Richard Pryor co-wrote “Blazing Saddles.”
I would imagine he INSISTED “the N word” be bandied about.
A different, freer time, when people of all races, colors and creeds had a sense of humor about themselves and others.
Richard Pryor wanted to play the part of the sheriff himself, but the studio didn't want him because they felt he was too controversial at the time. As a result, there were bad feelings between Richard Pryor and Mel Brooks because Pryor felt that Brooks didn't do enough to convince the studio to give him the part. (This would have been the first pairing of Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder, who was a last minute replacement for character actor Gig Young as the Waco Kid.)