We black guys DO NOT go around using the N word

[bigdarryl]

Dr. Laura it's obvious you haven't been around black people to make that IGNORANT!! comment and your so call apology is worthless.

[Ian David]

1. Probably only as often as white Conservative women pose naked for the camera.

The Dr. Laura Picture Page

Are you sure you're 18?
Are you sure you want to see Dr. Laura without her Better-Than-You pants on?

If you're sure, and it's legal where you live to see naked Republicans dropping their trousers like whores,
then go ahead and click below at your own risk.

Dr. Laura has given several different stories concerning these pictures.
First, she said they were fakes, and the pictures were NOT of her.
She would never do anything like spread her legs real wide for a camera.

Then, she went to court and tried to get the judge to order the website with the pictures to take the pictures down because she owned them.

Funny,

...Dr. Laura would own tacky, tacky pictures of some woman with her legs spread like a whore?



More (Not Safe For Work):
http://www.bartcop.com/mengidx.htm

[TheKentuckian]

2. Some do Darryl. I don't either but I know plenty that do. Not defending the fuckwit at all

but there is no sense pretending that a fair chunk of black folks men and women don't regularly use the word.

It ain't all by any stretch but there is no shortage of some variant of nigger being said all the time.

[d_r]

3. oh, of course they do

black guys hang around playing basketball and calling each other the n word and drinking 40s all the time. And calling women hos. Don't even get me started about the fried chicken they are always eating.

[d_r]

4. oh and they can all dance real good too

[one_voice]

8. My dad can't...

dance worth a shit. :D But he sure can sing. :-)

[phleshdef]

5. I've known plenty of black guys that do. But it doesn't matter anyway.

Its a socially understood concept in our current culture that when a person that isn't black uses that word, its meant to be derogatory, period. It has nothing to do with the word itself, its the intention. And white people in America do not drop N bombs with good intentions.

[Duke Newcombe]

14. No, Laura. YOU don't get to "do that".

Too bad if you think it's unfair. I as a black man wouldn't dream of greeting my white coworkers with a hearty "What's up, cracker!?", no matter how many times I hear them call themselves the term. I just don't get to "do that".

Then again, the woman has never been known for her nuanced cognitive abilities.

[roguevalley]

32. I loathe the word no matter who uses it and it should die. NOW!

[dkf]

39. I swear I remember when it wasn't acceptable for anybody to use it.

Then some rap person turned it into a fashionable word. Then it turned into a word only black people could use. I never understood that personally.

I guess it's the same reason only Portuguese comedians are allowed to tell "dumb potogee jokes"

[Stuckinthebush]

46. Wait...what?

Portuguese people are dumb?

[dkf]

47. Just realized it's probably a Hawaii thing

http://www.angelfire.com/nv/sierravista/portagee.html

I think I heard the history is that on the plantations the Portuguese were the Lunas supervising all the non white plantation workers so I guess they were jokes aimed at "the man".

[Stuckinthebush]

54. Ah...ok

That makes sense, historically. It's funny how some stereotypes (e.g. Dumb Polish immigrants) stick around but others are very obscure.

[Arkansas Granny]

6. Sadly, some do where I live.

[Freddie Stubbs]

9. Maybe some black guys, but not black MEN

[Arkansas Granny]

11. You have a point there.

[polmaven]

18. Oh, good for you!

You are absolutely correct! Real men don't need to speak that way.

[vaberella]

20. Aye?! I don't get it. That's like differentiating from Niggas and Blacks.

Weirdness.

[Kweli4Real]

24. You're kidding, right?

You don't know the difference between a guy and a man?

[vaberella]

34. Obviously not, since I'm did not get your point.

Dr. Michael Eric Dyson has spoken using the terminology Nigga---what you are saying is that he's not a MAN. Maybe that's my problem with your statement.

[Jumping John]

40. ~~~Sheesh Had to remove what I posted - don't want to get banned~~~.

