Dr Laura's N word rant

[Rageaholic]

I'm surprised there hasn't been a thread on this. Black woman called Dr Laura Schlessinger asking for advice on how to handle racist comments by her white husbands friends. Dr. Laura goes on this rant about how she's being "hyper sensitive", that there's a double standard about who can use the N word, and that she shouldn't marry outside her race if she's offended by their comments. After getting a lot of flack for this call, she ended up quiting her show.

Below is a link to the call.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8jqF...eature=related

The only thing in her tirade I can agree with is the double standard on blacks using the N word, but everything else was just nasty and racist.

[AdminAssistant]

After getting a lot of flack for this call, she ended up quiting her show.

Well, at least something good came out of it.

[Plaidman]

It is a double standard.

People need to realize that people are just people. It shouldn't matter what people call each other.

Those are just words. Not to mention she's correct, that it's the INTENT of the word, rather then the meaning.

[Hobbs]

Wow, Plaid. Considering your previous posts, I never thought you'd side with her racist remarks.

[Jack]

I agree with the Dr. that there seems to be a double-standard as to who can use the word, but here are my issues with this case:

1. The first complaint of the caller had nothing to do with the word. It was that her husband's friends kept making stereotyping comments regarding her race and interests. I wouldn't find this racist as there's not really discrimination, but it is ignorant and rather irritating to have people implicitly assume they know what someone does or thinks because of their incidental qualities.

2. The caller barely got to mention the word before the Dr. started her rant which pretty much ended the caller's discussion of what had actually happened. We never found out if anyone called her a nigger, or if they used it in telling black jokes, or anti-black discussion, or discussion about the word itself in which they used the word. Acceptable use of it and any word is a contextual thing, but in this case we never got any context.

[KnitShoni]

I don't like anyone using that word. However, because of the context, that was about the only part of her rant that wasn't racist. Was she clueless to assume that because rappers use the word, we all do? Yes. But, then, so many are. Those of us who hate anyone, no matter the race, using that word, don't get any attention.

[Ginger Tea]

I never understood the Rage against the machine line "they used a club to beat a spade" untill 2 years ago when I rewatched streets of fire (still a good cheesy film) when some policeman called the black band spades. I forgot the term in the intervening years since first watching it and RATM, since it wasnt prolific in the UK when I grew up.

nor was sambo, which I hand'nt heard since which ever dirty harry movie untill I watched the box set. TBH if I had heard it inbetween I think I would have thought it was someone called Sam(ual) Bo.

I never looked into it, but I just assumed that nigger stemmed from the country Nigeria, which may or may not have been a slavery port and got mispronounced along the way "a shioment of Nigerians." with a soft G gets read with a hard G and sounds better(?) without the -ians. But some other thread here said it was to do with litteracy.

Ive never understood Honkey as an insult, the only thing insulting about it is that its not insulting, being a white, hetrosexual, english male, I honestly cant think of any insulting names to fit my grouping, yet change one word and there are 10

[Lace Neil Singer]

I've been called cracker before; I never really got why it was insulting, to be honest, so the insult lost fire. XD

[KnitShoni]

Wow, Plaid. Considering your previous posts, I never thought you'd side with her racist remarks.

I don't think he was siding with her remarks. I just think he, like a lot of others, is a bit clueless when it comes to the discussion over who can use that word. People say, "Black people use it, why can't we?" That's the thing. Black people, as a whole, DON'T use it. A lot of us don't like that word, whether it ends in "er" or "a".

I like this quote, from http://blacksnob.com/snob_blog/2010/...he-n-word.html :

The reality about the N-word is that's never really appropriate for anyone to say. Black people use it at their own peril because for every black person who is fine with the word you have someone like my mother who will go off. She doesn't use the word and hates it. She doesn't like to hear it no matter who is saying it. The N-word is controversial among black people as a whole. But if you go around basing all your knowledge on African American culture from Chris Rock routines and Lil Wayne records you are going to face a lot of "consequences" in your quest for racial acceptance. Because comedians and musicians are "artists" and artists are known for pushing the boundaries of things. Appropriating pejoratives for laughs, creativity and shock value is kind of a thing that they do.

[guywithashovel]

I heard about this a while ago, and I just kind of brushed it off. Now that I've listened to it, I'm actually a little surprised that there has been such an outcry over this. She really didn't do anything that she doesn't typically do when people call her show---that is, blow up a bunch of smokescreens; accuse the caller of being petty, irrational, stupid, etc.; going out of her way to offend and humiliate the caller, etc.

Granted, she did use the n word, but from what I heard, she was using it to describe what she heard black comedians say (and that was a smokescreen, since it had nothing to do with the caller's situation, but I digress).

[Plaidman]

I don't think he was siding with her remarks. I just think he, like a lot of others, is a bit clueless when it comes to the discussion over who can use that word. People say, "Black people use it, why can't we?" That's the thing. Black people, as a whole, DON'T use it. A lot of us don't like that word, whether it ends in "er" or "a".

I like this quote, from http://blacksnob.com/snob_blog/2010/...he-n-word.html :

I'm not with her racist remarks. Nor would I ever belive that since a few people of their own race use it, it must be free to use.

My belief it's the intent of the word. When black people use it, they are not using it in a bad way.

In other words, since so many people have told me, including here, to just get over being called numerous names, that word is just an insult too. No different from the millions of other names. No-one is special that a insult is more damaging then another. They are all hurtful.

So it's ether no-one uses them. Period. Regardless of whom they are.

Are all insults are useable, but no-one should be hurt by them as they are, just words. Just vibrations in your ear bones. People choose to put meaning to them. Yeah, all words have meaning, doesn't mean you have to accept that meaning and take it to heart.

[KnitShoni]

My belief it's the intent of the word. When black people use it, they are not using it in a bad way.

Actually, when a lot of Black people who use that word say it, they most definitely are using it in a bad way. They tend to be the ones who don't use it in everyday conversation, but they will use to describe someone if they don't feel the standard curses are strong enough to convey their contempt for that person.

[Plaidman]

Actually, when a lot of Black people who use that word say it, they most definitely are using it in a bad way. They tend to be the ones who don't use it in everyday conversation, but they will use to describe someone if they don't feel the standard curses are strong enough to convey their contempt for that person.

Sorry, just meant in my experence.

It should have been when some black people too. Not Just black people.


Even my little brother says it to me when he hugs me. It's very akward and have no idea what to say about it.

[Wingates_Hellsing]

Actually, when a lot of Black people who use that word say it, they most definitely are using it in a bad way. They tend to be the ones who don't use it in everyday conversation, but they will use to describe someone if they don't feel the standard curses are strong enough to convey their contempt for that person.

I've only ever heard nigger/a being said by black people as a term of endearment, of sorts.

[KnitShoni]

I've only ever heard nigger/a being said by black people as a term of endearment, of sorts.

That's what people who want to be able to use the word, but still attack others who use it, claim. That's not how my dad uses it, on the rare occasions he uses it.