“When is it
appropriate to say the word N-word?”
by: Cathleen McCaffery
In the video above
GloZell, an African American comedian, parodies uses of the word “nigger.”
Although she is African American, she states that her grandmother was upset by
the use of “nigger.” To her grandmother, this word has different connotations
than it does for GloZell, a third generation African American. GloZell
discusses the different pronunciations and manifestations of “nigger,” such as
“nigah” “nigo,” etc… stating that each form has a different use and meaning.
This builds on our last class discussion. We debated whether or not “nigger”
has evolved from its original meaning as a derogatory term used towards African
slaves in America. Some students said they don’t think it means the same thing
anymore. Has the denotation of “nigger” changed over time? Other students think
the person who uses the word determines its meaning, while others think that it
is still a taboo word in American society and should not be used by anyone,
despite their race. Within our small, diverse class, there is a lot of
disagreement over the use and appropriate-ness of “nigger,” reflecting popular
ideas about its use throughout American culture.
I have to agree
with GloZell on different spellings and their respective meanings. Maybe it is
just because I am from California but everyone I know my age from the Bay Area,
regardless of his or her race, uses “nigah” in casual spoken and written
conversation. Within in this territorial space, “nigah” is appropriate and
allowed because of its spelling and pronunciation. It also has a positive
association and is used to refer to friends. It is a term of endearment.
However, I asked friends from the Bay Area and they said they would never use “nigger” vs. “nigah.” The difference between two
letters is crucial and changes the meaning and agenda of the speaker. However,
speakers like my friends occupy a very different stance than Mike, the white
teenager portrayed in Cutler’s article Yorkville Crossing. The friends whom I know from the Bay Area are
middle-upper class college students who do not fit into the stereotype of
African American hip-hop culture. They are white, black, and Asian and none of
them are considered “wiggas” like Mike. All of them use “nigah,” in the exact
same way, in phrases like “my nigah,” to invoke a sense of closeness. Mike on
the other hand takes on what is perceived to be an African American hip-hop
identity, using AAVE, not only the word “nigger” or “nigah,” like my friends.
He is positioned as a cultural and linguistic outsider who takes on an
inauthentic identity. Mike is both white and male, two things that give him
privilege in American society. As a young teenage, Mike takes on the identity
that “many white male teens interpret hip-hop culture” to be: gangs, tagging,
fighting, and drugs. This new identity contrasts with Mike’s racial appearance
and social upbringing. My friends on the other hand did not adopt any of these
things despite their habitual use of “nigah.”
I do not think
that “nigger” connotes slavery anymore, at least for our generation. Our
generation is so far removed from slavery that I don’t think many young people
who use the word “nigger” have close ties to slavery anymore, or even living
relatives who experienced slavery. Pop culture, rap especially, has also had a
huge affect on destigmatizing its use in everyday life. The videos we watched
in class of Fat Joe and JLo using “nigger” in their music videos shows how
prevalent the word is in current pop culture. However, JLo received a lot of
criticism for it while Fat Joe received none.
As Hill states,
masculinity is intertwined with linguistic appropriation. It allows white
members of society to claim terms, such as “nigger,” that connote desirable
“masculine” traits like street-cred, strength, and power. Because of their
gender differences, Fat Joe was allowed to use “nigger” because it perpetuated
his image of toughness. JLo, as a woman, and an American musical icon is
thought of as feminine. She is also aligned more closely with dominant, white
ideals, while Fat Joe is positioned as “the other,” associated with a grungier,
lower class audience. Classmates described him as “ghetto,” while JLo is
perceived to be classier, and therefore white. And, “nigger” is still an
inappropriate term for whites to use in America. While I think this is
changing, it is still a hot topic, and the press uses linguistic rigidity to
create stories and conflict.
This is either
linguistic evolution or “flattening” (Hill). The movement away from “nigger”s
association with slavery could be due to the fact that white usage is denying
African American’s a part of their history. The new, positive use of “nigger”
could also show how it is being reclaimed by African Americans and associated
with a sense of brotherhood and common, shared history. It seems like current
usage of “nigger” occupies a gray area between evolution and flattening. I
think “nigah” has some positive aspects but “nigger” is still not widely
accepted in American culture. It is reserved as a term used appropriately only
by African Americans. The uneasiness on the part of white Americans shows that
racism is still ever present. The need to tiptoe around sensitive topics like
the use of “nigger” exemplifies current attitudes towards race and language.
“Nigger” is one of the unresolved, unclear issues that people of all races and
ages cannot come to a consensus on. America is supposed to be the land of freedom of
speech but we are we really all that free?
Okay, hope this PC!
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