Racism? [Split from Big Brother 8 Thread]

[Guest Reno]

Sticks and stones is a load of bullsh*t!! If something offends someone, it offends them, different people are sensitive to different things and you cant tell them not be! For instance good2go doesnt like the term and it makes him feel uneasy to even hear it so if he was my friend I wouldnt use that word in front of him. Emily said nigga in front of charley and nicky (who is indian, not black) and they didnt find it offensive, surely that is the main point?! Yes you can say it offends the viewing public with just the word being mentioned but I hear it all the time in the media (even if it is after ten or in a movie or in un-edited music I download) and people dont seem to be so bothered then?! But if Emily had called Carole fat Or if Emily had called Tracy ugly then she wouldnt of been chucked out, and ugly or fat people might be offended but would just have to deal with it.

 

This was kinda what I was getting at, but it's the PCness of the world that annoys me. We are ment to be a country with the freedom of speech but then again, what is the freedom to speak? It seems we can't say anything without anyone getting offended. And that's what grinds my gears about this whole topic.

[Guest MastersGonads]

This was kinda what I was getting at, but it's the PCness of the world that annoys me. We are ment to be a country with the freedom of speech but then again, what is the freedom to speak? It seems we can't say anything without anyone getting offended. And that's what grinds my gears about this whole topic.

 

But the problem is with regards to the word in question and freedom of speech, as I have mentioned before, if there was sufficient evidence of you using said word in an abusive manner, you could be charged by Law with racial abuse...

[Guest Nemesis Enforcer]

Psychology 101 time: Just because you were too timid to stand up for yourself back then means that now you're all grown up you think everyone should have to put up with being demeaned?

I wasn't too timid though, when it got physical I defended myself but I simply don't let things bother or offend me and never have and I find life is much simpler that way

 

Others may and do get offended by words, personaly I don't and never have, such as a few months ago when I was in HMV and sang along to part of a rap song they had playing, a black teenager walked past me stopped and said "you ****ing wigger" now could have got all offended by that, but rarther I just ignored it and he turned and walked away and I went on with my life

[DC 536]

The word was used, that was offensive enough for me. And then to make out like it was "just a joke", and that she has lots of black friends who she uses the word around.

 

Who the hell does she think she is?

IMO, the fact that she had to say that it was "just a joke" shows that she had to justify her use of the word. If there was nothing wrong with her saying it, context or not, then why did she have to say she was joking? You only say you were joking if what you said offended someone or they didn't think of it as a joke.

 

I've heard Chris Moyles has also been fired for just being offensive to look at.

But he's on the radio, so you don't have to look at him.

 

Even Charley didn't think it was offensive,

She may not have been offended, but she was certainly uncomfortable about it, otherwise she wouldn't have reacted the way she did.

 

The whole Emily thing is due to politically correctness.

It's actually due to BB's need to avoid another race issue like last time.

 

Anyway back to the goings on in the actual house,

[Red05 343]

I've had a brush with racism once at school, I was rapping along to Tupac and one verse contained the word in question. Was that worth a black mark on my permanent record? I personally don't think so, and it aggravated me further that the girl who saw to it that I was reprimanded later openly joked about the term, using it herself AND being unflustered by other white students saying it.

 

It's those sorts of double standards that need to be sorted out, so there's a bit more of a standard ruling, and less of the gray.

[Guest Wolverine]

This reminds me of a certain South Park episode.

 

http://www.dailymotion.com/relevance/search/south%2Bpark/video/x1el7z_south-park-1101-apologiesvo-12

[Guest The Beltster]

Plus if you were to call an overweight person 'fatty' that isnt racist....offensive but not racist.

Rubbish. What is a racist word exactly? I'll tell you: its a word specifically meant to be offensive to a certain race, just as "fatty" is specifically meant to be offensive to a certain body type. No different whatsoever when its stripped down to the bare bones of it. They are both offensive to seperate types of person.

 

And WHY cant you justify it? If you hate black people thats your choice, so if you want to call them niggers, thats upto you. It doesnt NEED to be justified because its a personal opinion and choice.

 

If I hate dogs and call one a mutt, I'm not branded a Dogist and lambasted for it. But if I decide for whatever reason that I dont like a Chinese person and brand them a Chink, I'm a racist asshole who is closeminded etc? What a load of crap.

