- Nigger and other N-words
The furore generated by that young white girl’s response to Charley was quite simply, mind-boggling. She was immediately removed from the show (via the back door) and unceremoniously thrust into what was left of her life. Meanwhile, “The N-Word Debate” rumbled on for what seemed like an eternity.
I personally, call everyone nigga – white folks, black folks, boyfriends, friends, the Chinese…Jews. Hell, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve said to my beloved little fawn Pug dog (who, infuriatingly, gets up in my business every time I’m about to eat): “Step away from my food nigga, ‘fore I knock you into a different breed!”
Occasionally, I think about Emily Parr. The white girl who was metaphorically thrown to the lions for being guilty of, in my opinion, having an underdeveloped ‘common-sense filter.’ Based on what I saw, her and Charley were friends. She weren’t no racist. I would’ve liked to of told her so too…asked her how things have been since she left the show. Told her not to worry.
It’s interesting, cos the last time I was in the States. I noticed one of the things a lot of young black people have done in order to bypass the politicalization of the N-word, is to assert that there are different variants of the word:
- Nigger – pejorative term.
- Nigga – affectionate term.
It reminded me of an event that occurred before I entered the care system. At the time I resided in the UK with my blood family – first-generation North African immigrants. I remember how they changed their names from Omar and Kwildi, to Hardy – a more European name. It was done in order to get a foot in the door when they sent out job applications. I often wonder if they chose the name “Hardy” because of how hard it must of been for them to waive their own heritage; their own name. Perhaps, if they had altered the spelling of their names but kept the pronunciation the pill would have been less bitter. Opting for Homer instead of Omar and Quilday instead of Kwildi. I’m sure the difference is academic to all but those who have had to renounce their own identity, in order to get by.
In my opinion, the real racists; sexists; elitists to be mindful of are the ones in power: the law makers/enforcers, employers, doctors, politicians, teachers, surgeons and judges. Educated, Machiavellian, politically correct types. People skilled in the art of duplicity, social etiquette and the English language. People who would never be heard saying words such as nigger, nigga or even niggard!
Did Emily Parr say nigger or nigga? Does is it even matter? Not to me. I know my name, and I know its worth. Was she a racist? I’m not so sure. Perhaps she was just another fame-nabbing, naïve, nitwit.
To triumph; know your opponent. (source: Madea)
- Cheyelle Omar
COPYRIGHT ©2010 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: CHEYELLE OMAR
Posts
Time to link one of the great comic scenes in the film Blazing Saddles. I feel a little sorry for Emily too. She deserved the chance to repent by doing a tour of Brixton and maybe getting a black boyfriend. "When you've had black there's no going back" is a phrase I've heard without fully understanding.
ReplyDeleteBad word either way. Apparently not bad enough to some people.
ReplyDeleteThis is a can of worms I'm a little hesitant to open, but...
ReplyDeleteComing from a Californian currently living in the US South, I find it quite offensive for a white person to use any variation of the word. But then I'm living in a region of the country where it's still OK for yahoos to go around with Confederate flags on their t-shirts and bumpers.
I watched the video and the other two girls did seem offended. Emily should have just apologized to them rather than trying to explain that she calls everybody "nigga."
It's hard to generate too much sympathy for someone who goes on a show like Big Brother, but I think any of us who had cameras on us 24/7 would slip up and say something boneheaded.
As a bald white Protestant male, I am only allowed to use offensive terms such as "cueball" "chromedome" and "doorknob head" to other bald white Protestant males. If a black person called me one of those words I would be offended because nigga be trippin.
What?
What did I say?
@ gorilla: Ha! Thanks for the link – it tickled me. Re: “When you’ve had black there’s no going back” – I say a very similar thing to my gay friends…only I substitute the word ‘black’ with ‘crack’…
ReplyDelete@ copyboy: While I reserve the right to disagree with you – bad people rather than, “Bad words” offend me – I do respect your opinion and appreciate your contribution. Thanks for reading the post, Jesse.
@ Joe: You’re too funny. You kinda exemplified one of the issues raised in the post though. It’s interesting that you noted the girls seemed to be offended. I sometimes feel the producers disempowered Charley by unilaterally making the decision to remove Emily from the show. Surely, it should have been Charley making the decisions on how the matter was resolved.
Just because you sweep the teenager under the carpet, it doesn’t mean the issue has gone away. – Which is kinda why I wrote the post, that and the fact I’d rather offend my readers than lie to them.