I can't tell if this was directed at me or at racism, but just in case I figured I might as well clarify that I wasn't saying that it's a positive thing that racism towards Asian people is not considered a big deal.
It's not a dichotomy at all. When you mentioned getting your ghetto pass, I realized this is an argument I can't win.
I went with cunt. Like some others on this board, my white guilt has diminished through the years and the use of the race card on a wholesale level has really given me a serious case of desensitization. Additionally, I have spent my entire adult life traveling the world and have seen that racism and bigotry are not something localized to America....it is part of the human condition. Before people become offended; I'm not saying racism and bigotry are right it just is the way it is....worldwide.
Clusterfuck is by far my favorite swear. I am also partial to rigoddamndiculous (Thank you, Dr. Evil). As far as classic, everyday use, nothing beats motherfucker. Cunt is like your Grandmother's favorite silver... You only break it out for really special occasions. I'm completely desensitized to nigger/nigga thanks to rap music.
Actually, there is a legitimate argument that the term cracker derives from cattle drivers. <a class="postlink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cracker_(pejorative" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cracker_(pejorative</a>) At least, many Florida natives refer to themselves as crackers and it absolutely refers to their cattle roots. Maybe they took it back?
Nigger hands down. It was used for quite a long time specifically to demean and oppress an entire race of people and is associated with endless violence and death of said race. Cunt on the other hand, outside of England, became such a taboo word BECAUSE it was rarely used to the point that using it was sort of a last resort which kind of gave it a little more kick. It still holds some denigrating and hatred overtones but really doesn't have the history of oppression nigger does. So on to the actual focus of this thread: cut rate superheroes!
I believe many of you have not contacted your representatives on this matter. Ahem. Also, (White 28 year old male talking, sans white guilt). I'm from SC, and in college, some of my more...rural white friends would use the n-word liberally. This practice came to an end when one of them caught an ass-whipping for using it in public. No one came to his defense, because we all kind of cringed when he would bellow it out in a bar. For me, it's a stupid word to use, period. Cunt, fuck, anything else is fair game. The reason this is stupid is the double standard that it's offensive to black people, but they can use it so freely. There are NWA and Master P records that consist of some idiot mumbling that very term over and over again. So, logic and reason would dictate that it must not be so Goddamned offensive, if it's perfectly acceptable for a millionaire to repeat it over an 808 beat with piano playing in the background. However, if I were to utter it in diverse company, I would expect a confrontation or ass-kicking. It's offensive, sure, but only in the sense that it gives an excuse for a confrontation predicated on racism, where it may or may not exist. In other words, if I call a black person any other racial slur, of which there are plenty in common usage, the offense is the same as the typical curse words (motherfucker, for example). If I use the n-word, then it gives anyone within earshot an excuse to start a confrontation about how hurtful this word is, even though it's uttered on every hip-hop and black comedian's cd I've ever heard 20 times, which is an argument without logic. Jews don't call each other kikes, my Asian friends don't call each other yellow monkeys for shits and giggles and arabs don't jokingly call one another towel heads. Therefore, this racial slur exists in a class all it's own: a fucking retarded one, with manufactured outrage. Good words maintain their power no matter the source, bad words do as well. If you can say it freely and I cannot, then I think think the outrage is manufactured, because you're only upset about the race of the speaker, or the fact that they don't belong to the N-word club, not that the word is hurtful. I will say this clearly: If you are a white person and say it, I think you're an idiot. If you are a black person and say it, I think you're an idiot. If you are an Asian person and say it, I think you are misinformed or an idiot. If you are Latino and say it, you must be talking about this guy: Spoiler
What, no votes for honkey? Man, we white folk always get the short end of the stick. No one listens to our concerns!
Huh. I always assumed the whip cracking connotation because until you pointed that out I've never heard of white people calling themselves crackers. You'd think since I live in Florida I would have ran into this, but I honestly haven't. I guess it's because I live in Jacksonville, which is too urban?
I pretty much agree with this. Kind of fucking pathetic that this has turned into people crying about which group has had it worse and why that makes their word more offensive and then trying to act superior to people who have different opinions. It's like people with different upbringings and ethnic backgrounds might not empathize with the issues that have never effected them and they don't feel guilt for something their ancestors may or may have not done to your ancestors or something. Weird. I'm actually pretty surprised no one has brought up any homosexual slurs (I've just kind of browsed the last pages so someone else may have) considering they are a group that has historically been shit on by everybody and has been pretty horribly persecuted for a long time up until recently and then only in some parts of the world has it really become acceptable. I can't say I've never used racial slurs before, but I've never directed one at an individual or the group of people it applies to with the intent to offend, if that makes any sense. For example, I've said nigga when quoting a rap song but I can't really recall an instance of seeing a black person do something and then calling them a nigger. I don't really have any qualms with calling people niggers because of the historical context of the word because I had nothing to do with slavery or Jim Crow laws or any oppression of black people to my knowledge, but I try not to offend people on that level, and I don't want my ass beat. I guess my relatively frequent use of the word fag and calling things gay could be viewed as hypocritical in that aspect.
