Big Brother racism 2!

Actually I was verbally tormented my whole childhood by my family and peers alike. And to you it might just be a calling names, but you can break someone that way.

 

Precisely. Insults notwithstanding (i.e. specific verbal abuse, like "you dirty fucking ******, go steal a television for crack while I burn this cross"), a word in and of itself has no power unless people give it power. The word is not the issue. If slaves had had the derogatory name of, say, "lippies" instead of "niggers", saying "you fucking lippy" would be as bad as saying "dirty ******". (by the way, I don't asterisk words out. No word in the English language contains asterisks. And anyway, if people know what word you're referring to, what's the point? ).
Point is, the word ****** is not an insult unless it's used as one. When defining a racist word, we have to look at intent. If the intent was to use the word as a greeting ("wassup my nigga?") then I fail to see how anyone but the most thin-skinned politically correct New Labour middle-class apologist could be offended.
On the other hand, racism is a problem. Simple solution: make it legal to punch someone in the mouth is they insult based on race (or sexual preference etc). problem sorts itself - racists can't speak their epithets around their swollen, "negroid" lips :tongue:

 

well gee Raven I like the fact your thinking is original but in reality we would have to put aside assault laws and rearrange most of the english law to accomodate that - phew - that was so refreshing a thought though I feel like I been tangoed!
Ok though

On the issue of whether racism is dead or not. I have many friends who can be classed as non white and they will not believe how un racist white culture has become. I am often more upset by people who rant against white culture because these days its soi rare to find a white who rants against non white culture. Honestly I think racism is on its knees and now the dagger has been inserted into its neck - racism is in its dying throes

 

Yeah, racism is, thankfully, dying. Unfortunately, the truly ignorant will always be with us, and racism is the first refuge of the idiot. It provides easy targets for insults, a high "shock value" to an audience, and racial epithets are easily memorised - "******" "kike" "spic" "paki" "chink" etc. Short, punchy words (literally, if my idea gets into law )

 

The word in question was used openly and freely in white society not that long ago and it was used in a derogatory fashion. The authorities do not want to see a return to open use of the word by society again, sure the plebs play with and distort the language it doesn't mean though that it must pass into mass use.

I would like to propose that the vast majority of black people find the word offensive to hear, just because a few jumped up fools from the slums think it cool to "adopt" the word don't make it so, it just means they're fools.

 

ok but black americans actually were quite sharp and realised they could re-appropriate the term ****** and by using it with each other they could make it non lethal in the hands of a white man. Now that means words can become passe' so lets make all racist terms passe by allowing everyone to say them - no need to thump people just laugh at them

 

The middle class can be passe' though I think you might find the plebs punch you in the mouth for even using words like that.

 

oh you mean its the working class who are non racist but the middle- upper class are ???

 

Well said. There's so much crap talked about this word because people conflate the sentiment with the word when the word itself is just a variable signifier - the racist sentiment is the thing to be concerned about. I can imagine nothing more positive or less racist than attempting to shift the meaning of the signifier by recontextualising it. It's annoying how people misunderstand this distinction but I suppose to be expected among those who don't really think about language and the precise ways in which it functions. I'm going to try and use the word nigga as much as I possibly can to try and help this word gain respectablilty as a friendly greeting, my niggas

 

The word ****** is offensive and will always be.

 

Supercilious is the word that comes to my mind, and like MT I'd declare myself also as offended by it's use.

 

well as I understand it with this big brother programme you get to vote off people

Im going to vote off the black girl for not protesting about channel fours actions ,I think this is the fairest thing to do

 

Please do not EVER use it in ANY response to ME - cheers .
I don't want to be a part of your social fucking experiment - thanks.

I have to add I watched it again last night - i never appreciated that the white girl said something like "Are you pushing it out, you ******?" Hurriedly followed with ''sorry'' and the black girl responded ''Don't worry I am a ******''


It seems she thinks the white girl is right.

Nowhere did the word ''nigga'' come into it.

 

apparently the white girl says she has black friends and they all call each other ****** and she gets called ****** or wigger its a bit odd but people do use words differently .

give you another example in wales we say "thats right boy " and we refer to friends as boy or boyo now if you said boy to a black guy you might be being friendly and refering to him as a friend but he might take it as a insult

 

I dont actually believe anyone who says nigga is a different word from ******.

I think when African Americans started to use this word with each other it was for a single reason, humour. I think by calling each other that name they were acknowledging - "fucking hell ! I'm black in a white mans world, and so are you - goddam we are niggers" !! I think by laughing at their predicament and using the word as a greeting it had a secondary effect of making it impossible for white people to offend by using it, and it also prevented white people using it, because use of the word implies a non threat from one black person to another

It works in exactly the same way as the homosexual community used the words "gay" and queer etc etc etc

if you want an example of how words lose their meaning - just repeat the word "donut" over and over and over for at least 5 minutes and eventually this strange thing happens, the word loses its meaning for a while and is like a strange object of thought - you are left with the sound but the meaning becomes empty

 

Oh my God, that racist girl. She used the N word. Cannot believe the audacity of some people in the BB house. Channel four booted her out swiftly and paraded her in the media so the public can see what a genuine racist she really is. Apparently the person she called ***** was deeply upset apparently. I know black people use it amongst each other but it is still racist. I believe that Big Brother simply highlights society from every angle.

 

No the girl was not offended - if she was she did not appear so from what she said [above].

 

She did make a racist comment which was extremely offensive. She is clearly a racist, therefore she is. Channel four did something right for a change.Nice one

 

So the black girl calling herself the same thing - that makes her a racist as well ?.

 

****** Its just a word its the racist asshole saying it thats the problem!!! and i think we can all agree that Emily did'nt say it to be racist or offend Charlie she said it trying to be street(which she most certanly is'nt) and a way of getting on the same level as Charlie so i think anyway!

it's hard enough being a human being without hav'in to be ****** cracker sheep shagger paddy paki whatever!!