In Dr. Anderson’s
lecture this evening about the appropriation of the N-word in today’s society,
he touched many controversial subjects. Mainly on how the term can be used and
who should use it. He described the conservative side, liberal side, and a
neutral stance of using the term to derive his point. In all cases he lists
pros and cons to establish his own view on how the term should be used in today’s
vernacular.
Dr. Anderson
labeled the conservative side as the, Bill Cosby view, which is strongly against
ever using the term in any sense. He quoted Bill Cosby in saying that black comedians
that use the term in their acts lack a sense of pride. That even using the term
jokingly only reestablishes its negative connotations. More so, no matter how you phrase the term,
one cannot separate it from its history or original meaning. Even between
blacks this term promotes ill intentions. However, while Dr. Anderson agreed
that you cannot completely separate the term from its history, he states that
this view cannot be universally accepted.
In contrast, he
raises the liberal side, Q-Tip view, which states the term has experienced a
value reversal from its original use. This reversal is due to hip hop and how
it excites controversy, uses it as poetry, and how it has created a global phenomenon
of making the term colloquial. This view claims that the term has been re-characterized
into a form of endearment. While this sounds nice, Dr. Anderson reminds us that
this new meaning has not erased racism. For instance, if a white person where
to use the term, then these same people within the Q-Tip view would take
offense to it.
Finally, Dr.
Anderson raises the neutral view with examples from Tyler the Creator. Dr.
Anderson uses Tyler because he openly refers to everyone and anyone as the
N-word. When questioned about his usage he gave this response, “motherfuckers
that care are the reason that racism is still alive”. While this may have some
truth behind it, it still cannot be universally accepted by today’s standards.
In conclusion, Dr.
Anderson gave two distinctions of when the term could be used; in private and
public settings. He stated that the term could be used by blacks in the private
setting and if used in the public setting then it must be used in subversion
and must have a specific aim in which it educates the audience.
However, I do not understand
how this version correctly rectifies the issues with the term either. If it is
ok in the private setting, then how can it be regulated to not be used derogatorily?
And if blacks exclude other races from using the term in the same fashion as
they do, it still creates a negative stigmatize for the term. Does promoting fear
of using the term rectify its history?
Technically speaking, no, promoting fear of using the n-word does not rectify its history. This is similar to the violent vs. nonviolent tactics during the civil rights movement. Many activists practiced nonviolence because they believed violence would get them nowhere. Fighting violence with violence would not work. But this debate about the use of the n-word has become such a complex topic that it's hard to develop some sort of solution. Personally, I do not use the word. However, some of my friends who are black use the word and some don't, but I think their environment and opinion of the word have a lot to do with how they do or do not use it. I have also heard a couple of my white colleagues use the n-word just like any other word. I was shocked when I first heard this, but I guess the way in which the word is used dictates whether or not it is appropriate. But there are still so many ways to look at the situation, so I do not think there is one definite answer as to the appropriation of the word.
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned:
ReplyDeleteDr. Anderson uses Tyler because he openly refers to everyone and anyone as the N-word. When questioned about his usage he gave this response, “motherfuckers that care are the reason that racism is still alive”
I also went to the lecture and I found it difficult to understand Dr. Anderson's reasoning for the neutral position of nigga. The first thing I viewed as unpersuasive was Tyler the Creator as an example. Tyler is a successful visionary rapper that raps about "teen angst, therapy, resenting his family, hating college, unsuccessfully wooing girls, cartoonish violence and misogyny, ADHD and suicide threats, and sitting in front of his computer compulsively masturbating". Though he is an odd individual, Tyler seems to represent the common 13-25Y.O demographic of the United States.
"I have fun and people take it the wrong way," Tyler recently told the Guardian. "Like when I start making fun of people and fucking with them, it's just funny to me."
Hip Hop certainly was trying to excite controversy by using the word but why should the people of the Q-Tip view take offense to it if they have reversed the original meaning? This term of endearment could result in a negative person (blameworthy) that criticizes whites for the slavery of blacks. The opposite would be a positive person such a Tyler Creator(forgiving) that calls everyone nigga.Thus, I don't believe that Tyler the Creator is neutral for using nigga, I just think he isn't marked with the group of racist African Americans that still take offense to the the liberal inability to erase racism on both sides of the oppressor and the oppressed. If this was true, a white person that says nigga would not offend a forgiving member that shares the Q-Tip view.
Is Tyler the Creator neutral or is he making fun of conservatism?