The hate factory - N-word outburst adds to the denigration that passes as entertainment

NY Daily News ^ | November 23, 2006 | Stanley Crouch

[brytlea]

Wow, I looked it up and you're right!
susie

[Tall_Texan]

Richard's explosion will hurt sales.

Yes, because he was stupid and took it too far. That doesn't mean there wasn't an attempt to create a controversy to draw attention to the DVD release.

[Biblebelter]

In the interest of equality, no black comedian should get a pass when using insulting and denigrating words in the middle of an act. It all seems very simple to me. We do not need to accept the conventions of insult and denigration that have been established by black comedians and rappers.

Michael Richards was a has been before he uttered the N word and after this 15 minutes of infamy he will be forgotten. What passes as entertainment is the more significant question, and for African American culture an entertainment that elevates and glamorizes the "thug" life is absolutely toxic to that culture. Crouch makes a point that I can agree with, probably the only time I could ever agree with him.

[goldstategop]

I don't know why the mod pulled my post but suffice it say I meant to illustrate the historical usage of the N word and why it had a different connotation from "redneck." As we can see, even the mod didn't understand that the sense in which I used it was meant to show why black people consider it degrading. That should lead to agreement that some words, without question, ought to be beyond the bounds of civilized discourse for precisely that reason.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus

[beyond the sea]

That doesn't mean there wasn't an attempt to create a controversy to draw attention to the DVD release.

I sincerely doubt that Richard's explosion was "an attempt to create a controversy to draw attention to the DVD release." That is sheer foolishness.

Jerry Seinfeld is probably so pissed of at Michael now that he wants to cut his balls off.

[durasell]

...or git'er done.

The difference being, a segment of the black community has adopted a perjorative. This is not unusual, since some in the rural community have done the same with the term "redneck." The term sounds different in Jeff Foxworthy's mouth than it does in Al Sharpton's.

[beyond the sea]

I sincerely doubt that Richard's explosion was "an attempt to create a controversy to draw attention to the DVD release." And, it very most likely was not just a case of Richards going too far. There was no plan to push the DVD. They don't need to do that ..... and certainly not in that manner.

[SeaBiscuit]

nah.. that your post was pulled for using the 'sacred' N word is part of the problem. Will this post get pulled if I call you a Honkey?

[durasell]

The two words aren't equivalent.

[SeaBiscuit]

How would you know.. do you know the users true intended meaning?

[durasell]

How would you know.. do you know the users true intended meaning?




I know the context from which each word arises.

[goldstategop]

There maybe a double standard. I certainly didn't intend to use the N word in a racist context but to illustrate its racist to blacks in the sense that coming from a white person, its perceived like something one scapes off one shoe or comes out of one's behind. Honkey should be as degrading as n***er, no question. In polite company.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus

[Tall_Texan]

There was no plan to push the DVD.

Nah. Jerry's planned appearance on Letterman Monday night was for no reason whatsoever. < /sarc>

Instead, talk shows everywhere were talking about this incident and, oh by the way, Seinfeld has a DVD coming out.

What exactly can you do in Hollywood nowadays to shock people? Come out as gay? Yawn. Come out for the terrorists? Yawn. Have sex with children? Michael Jackson has already beat them to it.

How about the tried-and-true N-bomb? Yeah, that's it!

Go get a gig at a comedy club and have somebody record you using the n-bomb. We'll sneak it onto the internet and then everybody we'll be talking about us. That's it!

But then Richards took the stunt too far and they have to seriously backpedal.

As the Democrats love to say, "The timing is suspicious."

[oldironsides]

I was more offended by the moveon.org fundraiser in New York with Whoopie Goldberg on stage. The Democrats laughed as she grabbed her crotch and made ref. to the president and his name. The entire matter was covered over. No film ever showed. I understand she was a pig and acted like she was a pathetic garbage spewing dirtbag. She and others trying to be comedians are not worth much. Upset about Richards? Let Goldberg apologize to everyone offended and maybe I will bother to be upset with other no talent nitwits.

[Vaquero]

check out chris rock


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_q8LxO4wnCQ

[Recovering_Democrat]

Some of the utter crap that goes for "Top 40" these days, with outright profanity, misogyny and perversion there, all released by Big Media/aka LameStream Media corporations, and this idiotic tirade by a heckled comedian seems to pale in comparison.

[rawcatslyentist]

"Either a profanity is ALWAYS wrong or its not a profanity at all. Something to think about here.

South Park pulled it off without causing offended Negros to riot like offended muslimes.

Biggie Smalls and Butters calling each other nigger.

Once again it's not what you say, it's how it's said. In an informative setting, it's not offensive. In a truly comedic setting, it's not offensive. However in a derogatory hatefull setting it is. Ya gotta put things in context.

[Tall_Texan]

Has nobody asked where are THE HECKLERS seeking their 15 minutes of fame? Who bought them off to go away?

If I'd been the heckler, I'd be demanding MY time with Letterman, Larry King, Bill O'Reilly, etc. Geez, if John Mark Karr can have interviews on cable news, why can't I?

[SeaBiscuit]

Agreed.

[kcbc2001]

Just because women have spoken out - that doesn't mean that pop culture has listened. Paris Hilton and Britney Spears still run around half naked and now it's worse because "ho" and "b!tch" are common words used to describe women. People really shouldn't have been as shocked as they were when he said "N"....that's what is regularly being said day in and day out by "artists", "comedians", "performers". It's part of the "Hollywood" culture that these rappers have added to and they shouldn't be surprised when whites have adopted a lot of their language as their own because they have bought all the cds and started acting like their "role models".