Ask Lemmy

If you have to ask it ain't for you

In 'Murica, it seems that you can make fun/insult/ somitimes simply have an opinion on a community as long as you are part of it

Here's my weird perspective on it, first of all it's not a word in my vocabulary, so I wouldn't say it anyways, and I don't normally listen to rap/hip-hop or other styles that use the word, so accidentally singing it also isn't a problem for me. But I think the most important point for me is that I'm not from the USA, and besides some random movie I have never ever heard the word being used in a racist manner, so to me it doesn't carry the same weight as it does for people who have suffered it directly.

Personally I think it's all related to the fact that a black saying that word implicitly has no racist connotations, whereas with non-black you can't be sure. That being said, while I understand wanting to conquer the oppressiveness of it by incorporating it into your slang, if you prevent others from using it in the same way, the oppressiveness is still there and you haven't removed power from the word. Think on how Gay used to be offensive, and things like the Gay Pride and similar reclaimed the word, to the point where even if heterosexual people use it nowadays it's not necessarily offensive.

That being said, like I mentioned at the start, I don't live in a place where people use that word, nor am I black, so I can't possibly understand what hearing that means to someone who's actually heard it as an insult, so me saying they should be more open with non-blacks using it in a non-offensive manner as a way to diminish the power of that word in the asshole mouths might feel insensitive. And at the end of the day I don't care because it's not in my vocabulary so I wouldn't use it even if blacks were okay with me using it.

So when racists use it its with their signature attention to the social construction of race and nuance that we've all come to expect. I.e. they're mad at someone they think is a bit dark and they call them a slur about it.

I'm not Black but I have been around Black folks and i only recall them calling each other that in the 90's. Maybe I just haven't been around enough idk.

Rappers who used that word have been promoted in the past and new rap artists seem to follow their lead.

Either the word is offensive, or it isn't. POC don't get a pass from me - if I hear that word in a song, I hit skip or change the station. It is offensive no matter who says it.

What is it? You make kinda riddle here...

'Next president'?

/s

when used derogatorily, it is essentially the same as most other deragatory terms. for example, "you fucking ", or "you're a ", or "I'm not gonna be told what to do by some ".

when used non-derogatorily its the same as like dude or buddy.

The rule is it's a taboo word particularly in the US and in English-speaking communities aware of its US history. In the US, there's an ingroup & outgroup dynamic with the black community where in less formal registers the ingroup may use it

• for ingroup disparagement
• neutrally
• for ingroup solidarity or camaraderie.

However, the ingroup speaks in black vernacular English, so the word sounds different.

You're recognized as a member of the ingroup community if they generally perceive you as such: culture, speech, appearance, other social markers.

Usage by the outgroup is typically treated as insensitive & insulting outside special cases such as quotation & academic discussion. The euphemism n-word is typically employed to minimize offense.

To try and answer what you're asking genuinely, since I don't see indication that this is bad-faith:

The reason African-Americans and some black people get a "pass" to use it isn't because it isn't offensive. Its because they're expected to have a better understanding of their own oppression than someone who hasn't lived with it, and because it can generally be assumed to not have racist connotations. The word has such heavy history that if someone who isn't black uses it, it is usually (and reasonably) assumed to be racism. Even among those who are black, theres a lot of nuance, with many feeling uncomfortable with saying it, either because the word is so loaded that it can be offensive reguardless, or because they don't feel like they're connected enough to the history to have the "right" to say it (I.E. someone who grew up in a black-majority country might feel this way.)

As a white guy in the US South, it’s just… No. Don’t go there. Don’t even think it. You don’t want any part of that can of worms.

However, I remember hearing KRS One discussing the words usage a long time ago.

This video isn’t the discussion I remember, but it’s similar in content:

https://youtu.be/ZEYUd6VYriU