tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4516524448870006829.post5557388111530102437..comments2023-10-17T08:04:08.714-04:00Comments on The Examined Life: The N-Word Debate ResurrectedAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04614116686638969278noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4516524448870006829.post-32052162662173491892013-04-23T13:07:16.097-04:002013-04-23T13:07:16.097-04:00I was picking up trash yesterday and a young black...I was picking up trash yesterday and a young black man passed me on the phone, walking with swagger and very emphatically declaiming this particular word repeatedly.<br />I took a moment to observe him, and it was abundantly clear to me that he felt the need to protect himself to the other person on the line, to prove his worth, to speak aggressively as a form of self-protection. And to boot, that he had had to do this his entire life. <br />The word is so sharp that it can be hard to get past it. But I think we have to view its use it the context of the life experience of the user. He was clearly able to use "nigga" in one way to denote an ally, in another way to denote an enemy. <br />The very rough equivalent for gays is the use of "she" for other men. Sometimes we use it to express contempt, sometimes affection. <br />I think what bears noting in both cases is how language is used for emphasis, and overuse of one word can dilute it to the point of meaninglessness. For example, "dude" -- there are moments where it is essential, and then its just annoying. There are gays who ALWAYS use "she" - girl, please!(That was irony.)<br />I wont watch "Django Unchained" because i can't stand how Tarantino fetishizes violence. But if the use of the n-word in the film is historically accurate, it must be defended on those grounds. <br />What's for sure is that those who overuse the word are far more noticeable than those who never use it, even though they are a small minority of black people. Likewise gays who use "faggot." This is the nature of provocative language - it provokes. I think the young man who passed me yesterday knew other passersby could hear him, and felt the need to create a bubble of intimidation around him. And I thought it was sad that he had a life where he felt that need.Markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17173711110500689117noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4516524448870006829.post-10574071408090670602013-02-11T12:16:43.676-05:002013-02-11T12:16:43.676-05:00It is lack of reflectivity at best, and disingenuo...It is lack of reflectivity at best, and disingenuous bigotry at worst.<br /><br />You don't have to be a social scientist to have at least a vague sense that, at times, oppressed groups appropriate oppressors' language in order to redefine its content, and, even, potentially to fight back. I.e., the meaning of the word is always contingent upon context, and that context includes, importantly, the speaker, i.e., *who* says something changes the meaning that "something" as much as when s/he says and where, etc. Just like most people also have at least a vague awareness of the fact that the membership in a (discriminated) group gives you the license to poke in the issues pertaining to the culture of that group in a more raw way than if you're an outsider (think, for instance, the criticism that Sacha Baron Cohen accrued with Bruno (homophobia) versus with Borat (anti-Semitism).<br /><br />And lastly, anyone can test this on themselves. While all discriminations are emphatically NOT equal, a little thought experiment still can be useful. Most of us have some thing(s) that we are particularly sensitive about and that have been ascribed to us, and that we cannot (for all practical purposes) change and that other people may regard with derision. Think about that. And the slandering labels that come with that. And think about how you'd feel if the person in the same predicament used it whereas if someone without that predicament used it. Voila, all is explained.Strakanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4516524448870006829.post-35986150852247627702013-01-14T23:01:33.609-05:002013-01-14T23:01:33.609-05:00I think Django was exceptionally well done.I think Django was exceptionally well done.Ken Richeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09425810816600512504noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4516524448870006829.post-3796376952809227562013-01-14T21:31:55.566-05:002013-01-14T21:31:55.566-05:00I wondered how you would feel about its usage in t...I wondered how you would feel about its usage in the movie (and QT's usage of it in other movies, and in discussion), and I'm glad you feel the way you do. I really think he makes a valid point in using it in the context he does.<br /><br />As for white people wanting to use it as part of casual conversation...I just do not get that AT ALL. I really don't know what is behind that, and I don't know of anyone who actually feels that way. I suspect right wingnuttery. Bethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05149068921334726430noreply@blogger.com