Richards apologizes for racial slurs

[Jenn! 918]

I agree Jenn.

Richards was the professional, he should not have done it period. He is a racist. No matter how angry I have ever gotten or will get in my life those things will not come from my lips. You don't say it if you don't mean it. He should not have said it no matter what the hecklers said.

I saw his apology. I think he is very sorry, just not for what he wants us to believe he is sorry for.

I don't know if I would label him a racist just for using that word though. I sense a mentality among white males that's very childish IMO. "Why can't I say that word? If you can say it, then I should be able to say it! How come no one gets mad if someone insults me for being white. Why is it always about *them*?" Which isn't necessarily racist, just petty.

[Cristy 4]

Listening to him last night I would say closet racist. He was using words like afro american and the blacks. Sorry but no matter how mad I was I would never call someone a N or tell talk down to them because of race. That to me is racist.

[mrsushi66 0]

Just my opinion but the fact that he used the N word was not the most telling aspect. When he said that 50 years ago they would be hanging from a tree. Think about that and forget about the word, the fact that he implied someone would be hanging from a tree because they were heckling and because of the mere color of their skin.

By definition this is what I would call a racist!!

Paul Misses Anna

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Isn't it racist to deny the use of a word based on race of the speaker?

[Cristy 4]

Just my opinion but the fact that he used the N word was not the most telling aspect. When he said that 50 years ago they would be hanging from a tree. Think about that and forget about the word, the fact that he implied someone would be hanging from a tree because they were heckling and because of the mere color of their skin.

By definition this is what I would call a racist!!

Paul Misses Anna

I agree. It was not just the use of the N word it was the other stuff that he said too.

[Ban Hammer 13,335]

I agree Jenn.

Richards was the professional, he should not have done it period. He is a racist. No matter how angry I have ever gotten or will get in my life those things will not come from my lips. You don't say it if you don't mean it. He should not have said it no matter what the hecklers said.

I saw his apology. I think he is very sorry, just not for what he wants us to believe he is sorry for.

I don't know if I would label him a racist just for using that word though. I sense a mentality among white males that's very childish IMO. "Why can't I say that word? If you can say it, then I should be able to say it! How come no one gets mad if someone insults me for being white. Why is it always about *them*?" Which isn't necessarily racist, just petty.

childish? what's childish about it? pointing out that using one word is social suicide, yet using the "grave racial insult" word for another ethnic group is acceptable? it's a double standard, jenn. i'm sorry you can't understand that.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Something on the subject. In Brazil, the N-word is "negro" and black is "preto". For us it's an insult to call someone a "preto", when in fact, "negro" is the right name for the race. At the same time, depending on the context it's perfectly acceptable to use the word "preto" when talking about someone who's african-american.

So, 10 years ago I was an exchange student in US, and back then my english was poor and I didn't know much about US at all. I had a teacher pulling me to the corner of the classroom and saying between gritted teeth that I should NOT use the N word and I had no idea what she was talking about "what n word?" and she had a hard time actually saying it to me and explaining what I did wrong. I watched myself from that point on but I also remember that my african american classmates didn't seem offended by me, 'cus obviously, they knew I was foreign, and that I wasn't trying to be racist on anything.

Now I understand this a lot better, but back then I thought that maybe the whole N word issue was viewed worse by whites than by black people. And really, even more in Brazil, we're so mixed that now we have TONS of colors in between to invent names for, we go from chocolate, to coffee and milk, to brownie, or whatever we can use to call someone's color. I call myself a yellowish, since I'm a mix between spanish, black, native brazilian indian, and portuguese.

That is interesting, Laura.

"Once the word comes out of your mouth and you don't happen to be African-American then you have a whole lot of explaining," comedian Paul Rodriguez, who was at the Laugh Factory during Richards' performance, told CNN. "Freedom of speech has its limitations and I think Michael Richards found those limitations."

That is a bogus statement. I've been around blacks that use the "N" word freely and don't find it amusing or cute. If someone doesn't have respect for themselves...how do they expect anyone else to respect them. Black comedians that use this method for cheap laughs are pretty lame too. Maybe in the world of racial ettiquet it is ignored, but it is still wrong to use the word onstage to get cheap laughs.

Peejay, you're wife could either get offended or smile depending on how you would say to her, "My, you look lovely in that dress."

Another example would be for a fat person to comment to a skinny guy, "Geez, you could lose some weight."

The word '#######' has taken on a different meaning than the negative connotation usually associated with it.

That's the beauty of language...you can't be concrete with interpretation.

Hey...My wife doesn't look fat in that dress! How dare you for insinuating!

See what I mean?

[Jenn! 918]

I agree Jenn.