[jobycom]

7. She heard a rap song, so she knows all she needs to know about black guys.

You're all like that, right? Snoop dog, baggy pants, guns in your belt, talking about booty shaking and using the F and N word while poppin' a cap in someone's ass, all with a fierce beat and precision rhythms? Except the articulate ones.

Even when an African American uses the word, it doesn't carry the same weight of oppressive, violent history as when a white person uses it. It doesn't carry the whole history of dehumanization, lynchings, segregation, virtual economic slavery, and social degradation, even murder with impunity, as when a white person uses it. There's a grand difference between a person demystifying a word and sapping its power by use, and a person hurling the word like an assault to dehumanize an entire group of people. And all white people get that, some just hate to have to have to admit that some of our history bears a lot of shame.

[phleshdef]

10. Yes. Its not the word. Its the universally understood intention behind the word when some use it.

White people know if they drop an N bomb that they are saying something that black people will interpret as derogatory. Therefore, you generally wouldn't say it if you were white unless you meant it to be derogatory.

[okieinpain]

12. i agree/disagree. it's so messed up now it's really is funny.

a large number of white children have basically grown up on rap music. and the use of the n word is overly used in rap, even a lot of the "conscience" rappers used the word. so for a whole lot of whites that are coming up now, saying the n word is not a big deal.

and to be honest I really can't even get really mad about it.

[joshcryer]

29. She knows damn well that black men don't call each other the actual N word.

[suzie]

49. What seems odd to me is that she's a woman talking to a woman, and she goes

on and on talking about black MEN?

[mix]

55. great points nt

[4lbs]

13. The only time I've heard any black person use the N-word has been in the entertainment industry.

Black comedians, black actors in movies, and rappers.

The black people I've been around with the past 20 or so years have never used the N-word, or at least I've never heard them use it.

[Whisp]

15. is it my imagination but

ever since Obama looked like the sure winner for the primaries and then the Presidency that there is sooooooooooooooo much black black black this that this that on tv? And it's usually not helpful stuff.

It's like this Laura shit. She set herself up for this because she needed a pump in her ratings. She is known to say stuff like this for reactions. and everyone knows that word is not accepted but it gets jaws flappin and Obama is somehow hovering in the background of every black black this that in some way.

At least this is what I find about CNN.
and even how they use the word in their so called discussion and reports. It seems so exclusive when you say 'blacks' just dropped into a conversation when two people are talking. It takes a tone that you are not talking directly to that particular group but as a subject only, removed, the other. I hope this is clear what I mean, hard to find the way to describe.

I find that about Sanchez as well. Only he excludes women a lot of times in his stupid 'guy talk'. Hey guys? and saying shit like every red blooded guy knows baseball stats, blah blah, rattles some meaningless numbers off with such reverance like they are new found equations for the meaning of time and space. Well when he talks like that, he's not talking to me. He is excluding me. I am not his audience. Bugs me, not that I care really but I just don't like that feeling of being dismissed like that. bah. whatver.

[uponit7771]

63. Nope, not your imagination at all. TV is NOT a diverse community as some say it is. Matter of fact

....there was a study done during 08 or 09 that blasted the media for it's lack of showing people of color or dark skinned people.

[seattleblue]

16. I don't know who you are speaking for darryl when you say "we"

but in every bar I frequent black dudes are using the "N" word.

[vaberella]

22. No they're not. Sadly the ignorance of many White people and Blacks.

Blacks don't use the "N" word...they use the word "nigga" which is used and understood differently. But for many a White person they haven't a bloody clue the difference between the "N" word and "nigga".

[seattleblue]

23. I know the difference.

Maybe you don't go out very much.

[vaberella]

35. And many do not...which is what I stated.

Most think that what is being said is the N word, when it is not. Dr. Laura would be another example of someone who doesn't know the difference a lot of people, as I said don't. This is not just restricted to Whites, which I make clear in another post on the topic.

