The N Word

[Kerry Mike]

Given the latest racism row to erupt on Big Brother over the use of the word "Nigger" what are peoples views on this.

As a non watcher of the program and only picking up what is in the media about this today, is the girl being made a scapegoat for her naive comments or is there an underlying racism running through society in general. Was it a slip of the tongue or a calculated remark to provoke controversy. Should the girl on BB have been allowed to apologise for her mistake and move on. I am sure the British media will be all over her like a plague.

I dont like the term myself and would never use it but there was a time not so long ago when black people were a vary rare sight all over the country and I think in the past some of us may have been racist in our terms in describing them, and some of our parents were subjected to the "No Blacks, No Irish, No Dogs" signs outside guesthouses and hotels in England, and we have all heard someone or been called a "Paddy" at some stage but do you view it as racist or just slang?

As a now more travelled nation and as we move to a more multicultural society we are becoming more and more acceptable of differing cultures and not viewing people of differing background as a threat to our society. But is there still a high level of racism in country.

The Nigger Word has become a taboo word to use since the 1960's when the civil rights came to the fore in the US and has been replaced by the more PC African-American recently, but the one thing that always annoys me is when a non black person uses the term its racism, but when black people like rappers etc use it, it is seen as some kind of accepted slang term.

There is an old saying "Stick and Stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me". Just wondering what people think.

[stephenite]

It's an interesting question - I think society in general has moved on and become more accepting of people from different backgrounds, but there is an underlying racist element in all sections of Western society I feel.

Like Bud's recent thread, I do not view myself as racist but, I detest having any dealings with Indians, I find them extremely ignorant and lacking in manners, but this is thier culture and I can either accept that and move on or not,

Living in Sydney I am probably more exposed to multi-culturalism than I ever was in Dublin and I struggle sometimes dealing with those from an Eastern/Oriental background,I just don't get them and communication can be difficult even if they have good English, but again that is probably more my problem.

A lot of "Aussies" have huge issues in this regard and the Cronulla riots were indicative of how intolerant a Nation can be.

[thejuice]

Racism is something that always makes my blood boil and as far as Im concerned, anyone who is a racist lowers themselves to the scum of the earth in my eyes.If someone is unintentionally racist, which might be from ignorance or just miscommunication thats fine, i am willing to forgive, but deliberate and deep running hatred of another culture or race for what it is just pisses me off. It makes me deeply ashamed to be Irish when I hear of irish people being discriminatory towards immigrants no matter where they are from, or what they did. It is a shame on all of us when it happens and it deeply hurts my feelings. I for along time believed we were a caring, charitable country who saw the bigger picture, but in recent times it seems we can be as greedy, ignorant and bigoted as the next.

The use of the N word, I dont use it, dot like it, and if hip hop stars want to use it, well yes you would think as role models for the african american community they would perhaps be better off not bringing it into mainstream media, therefore making it acceptable amoung african americans, which means that in turn they set themselves apart. While I am no expert on such matters I am of the belief that one of the main problems with realtions between caucasian americans and african americans is that both set themselves apart socially. Certain things are "black" and certain things are "white" ie clothes, language and attitiudes towards certain cornerstones of society.

There is nothing wrong with having culture and representing said cultures, "which is great, and very important" there is a similar requirement as human beings to the same things, financial security, home and shelther, family, love, respect, friendship and health. These things to name a few, know no racial or cultural boundary, these are universal and on this basis all people should get equal treatment.

I hope that Ireland doesnt fall into the same sad and sorry racial pitfall that happened to other countries. I realise some people like to blame immigrants for their unemployment, but these people need to realise that everyone is trying to fullfil the same few things as mentioned above and we are all climbing the same mountain so to speak. The ones to blame may be the policy makers, but at the end of the day the responcibility lies with "you". Thats how society works in western europe. "You" get "yourself" employed, by "you" learning the skills, by "you" getting the education and "you" willing to do the hard work. Its cold and cruel and not everyone fits in to that role for a wide variety of reasons, but that is the cold truth as far as I see it.

[stephenite]

She was pretty stupid following the Jade Goody incident. It looks like Big Brother have had a major crack down (and rightly so) on anything remotely racist. However, thon 'coloured' girl (I don't know if the term 'coloured' is politically correct anymore) said something along the lines of, "you can't say the N word as you are not black". Now, what is this supposed to mean? Is there one rule for one group and another rule for another group? Had there been another 'coloured' girl in the house and said the same as the 'non coloured' girl, would she have been put out?