Richards was the professional, he should not have done it period. He is a racist. No matter how angry I have ever gotten or will get in my life those things will not come from my lips. You don't say it if you don't mean it. He should not have said it no matter what the hecklers said.

I saw his apology. I think he is very sorry, just not for what he wants us to believe he is sorry for.

I don't know if I would label him a racist just for using that word though. I sense a mentality among white males that's very childish IMO. "Why can't I say that word? If you can say it, then I should be able to say it! How come no one gets mad if someone insults me for being white. Why is it always about *them*?" Which isn't necessarily racist, just petty.

childish? what's childish about it? pointing out that using one word is social suicide, yet using the "grave racial insult" word for another ethnic group is acceptable? it's a double standard, jenn. i'm sorry you can't understand that.

I understand it perfectly well. You're offended that one group is able to insult you while you are not able to insult that group. Sure it's a double standard. But you might have a leg to stand on if you weren't crying all the time about people being offended too easily.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Words and Meaning

A very simple approach to words is to see them as labelling things in the world. This works well for some words. Concrete nouns like cat, sheep, or frog are used to refer to certain animals that can readily be described or pointed to.

However, there are many nouns for which this approach will not work. We cannot point to abstractions like feelings, employment, or pleasure, even though we understand the meaning of these concepts. Other word classes also present problems with this simple approach: we cannot point to referents for words like when or until.

It is useful to make a distinction between this kind of "naming" meaning, which is called denotation, and another kind of meaning, which is called connotation. Connotation refers to the associations that words can have in our minds.

The denotation of the noun pig is a non-ruminant omnivorous ungulate.

For some people, the word pig might have connotations of dirty and smelly; others will think of inquisitive or cheeky.

Often we have a choice of words that can express our point of view. One person's din might be another person's music. Some might see terrorists where others see freedom fighters. One person's stunning architectural statement might be another's hideous blot on the landscape.

The American linguist S. J. Hayakawa invented the terms purr words and snarl words to describe words with different associations in people's minds.

thinking....... day-dreaming

dancing....... jiggling about

smiling....... smirking

weeping..... .. snivelling

writing....... .... scribbling

Some words bring very different connotations to mind among different groups of people.

feminist

rugby

socialist

casino

Those whose profession it is to persuade us, such as advertisers, politicians, preachers, and orators, need to be sensitive to the connotations of the words they use. One way of testing the connotative meaning of words is to ask speakers to rank them on a scale of different qualities.

good----------bad

sincere--------insincere

happy---------unhappy

light-----------dark

beautiful-------ugly

strong---------weak

valuable-------worthless

smooth--------rough

It might seem a little strange, but people seem to be quite good at saying whether words like natural or fresh or smelly or fragrant are smooth or rough, light or dark, valuable or worthless.

The connotations of words are culturally determined.

In English, the word "red" can have negative connotations of "blood" or "communism". In Russian, krasnyj, the word for "red", has very good connotations. The Russian word for "beautiful" is prekrasnyj, which contains within it the word for "red".

Summary of Terms

denotation

connotation

purr words and snarl words

http://english.unitecnology.ac.nz/resource...s_meanings.html

[Alex+R 0]

Something on the subject. In Brazil, the N-word is "negro" and black is "preto". For us it's an insult to call someone a "preto", when in fact, "negro" is the right name for the race. At the same time, depending on the context it's perfectly acceptable to use the word "preto" when talking about someone who's african-american.

So, 10 years ago I was an exchange student in US, and back then my english was poor and I didn't know much about US at all. I had a teacher pulling me to the corner of the classroom and saying between gritted teeth that I should NOT use the N word and I had no idea what she was talking about "what n word?" and she had a hard time actually saying it to me and explaining what I did wrong. I watched myself from that point on but I also remember that my african american classmates didn't seem offended by me, 'cus obviously, they knew I was foreign, and that I wasn't trying to be racist on anything.

Now I understand this a lot better, but back then I thought that maybe the whole N word issue was viewed worse by whites than by black people. And really, even more in Brazil, we're so mixed that now we have TONS of colors in between to invent names for, we go from chocolate, to coffee and milk, to brownie, or whatever we can use to call someone's color. I call myself a yellowish, since I'm a mix between spanish, black, native brazilian indian, and portuguese.

LOL when Rey met my parents for the first time he used the N-word. He was really nervous and his English kind of deteriorated. He was talking about diversity in Brazil or somesuch thing. At some fancy restaurant. My parents were totally mortified until I had to intervene.

[Ban Hammer 13,335]

I agree Jenn.

Richards was the professional, he should not have done it period. He is a racist. No matter how angry I have ever gotten or will get in my life those things will not come from my lips. You don't say it if you don't mean it. He should not have said it no matter what the hecklers said.