[kelly1mm]

38. So can people other than blacks use the term "nigga"?

[Karenina]

66. IF they are given permission.

And THAT is why this topic has always been so charged. 'Whaddya mean? I'm WHITE and don't need no steenkin' permission!"
:rofl:

[Igel]

48. I look at the word's distribution.

AAEV lacks rhotic vowels. If you speak AAEV, you don't distinguish between final -a and final -er. If you distinguish a few words, you're code-switching.

The same is true for Appalachian and Southern English.

Most blacks and Southerners I've met that also have good control over standard English have a rhotic pronunciation of standard English. When speaking standard they distinguish between final -a and -er. The problem is they don't use standard English for their informal varieties of English.

So in those contexts where most blacks I've met could distinguish the two words none are likely to use either "nigga" or the n-word. When they do, they're likely to be conscious of the undesirability of the n-word and so they codeswitch and pull in a non-rhotic pronuncation of the word as a kind of group solidarity marker. Some blacks I've known have only used standard English. Then they have two words--one that's identifiably ending in -er and the other consciously adopted from non-rhotic AAEV. The latter can probably claim that they're not the same word. Same for a lot of whites that speak rhotic varieties of English.

When whites have a rhotic standard variety and a non-rhotic informal variety, they don't see a reason to codeswitch. So you get the n-word in standard speech but you get "nigga" in informal speech, or you get them avoiding one word in some contexts regardless of speech variety used. They know it's the same word with two different realizations.

Countering the claim that the n-word and "nigga" are really completely different words, even though the distribution of black usage itself suggests otherwise is the unacceptability of whites saying "nigga" in most contexts. Even if it's clear that there's no derogation, you'll get that interpreted as the n-word if it's a speaker of non-rhotic English; and if they are speakers of rhotic English, you'll probably still get that interpretation (since most American blacks have at least one variety of non-rhotic English "under their belts").

[lynne]

17. Maybe its an age thing or a regional thing but I've sure heard it -

- from friends of my son. I was floored and asked my son about it. He said they use the "N" word all the time, almost as a term of endearment or of friendship. Like my generation used the word "brother", I guess.

[vaberella]

19. Yes we do. We're Black..get it together.

This is the idea perpetuated. We are also mindless fuckheads who like people who are Black no matter who they are. We never vote on the issues, we vote on the color of the skin. ~sigh~ No need for the rage, I wasn't shocked one bit by her statements.

[LiberalFighter]

21. It probably depends on the group involved. But overall, I doubt that blacks

go around saying it all the time. Just as whites don't go around saying mf or any of those derogatory names based on their nationality all the time. I don't recall hearing anything like that at the factory I worked at for 30 years. Of course, it was expected to treat everyone properly and our labor union would not condone it either.

Four years as a equipment manager at a college back in the early 70's I don't recall hearing anything as flagrant as the fake doctor suggests. The closest was me calling anyone "boy" mostly when someone was trying to pull one on me. I didn't realize it but one football player at first found it offensive until he saw I wasn't applying it based on race. When he found out that it wasn't based on race he came to me and explained it and apologized to me. At that time I was about 145# and could had been creamed easily.

College was probably my first interaction with other races. My 2nd or 3rd dorm roommate was a guy from Madagascar. Of course college is not likely to have blacks with that type of background where the word is used every other sentence or as often as the twit doctor suggests.

[old mark]

25. BigD...most of us white guys don't either...we are all appalled by the "Doctor's" assholishness...nt

[30rock]

26. It's common to see young people of all races use the "N" word amongst themselves

Unfortunately. It's like a substitute for "dude' or "pal". Some Hispanic schoolkids call their black friends "N____" and the black friends do not mind. I would never use the word myself, but I disagree with your contention that black people do not use the word, because like I said, Latinos, whites, blacks, use it, at least here in NYC.

[LatteLibertine]

27. That's just it

she's ignorant. Just because some black comedians and rappers toss the word around does not mean most black folks do.

It's incredible that she can't draw a meaningful distinction between a non black person and a black person using that word.