I know what you mean, what would happen if there were two coloured people using the word and I got deeply offended, would they have been removed?

[down22]

you can't say the N word as you are not black".

Double standards exist.Tough. It's just a fact of life (I'm not saying that it's fair or that it's right). But there are certain things that you just can't say and it doesn't matter if someone else is allowed to say them.

[pintsofguinness]

there are double standards because it was white people who used the word for centurys to put black people down not other black people. i hate to hear black people saying it though.

[Hank Everlast]

still feel sorry for the girl that got threw out tho, she is a sheltered 19 year old that thot she was being 'street' by saying it!
it was just naiviety on her part rather than as a derogatory term!

[SammyG]

still feel sorry for the girl that got threw out tho, she is a sheltered 19 year old that thot she was being 'street' by saying it!
it was just naiviety on her part rather than as a derogatory term!

Complete bollix. If she was just using a 'street' term, then why did she spend the next 10 minutes apologising for saying it? She tried to claim that 'everybody uses the term' but if that was the case then why did she make a big fuss of apologising. If it was just an everyday word, surely she wouldn't even have noticed that she'd said it.

[Galwaybhoy]

I dont really care what she said because I detest Big Brother.  The sad thing is this is front page news in one of our national newspapers.

[mooncatiii]

she was stupid to say it, but she is your typical dumb blonde.  she was sitting between 2 coloured girls who she was friends with and used the word to try an fit in as she probably!  she was stupid for saying but it was not meant in a racist way.  but lets remember this is the same girl who thinks indie music is only recently out and she is only 19 so i would put it down to her beinbg very naive!  did she deserve to go? probably 

[the Deel Rover]

i have a friend who is black i know him about 15 years and i would never call him nigger, so i don't know how you could call a person who you know a week nigger and say you meant it jokingly.

[Fishead_Sam]

you can't say the N word as you are not black".

Double standards exist.Tough. It's just a fact of life (I'm not saying that it's fair or that it's right). But there are certain things that you just can't say and it doesn't matter if someone else is allowed to say them.

Ya its like if someone from abroad called you Paddy, Mick or a Taig (and your name not Patrick/Paddy, Michael/Mick or Taidgh etc.) esp. if it was a British person alot of us would hit the f'n roof. But if we say it its accepted, not fair but similar, even if the British/Other nationality said it as a non-racial joke, it may be taken up wrong.

The British call the Argentinains "Argies" which is a racist term yet I'd say if there was an Argentianian and they where called that nobody would have been kicked out.

Other examples are British people calling French "Frogs", Germans "Huns",Japaneese "Japs"
Irish calling British people "Huns" or "Tans"

Double standards exist but people do it, I really wish that the next time a British rapper uses it that he/she is casitgated for it too.

But that blonde girl was pure stupid for using the "N" word.

[Great Leap Forward]

At the end of the day you have to bear in mind that most people that enter these types of show are brainless fuckwits!

I would seriously doubt that she meant to be offensive, she possibly does use that term with her friends. I wouldn't be surprised as posh people are cocooned in their own little world and have very little clue what is acceptable to the ordinary working man.

[Galwaybhoy]

Double standards exist but people do it, I really wish that the next time a British rapper uses it that he/she is casitgated for it too.

Do rappers really use the word "nigger" though?  Somebody explained to me before that they use the word "nigga" which despite sounding more or less the same is not offensive and has a different sort of meaning.  Most rap songs use that word, and it seems to be accepted.  Thats how it was explained to me.

[mooncatiii]

Double standards exist but people do it, I really wish that the next time a British rapper uses it that he/she is casitgated for it too.

Do rappers really use the word "nigger" though?  Somebody explained to me before that they use the word "nigga" which despite sounding more or less the same is not offensive and has a different sort of meaning.  Most rap songs use that word, and it seems to be accepted.  Thats how it was explained to me.

no its th same word same meanin!  why what else or the rappers trying to say? it is how they pronunce it, like if your telling some1 to "fu*k of" it may be pronunced as "f**k ah/af" but it is still the same meaning! 

lets put like this if she hada said nigga, would it have been ok?