I'm from the north. My family would never use the N-word. They prefer shine or spook. Dumb wops. It's actually a relatively tough task to think of myself actually using the N-word in my almost 34 years. Racial slurs are just not my bag. I rarely say cunt, but it is my favorite word to use. My favorite insult for a long while was "You aren't pretty enough to be such a cunt." Delivers a double punch. I must say, one thing that confuses the shit out of me is the fact that down south, saying "goddamn" is akin to dropping an F bomb. The boyfriend cringed when I said it the first time in front of him. Nowadays, if I get really angry and scream "Oh, goddammit" (like I would if I was living at home in the heresy-riddled north) he'll even tell me to watch my mouth. Which usually prompts me to yell "I'm pretty fucking sure God doesn't give a shit if ONE person is using His name in vain, especially since there are people murdering and raping as we speak." Which then prompts another "Watch your mouth." It's like I'm fucking five.
So anyone here light heartedly use all of these words when talking with their pets because they don't understand the gravity behind any of them?
Here's the thing: If the word nigger means nothing to you, then why use it? Using a word that you know is going to hurt people for a cause you don't actually care about is just a dick thing to do. If it costs you basically nothing to not ruin somebody's day, I don't see why you'd do it anyway.
I call my dog a "stupid fucking monkey tits" in the sweetest way possible all the time. He loves it and licks my face. It's not exactly racist or sense-making but it's funny to me.
Why did you put the word oppressed in quotes? Did you read something about misogyny in western society and think the author was trying to conflate it with the ongoing history of racism in western society? Because they're not the same thing, and only a fool would think otherwise. However, your words above are implying that we don'tt have a problem with how we treat our women, and you're dead fucking wrong. Stop it. This thread is fucked.
An interesting defense of NWA's usage of the term, in the own words, spoilered for length. Spoiler Why do I call myself a nigga you ask me? Well, it's because motherfuckers want to blast me And run me outta my neighborhood They label me as a dope dealer, yo, and say that I'm no good But I can't find jobs, so niggas wouldn't have to go out Gave up some dope on the corner, so they could show out When the cops came, they gave a fake name Because the life in the streets is just a head game So, therefore to make more A fifteen year old black kid will go and rob a liquor store And get shot in the process He ate up a nine bullet and now he's put to rest Why do I call myself a nigga, you ask me? I guess it's the way shit has to be Back, when I was young gettin' a job was murder Fuck, flippin' burgers 'cause I deserve a Nine to five, I can be proud of that I can speak loud of And to help a nigga get out of Yo, the concrete playground But most motherfuckers only want you to stay down But I'm a smart motherfucker, you see One of the best producers in the rap music industry Gettin' paid like a mother fucker A young brother, who don't give a fuck about another, yeah Why do I call myself a nigga, you ask me? Because police always wanna harass me Every time that I'm rollin' They swear up and down that the car was stolen Make me get faced down in the street They throw the shit out my car on the concrete In front of a residence A million white motherfuckers on my back like I shot the President Why do I call myself a nigga, you ask me? Because my mouth is so mother fuckin' nasty Bitch this, bitch that, nigga this, nigga that In the mean while my pockets are gettin' fat Gettin' paid to say this shit here Makin' more in a week than a doctor makes in a year So, why not call myself a nigga? It's better than pulling the trigger and goin' up the river And don't I get called a nigga anyway? Booked as a motherfucker and locked away So, so, cut out all that bull shit Yo, I guess I'll be a nigga 4 life Niggaz, crack heads, thieves If there's Hell below, we're all gonna go Nigga, nigga, nigga, nigga, nigga, nigga, please I'm treated like a fuckin' disease You say, why do I call myself a nigga so quick? 'Cause I can reach in my draws and pull out a bigger dick Yo, niggaz say nigga we cool But, cracker say nigga, nigga not to fuck up But I got to be a fast nigga to never be the last nigga Or I have to beat your ass, nigga In the city you see action first Then hear about it later in a verse I curse Because I'm real with this to keep my shit straight bumpin' Murder created by the streets of Compton And I get it from the underground poet I live it, I see it and I write it because I know it And if you think I'm fucking your wife Your mother fuckin' right, yo, because I'm a nigga 4 life Nigga, this, nigga, that The actual fact is that I'm black and bound to attract The attention of another, I mean the other But I'm a mother fucker that'll have them running for cover You see, I don't give a fuck about nothing Except getting paid, getting bitches and [Incomprehensible] with stitches Which is all needed to read it and find a rhyme And then it's time to say, the nigga's here to stay But what about the fake niggas, the house niggas To get paid quick they gotta suck a fat dick But NWA is outta your mother fuckin' range We ain't gonna change a mother fuckin' thing I call myself a nigga 'cause my skin won't whiten I call myself a nigga 'cause the shit that I'm writing Hypes me, hypes other mother fuckers around me And that's the reason why they wanna surround me And ask me, why do I call myself a negroe Ain't none of their fuckin' business 'cause I'll let the trigger go So, get out of my presence and get out of my sight 'Cause MC Ren is a nigga 4 life, yeah You're a nigga 'til you die If you're a poor nigga, then you're a poor nigga If you're a rich nigga, you're a rich nigga But you never stop being a nigga And if you get to be educated, you's an educated nigga
What good is the idiot board if we can't make a racist or sexist joke once in awhile? And while I am a cynical bastard these are the only two issues plaguing our society where I'm seeing a silver lining. Looking at where we were 50 years ago I'm shocked we've come as far as we have. Calm the fuck down. Tell people there's someone out there they can feel superior to and blame their problems on, and that's always going to appeal going to a certain demographic. Even so, they're shrinking every generation. Stuff like this takes time.