I believe she's also possibly pulling a BecKKK Limbaugh style stunt. Racist humor and hating has worked wonders for them.

[joshcryer]

28. I've been around African American adult males (over the age of 30), and they call each other "nigga"

They will in fact call white people "nigga." Now, granted, we probably have not had the same experiences because I lived in a ghetto for 3 years, and was surrounded by a thug culture. They take this word very seriously as a word of pride. The first time I called a thug a "dude" I nearly got pummeled (borrowing a cig, "thanks holmes" "no prob dude").

[David Zephyr]

30. Thank you, bigdarryl for putting this exactly where it should be.

I simply loathe this vile woman.

[Steely_Dan]

31. Yes...I've heard blacks...

refer to each other using the N word. My take is that by using the word amongst themselves, they are disarming the word. It is not unlike when gay people starting referring to each other a queer. As in "We're queer, we're here, get used to it." By using the word almost in passing as a term of endearment, making it a part of any daily dialogue, they are able to slowly dilute the negative aspects of it. Or am I reaching. It's pretty typical of the evolution of language.

Personally, I wish no one would use the word, regardless of race. Because of my age and upbringing, I will never see the word other than in its negative aspects.

-PLA

[HillWilliam]

44. There you have it

"Because of my age and upbringing"... any word like that is off-limits. I'm gay and over 50, so I positively loathe the words "queer" and "fag" even though younger gay people don't seem to have a problem flinging at one another en famille. But there's the rule: en famille. I might be gay but I'm still not part of that age group. It doesn't fit and my upbringing still says it's declassé. For the same reason, I just can't bring myself to throw around the n-word.

I was raised in a household where the notion was if you used a word like that, especially trying to bring someone else down, you didn't bring them down. All you could accomplish is to show your own lack of class. We might have been very poor, but we were going to have dignity. If we had nothing else to offer our fellow human being, it would be a dignified existence. Everything else -- peace, harmony, human rights, equality, everything we're struggling for here -- is founded on giving and getting a dignified existence to one another. Or for those who are inclined to perceive it that way, the Golden Rule.

"Dr" Laura showed her ass, nothing more and nothing less.

[Steely_Dan]

45. So well put...

You explained that very well, my friend. Thanks.

[Igel]

50. The "disarming" claim is recent.

It doesn't go that far back. In fact, it's a justification and excuse more than an account as to why it's used. People really don't understand the history of their language, and often if you ask a monolingual speaker with no great linguistic training you get utter gibberish. They learn it; they're not conscious of all the patterns a word or portion of their grammar participates in and can't pull them all together quickly enough to spot the right generalization.

The use of the word among blacks as an insult goes back a lot further. Its use as a marker of group identity and group boundaries isn't much more recent.

Some uses are both group-markers and put-downs at the same time, basically saying, "We're alike" and at the same time saying, "And we'll always be alike."

Language is complex.

[The Green Manalishi]

56. Recent?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOnkv76rNL4

Lenny nailed it a long time ago.

[boppers]

33. Worth a watch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWJhugZsdA8

[Lindsey]

36. I posted in another thread that most Blacks don't like to be

referred to in that manner. I think this will be the end of her, at least I hope so.

[tomp]

37. i live in nyc. everyday i hear black and hispanic youth, male and female....

....using the n-word with each other. it is rampant.

[uponit7771]

64. They still don't equate to black MEN (all inclusive) using the word

[Jumping John]

41. The issue is not about what Dr. Laura's perception of what black men say, it is

the issue that she is talking to a woman who is married to a black man and feels perfectly OK to use that word in an attempt to throw that word in the woman's face because Dr. Laura is a racist. And she tries to justify using that word by telling this woman that if Blacks use that word then there can be no racism involved when she uses that word. It is an invalid argument since racism is never OK.

And since Dr. Laura has no control over what others say she does have control over what she herself says. And a Black comedian using the N word in a skit is not a racist event that is used to control like the use of the N word by Dr. Laura uses it to try and reach a position of superiority over the woman caller who is in an inter - racial marriage.

