people make fun of people all the time, and if it’s their race of the way they look. Everything’s about looks, we live in a very stereotypical and judge mental world, if wish people would see people as individuals instead of always putting people in categories. We need change and hope, everything is a much a crap and unreal ness. However as far as Dave Chappell goes he is a comedian and comedian will say anything for a good laughter..