 

I have a large group of mates, and barring any Chinese people I'm pretty sure it includes pretty much all ethnic groups including blacks, whites, indians and so on, and I like them all because when I see them, I dont see them as black, white, Indian or whatever, however for those who DO and choose for whatever reason not to like them, whats the big deal? Thats up to them and they shouldnt be slated because they dont like a certain race of people. Its not different than choosing not to like dogs, cats, cars or f'n ice cream when you get right down to the literal sense of it. Who cares?

 

So she called somebody a nigger? Ohhhh no, and? I'm sure it might mean something if black people dont call each other it all the f'n time anyways! If a black person called me a cracker, I wouldnt care, no different than calling me a prat, dickhead or anything else.

 

If you pick on a person for their weight, spots, hair colour or colour of their skin its a personal attack, none are any worse than the others IMO and none of them should be taken as seriously as this when they are said in an apparent joking manner on a shitty worthless TV show like Big f'n Brother!

[DC 536]

I have a large group of mates, and barring any Chinese people I'm pretty sure it includes pretty much all ethnic groups including blacks, whites, indians and so on,

Do you hang out with The Village People?

[Guest MastersGonads]

Rubbish. What is a racist word exactly? I'll tell you: its a word specifically meant to be offensive to a certain race, just as "fatty" is specifically meant to be offensive to a certain body type. No different whatsoever when its stripped down to the bare bones of it. They are both offensive to seperate types of person.

 

As in the quote you highlighted, In calling someone fat your are being offensive, but not racist...

 

to quote

 

rac·ism

–noun 1. a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule others.

2. a policy, system of government, etc., based upon or fostering such a doctrine; discrimination.

3. hatred or intolerance of another race or other races.

4. Discrimination or prejudice based on race.

 

 

There is a difference, between persecuting a race of people and being offensive to someone because they are overweight

 

And WHY cant you justify it? If you hate black people thats your choice, so if you want to call them niggers, thats upto you. It doesnt NEED to be justified because its a personal opinion and choice.

 

As I have said time and time again, if you want to call them Niggers of course you can have 'freedom of speech' but as British Law states if a complaint is made and enough evidence recieved you will be charged under racial abuse

 

If I hate dogs and call one a mutt, I'm not branded a Dogist and lambasted for it. But if I decide for whatever reason that I dont like a Chinese person and brand them a Chink, I'm a racist asshole who is closeminded etc? What a load of crap.

 

So your now comparing a race of people to dogs?!

 

I think you know very well, the difference between your two examples, its a derogatary term for a Human race....

 

I have a large group of mates, and barring any Chinese people I'm pretty sure it includes pretty much all ethnic groups including blacks, whites, indians and so on, and I like them all because when I see them, I dont see them as black, white, Indian or whatever, however for those who DO and choose for whatever reason not to like them, whats the big deal? Thats up to them and they shouldnt be slated because they dont like a certain race of people. Its not different than choosing not to like dogs, cats, cars or f'n ice cream when you get right down to the literal sense of it. Who cares?

 

Your slightly missing the point. Its not whether you like them or not, I happen to know a number of people from different ethnic backgrounds who I dislike, but in turn if I was to say I hate them because of their Niggers, Pakis, Wops or Chinks and not because of their personality, I am discriminating the person because of their race..and thus being racist

 

So she called somebody a nigger? Ohhhh no, and? I'm sure it might mean something if black people dont call each other it all the f'n time anyways! If a black person called me a cracker, I wouldnt care, no different than calling me a prat, dickhead or anything else.

 

Again what Historical connotations does dickhead or prat have? The use of Negros and Niggers as a discriminating term arks back to the time of the slave trade and 50's and 60's America where Black people as a race were persecuted against and seen as unequal, do we still want these racist stereotypes in todays society? Its a globally recognised derogotary term and would cause upset whatever country it was used in.....

[Guest Al Stevens]

I'm not going to get into this completely because i am will be honest i dont like Racism.

 

However something which Dave picked up on (and Dave great call) will Channel four stop playing Rap and RnB artists which use the N word, after all if one person on a stupid TV show can be censored then shouldnt they consider that if one person uses it and the station takes the action like that, then all rap artists who use it (regardless if its a Radio edit of the song) should also face the banning.

[Guest MastersGonads]

 

However something which Dave picked up on (and Dave great call) will Channel four stop playing Rap and RnB artists which use the N word, after all if one person on a stupid TV show can be censored then shouldnt they consider that if one person uses it and the station takes the action like that, then all rap artists who use it (regardless if its a Radio edit of the song) should also face the banning.

