Life The End of the N Word in NYC?
posted by March 2 at 11:11 AM
onAs the BBC reports, the New York City Council has passed a resolution banning the use of the word “nigger”:
The resolution to ban the so-called “N-word” is largely symbolic as it carries no weight in law and those who use the word would face no punishment. But it reflects a growing unease that the racial slur is now part of everyday conversation and that the taboo against its usage has been swept away….The New York City resolution was sponsored by Councilman Leroy Comrie, who says the “N-word” was derived solely out of hate and anger and that its meaning cannot be changed.
In other offensive-language news, Metafilter paired its link to the NYC story with a link to this fascinating page, where the folks behind the Random House Webster’s College Dictionary explain how they determine a word’s “Offensive Quotient”:
When we label sensitive terms for Random House Webster’s College Dictionary, there are a lot of factors to consider. The way we decide has to do with how offensive a word is (the degree to which a word offends the person it is used to describe) and how disparaging a word is (the degree to which the person who uses the word intends for it to be hurtful)….Basically, the O.Q. is the average of a term’s rank on the scales of Disparagement and Offensiveness.
For illuminating examples of O.Q.-subjected terms—from “old maid” to “ofay”—go here, and for an explanation of how to Offensive Quotient works, go here.
(And thanks again to Metafilter.)
Comments
But "blipster" is still fine, right? What about "nipster" or "Nipper"?
There cannot be enough mockery of "blipsters." Adding "bluh" to the beginning of a word to connote blackness is fucking ridiculous. (See Blacula, Blackenstein, and the Blunchblack of Blotre Blame.)
F-in New York liberals! Next thing you know, they'll be outlawin' "kike," "spic," & "chink."
I thought this was America!
I was recently shocked, while watching Kill Bill 2 by Quentin Tarantino, to hear the word Jew used as a verb. Imagine! Jew-as-verb in a major American feature film! Maybe Harvey Weinstein allowed it because Spike Lee had recently complained that Weinstein would never let “kike” be used in his films as he does “nigger.”
-Joey Kurtzman (jewcy.com)
So that means that black people can't say it anymore either? What about the whole 'retaking words of hate' thing? What about the recording industry - do BadBoy/DefJam/WuTang/etc have to move all of their recording studios to New Jersey to avoid running afoul of the law?
I realize it's only symbolic, but it just sounds... pandering? weak? Are they going to re-ban Huck Finn? I don't get politics sometimes.
The N word is not derived solely out of hate and anger; that's ridiculous. It derived out of the Spanish word for "black". Councilman Comrie doesn't know what the D-word ("derive") means.
Why would it feel ok to them to write a resolution that blatantly violates the first amendment, even if it's merely a "symbolic gesture"... then it's a symbolic bird flipped at the first amendment.
With respect to allowing people to speak freely, does anyone else think the NYC Council is acting a little niggardly?
i heard this report while driving in my car and was really surprised to hear the BBC news reporter actually say the n-word. shocked, actually.
The constitution says you can say any old racist douchebag thing you want.
I can't believe our newspeople don't say it.
Not specifically "nigger", but any word that, within quotation marks, is a part of a news story.
Spike Lee had recently complained that Weinstein would never let “kike” be used in his films as he does “nigger.”
really? I know that no major record label would be involved with artists that talk about black men the way some rappers talk about women, gays, asains, jews, etc.
Selling women is allowed to be glamorized, but not selling black people. Does this bother Spike Lee too?
neil @11: i totally agree. i think that's why i was so shocked to hear it on the beeb.
Nigga, please.
Scene: Rap concert, New York City, New York
Players: New York City; Rapper
Scene 1:
Rapper: "Something something nigger, something nigger, something, nigger."
NYC: "You can't say that."
Rapper: "Can't say what?"
NYC: "The 'N' word."
Rapper: "Whatchou gone do bout it?"
NYC: "Nothing, I guess."
Rapper: "Then suck this, nigger!"
Carry on.
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