I have been in Mississippi and seen first hand a white man refer to a Black man as a "good N". These two men were aboput the same age and were friends. They were also raised during the time that racism was rampant in Mississippi. I felt that using that word was offensive even as that Black man looked at me and laughed and nodded his head yes.

I have also sat in the home of black people in Texas in the so-called Black part of town and heard Blacks call each other the "N word". SO I decided to ask why would a Black person refer to another Blac person by the word and was told because they had the right and it was like an attempt to diminish the meaning of the word that the whites had given it.

I felt also, although no one vocalized it, that it was an attempt to make the use of the word less intimidating and have little meaning among the Black people. I could be wrong of course.

So I will end this rant now.

[SKKY]

42. I hear it a lot...

...not defending how Dr. Laura said it, but I've got to be fair here. From my experience, she was more right than wrong.

[uponit7771]

61. You've heard some black guys say it but not all black men, it's unfair to be all inclusive

[JoeyT]

43. Seriously.

Do none of these people have black friends they spend a lot of time with? (You don't have to answer that.)
Do they think black folks sit down at the table and say things like "Hey, pass the salt <racial slur>!" "This is pretty good food, <racial slur>." "Hey, did you <racial slur>s catch the meteor shower the other night?"?

It's like everything they know about black culture they learned from TV and movies that were exaggerating stereotypes for comedic value. So their perception of an entire race isn't just a stereotype, it's an stereotype that's been exaggerated to an absurd degree.

And they always...ALWAYS offer the "Rappers say it too!" defense. As if a person who catches the vapors at every utterance of profanity really takes their behavioral cues from Lil' Jon (What?!) and just couldn't stop themselves from emulating him.

[Blue_Tires]

51. +1000

[old mark]

52. bigd: I saw it said that Dr. Laura REALLY understands black Americans' feelings...after all,

she has had a black bodyguard for years!!! ( I swear! It was on TV - it must be true!)
The whole thing would be hilarious it it were not so pathetic.


mark

[BootinUp]

53. So she was attempting to analyze Black Americans use of the word?

Why would she do that? She thinks shes an expert on the subject? I admit to being out of the loop on this story. Wouldn't be the first time she exposed herself as a bit of a nut IIRC.

[LatteLibertine]

57. Don't NAACP me

said more to me than her tossing around the N bomb.

[chrisa]

58. The funny part is, why would somebody consider calling another person the N word

a priviledge?

I think that concept in itself is racist, yet we have people like O'Reilly even repeating that meme. They need to get over themselves.

[Karenina]

67. White folks who are OUTRAGED, simply OUTRAGED

That other whites and former NEGROES have convinced enough whites that THEIR use of the word is declasse. It is. Language is a process and the PRIVILEGE young people extend to each other in very specific usage is a measure of their solidarity.

[kjackson227]

59. While you probably don't use it, I've heard quite a few others...

who do. This ish needs to stop from the disrespectful videos to the black guys on the street. It's disgraceful. You (not you personally) can't expect respect if you're unwilling to respect yourselves.

Also, what is it with semi-washed-up entertainers/celebrities who seem to feel it necessary to make derrogatory/inflammatory statements about African Americans in order for them to become RELEVANT again? But, honestly, I have to wonder about the woman who called in to ask Laura her opinion in this matter, anyway.

[uponit7771]

62. "quite a few" does not equal all or a majority or all, blacks wouldn't judge all whites as stupid...

...because "quite a few" supported George Bush openly

[kjackson227]

65. Frankly, I don't understand your argument. Are you stating...

that Laura said "all" or the "majority of" black guys say this? If so, then she's wrong on both accounts.

[Scruffy1]

60. I have seen my black friends use it rarely

Over about 40 years I can think once or twice and usually as in joke among themselves. If I would have used it it would have a different meaning because I'm white. Just shows how tone deaf these assholes are.