I saw his apology. I think he is very sorry, just not for what he wants us to believe he is sorry for.

I don't know if I would label him a racist just for using that word though. I sense a mentality among white males that's very childish IMO. "Why can't I say that word? If you can say it, then I should be able to say it! How come no one gets mad if someone insults me for being white. Why is it always about *them*?" Which isn't necessarily racist, just petty.

childish? what's childish about it? pointing out that using one word is social suicide, yet using the "grave racial insult" word for another ethnic group is acceptable? it's a double standard, jenn. i'm sorry you can't understand that.

I understand it perfectly well. You're offended that one group is able to insult you while you are not able to insult that group. Sure it's a double standard. But you might have a leg to stand on if you weren't crying all the time about people being offended too easily.

i find it offensive that racial insults are used at all by anyone. just because i'm white that does not give me the right to toss the word cracker around and claim it's not offensive because after all, i'm white. the same should apply to those who use the n word. why not just cut it out of one's vocabulary and quit perpetuating this evil word?

LOL when Rey met my parents for the first time he used the N-word. He was really nervous and his English kind of deteriorated. He was talking about diversity in Brazil or somesuch thing. At some fancy restaurant. My parents were totally mortified until I had to intervene.

how well did his jew jokes go over?

[Alex+R 0]

i find it offensive that racial insults are used at all by anyone. just because i'm white that does not give me the right to toss the word cracker around and claim it's not offensive because after all, i'm white. the same should apply to those who use the n word. why not just cut it out of one's vocabulary and quit perpetuating this evil word?

Now you're reminding me of my 8th grade geometry teacher (Norwegian Lutheran) who told me that he was offended that I said the word "Jew." In a normal context. The message? Eh, get over it.

LOL when Rey met my parents for the first time he used the N-word. He was really nervous and his English kind of deteriorated. He was talking about diversity in Brazil or somesuch thing. At some fancy restaurant. My parents were totally mortified until I had to intervene.

how well did his jew jokes go over?

Edited November 21, 2006 by Alex+R

[Jenn! 918]

i find it offensive that racial insults are used at all by anyone. just because i'm white that does not give me the right to toss the word cracker around and claim it's not offensive because after all, i'm white. the same should apply to those who use the n word. why not just cut it out of one's vocabulary and quit perpetuating this evil word?

Because it won't happen. *** will continue to be used within the black community IMO, and it has an entirely different meaning when used in that context.

I don't think this issue is restricted to race. Like fat people can joke around about being fat, but it is usually seen as offensive if a skinny person tries to get in on the joke. I can complain about my mother all I want, but don't you dare say one unkind word about her. Words take on different meanings and have a different impact depending on whose mouth they come out of. And I don't think that's going to change. So if we want to live without getting our a$$es kicked, we better learn what things we can and can not say!

[Ban Hammer 13,335]

i find it offensive that racial insults are used at all by anyone. just because i'm white that does not give me the right to toss the word cracker around and claim it's not offensive because after all, i'm white. the same should apply to those who use the n word. why not just cut it out of one's vocabulary and quit perpetuating this evil word?

Now you're reminding me of my 8th grade geometry teacher (Norwegian Lutheran) who told me that he was offended that I said the word "Jew." In a normal context. The message? Eh, get over it.

oh please, alex, there is a world of difference between the n word and the word jew............

[one...two...tree 2,762]

i find it offensive that racial insults are used at all by anyone. just because i'm white that does not give me the right to toss the word cracker around and claim it's not offensive because after all, i'm white. the same should apply to those who use the n word. why not just cut it out of one's vocabulary and quit perpetuating this evil word?

Because it won't happen. *** will continue to be used within the black community IMO, and it has an entirely different meaning when used in that context.

I don't think this issue is restricted to race. Like fat people can joke around about being fat, but it is usually seen as offensive if a skinny person tries to get in on the joke. I can complain about my mother all I want, but don't you dare say one unkind word about her. Words take on different meanings and have a different impact depending on whose mouth they come out of. And I don't think that's going to change. So if we want to live without getting our a$$es kicked, we better learn what things we can and can not say!

The underlying issue is power. It's humorous when a very small person, perhaps a young child threatens to beat the ####### out of an adult who is twice his size. Switch it around and it becomes a dangerous threat. Language is too fluid for people to try to pin it down evenly as if it remains the same everytime it is spoken.

Something I thought of - there are some cultures that through humor really exploit the nuances of language. I'm generalizing here, but it seems that in our culture we've lost some of that wisdom.

Edited November 21, 2006 by Steven_and_Jinky