 

I am in no way condoning this, because in fact I agree wholeheartedly on the standpoint on where is the common ground....

 

But from looking into the use of the word in Rap and Hip Hop, the use of the 'N' word is more commonly spelt Nigga or Niggaz which took place when Young African Americans tried to subvert The 'N' word from being a racial slur but to a term of affection, so to call someone 'My Nigga' would be to call them a friend....but I agree this does seem to open up a whole debate on what and when is it appropriate

[Guest yoyo]

My opinion on this is that the word n*gger is really only acceptable in today's society when only black people use it. It's kinda crappy, but thats the way it is I think.

 

Almost every single rapper uses the word n*gger and society really doesn't care. But what happens when this white girl uses it? Holy Sh*t! Thats completey unacceptable! Even Eminem (the rapper) NEVER uses the word and he is in an industry where he probably hears it close to 25 to 50 times a day. Eminem knows he can't say it because he is white and will probably lose a large amount of his fan base if he does (not to mention he probably will have a chance to get shot at a club or something if he ever did say the word.) The only time Eminem has even touched down on the subject is when he was first starting out and he was rapping about this girl he dated in high school (who was black) and he said something along the lines of, "this black girl dumped me and she was a hoe." Eminem recieved a crap load of heat on this line and he didn't even say n*gger.(Eminem later apologized and even made a song on the incindent.)

 

But I know some black people still find it offensive when people of their own skin color say it. There aren't many black people in my school so I really don't know how many people find the word offensive. But if your white, then saying the word is a NO NO.

Edited June 7, 2007 by yoyo

[Guest Al Stevens]

I am in no way condoning this, because in fact I agree wholeheartedly on the standpoint on where is the common ground....

 

But from looking into the use of the word in Rap and Hip Hop, the use of the 'N' word is more commonly spelt Nigga or Niggaz which took place when Young African Americans tried to subvert The 'N' word from being a racial slur but to a term of affection, so to call someone 'My Nigga' would be to call them a friend....but I agree this does seem to open up a whole debate on what and when is it appropriate

 

This is my point though. If OFFCOM can get alot of complains over a stupid Reality TV show and have busted channel four before (and probably would have done again) then they should bust channel four about the stuff they put on mid afternoon which the key words silenced or bleeped. They should know that kids will search songs on the internet and either download the uncut song or read the lyrics.

 

I think what i am trying to say is if it's not except able after a watershed show then it's not except able on any of there programming regardless of radio edits or not.

[Guest The Beltster]

Again what Historical connotations does dickhead or prat have? The use of Negros and Niggers as a discriminating term arks back to the time of the slave trade and 50's and 60's America where Black people as a race were persecuted against and seen as unequal, do we still want these racist stereotypes in todays society? Its a globally recognised derogotary term and would cause upset whatever country it was used in.....

Oh who gives a **** about Historical God-damned connotations?! Its a load of rubbish and I'm sick of people who were persecuted decades ago still piss and moan about it today. Were any of the blacks who complain about the term nigger told that they couldnt sit on the bus or go to school with white kids recently? No they bloody well werent. When are people going to get over what happened to their ancestors generations ago and stop moaning and whining about the use of a word blaming it on such rediculous nonsense such as "historical connotations"? Its a load of old crap.

 

When somebody calls a black person a nigger now, its nothing to do with racial stereotypes and I doubt they have the fact that their ancestors were slaves in the freakin 50's on their minds! The word has been commercialised and promoted, its been merchandised and tamed down so damn much that the only people who find it offensive now should be the people who WERE slaves or treated like crap down to the colour of their skin in the cotton fields.

 

Calling somebody a nigger now is no different than calling somebody a fat *****. You pick on something specific about a person and you degrade it whether is be weight, height, hair colour or skin colour. No different IMO, at all.

 

And for the record, your not retarded or stupid, you know I wasnt comparing a race of people to dogs. I've never seen a dog wear a mink coat and a huge hat with a feather in it.

 

:devil

[Chris2K 176]

Any use of the 'n' word by male, female, black, white, in any context of it being meant as a compliment or not is disgusting and completely ignorant to the horrible meanings of the word in the times that we'd all pretty much like to forget. I can see no defence for any use of the word whatsoever.