The N word in online games.
polycounter lvl 18
If Fag wasn't enough. Have others seen the younger players use this so callously? As if they have any clue of the history of the word. It just gets me the whitebread kids they really are wouldn't be caught dead saying it otherwise in daily life. Especially with their black friends. In short they know better (or should).
Am I overreacting? It feels like some are using it as a racial putdown. Especially since they use it to describe the black avatars. And not in the friends way that some blacks use this with one another.
Am I overreacting? It feels like some are using it as a racial putdown. Especially since they use it to describe the black avatars. And not in the friends way that some blacks use this with one another.
Replies
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Holy shit no wai. This is indeed a disturbing development...
Thats what they said about Hella. The issue is they are specifically using this as a racial putdown. Not in the "my brother" way black culture uses it.
Anyway it can be used in 2 contexts, 1: it was just a slang way of a add on to a word, much similar to saying "man" , "dog" etc.
Example
What up ,dog.
What up ,man.
What up ,Nikkah.
2: Now if you used it in a racial sense
IE: I hate Niggers.
Your ass would get beaten to death. You learn the context of this word REALLY quick when your around the culture of people who are around it.
my advice, if you havent grown up around that culture, dont rip off and say things you dont understand
to sum up 2 versions of it.
1:
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2:
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The downside of making the internet easier and easier to use is that unfortunately, more and more idiots can use it. I also find theres a lot of kids spouting rubbish online that they wouldnt dare say on a street or in school. Most of the time its just to shock rather than real hatred, but it still sucks to listen to, especially as you can clearly hear that most of these kids are grade A punch me in the face and take my lunch money dorks.
People trolling because no one knows who they are has always been the case but its harder to dismiss when its a voice saying it over a microphone rather than a typed message. I guess the only solution is play with people you like, and mute or ban anyone you dont.
Their just kids being what they do best, kids. And you're letting them win by even listening to them.
Seriously, when you're online and someone tries to be offensive, whatever they say is as much worth as the person saying it : Nothing.
Also I am of the crowd that thinks if you're offended by it, you're racist too, as you're thinking about a group of people or "yourself" as a different from other human beings.
Assuming they're whitebread = racist
Also racist. "You aren't part of our culture so don't say the words we use even though we use them every five seconds in the hip hop songs we play on your radio"
Yea. I guess I admit racism against generic white american culture. But can you be racist to yourself it stands to reason? Separate subject entirely though and my point still stands to Skamberin.
Even then racism is a race as a whole not a subculture. And is based around genetic superiority. So no. Its not racism. As my remark is centered on a culture.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/racism (see 1)
Any word could become hurtful it is uttered with the daft scorn of a bigot.
Someone had to post it.
Best thing is not to react, Otherwise you might end up like Jessy Slaughter on US Morning TV (Goofed up!)
Yes, we are talking about today so it shouldnt really matter, but few African Americans Or African Canadians do take this "N word being used commonly in teens" a bit seriously.
I dont know about America but Canada have the Multi culture, and every race should be treated respectively.
I havent come across anyone after Highschool who would use the N word, but than again I barely had any friends.
Its an alter ego. brush it off
Much like the word fuck, 'nigger' might lose its strength over time, similar to how in finland the finish equalent of 'cunt' is applied in basicly every sentence, and it just doesn't hit as heavy as it does in some countries.
But as above, people are assholes on the internet, and they use words they know people will react to, it's like a self-induced tourettes.
Really I think its a generational thing too. There terms I have grown up with in school/tv/movies for a long time so they dont phase me and lots of shit like fuck have just become a part of my vocabulary. Which isnt a good thing at all though.
for me its just a shoulder shrug and a meh call me what you want, but ive been told im super laid back so i guess that might contribute to me not caring. what i find odd is that white people get more offended than black people when they hear it. makes me lol
that said, if some nigger is going to cry because a little kid on the internet who doesn't evne know what hate is is trying to 'kekeke troll him' with a bad word from a bad racial history then society has bigger problems than a little racism. Personal accountability comes with using a word like that -- if you don't like your friends calling someone a nigger, you wont be friends with them -- let kids take this shit into their own hands, they'll learn their lesson about being a tool eventually.
and i have to agree with what SupRore said and add that at the end of the day it would affect people differently, no use acknowledging it when its said by an virtually anonymous/random person. if its a recognizable user and it disturbs you on a regular basis (just like any other thing that may bother you online like spammin messages or doing something really annoying in-game), change servers or mute them or whatever...
oh and you cant really compare it to the work 'fuck', thats a more general word... which i dont think ever targeted a race at any point...but online it would maybe kinda get old too, idk
Of course there's a big difference when its actually being used as hate speech and just throwing around the word online and with friends. But I'd prefer young teenagers on xbox live not throwing around those words when someone kills them when they don't fully understand what these groups had to and have to go through.
That argument is heavily damaged by the constant abuse of the word by black people though. Fact is, I just don't think those little kiddies on XBOX Live even understand the racism behind the word. It's hard to take it seriously when the lifelong exposure isn't so much, "We don't like your kind here nigger." as it is a constant stream of rap songs and conversations in film that use the word like a black-exclusive "dude".
If black people are so serious about that word they'd stop using it. Truth is, I think they just like having an exclusive word of their own.
Actually isn't the kiddies on the right track, they don't put the hate and intents in it as some seem to want to keep in the word. I know its not exactly about politic correctness, but its kinda like describing someone as white and black, its not bad words, its just an easy way to describe someone, and I find that people who keeps making an issue out of it is actually the biggest part of the problem.
[ame]
The thing is to not care :P
One thing is to do that on stage, another thing is to do it on the street.
Dude, black people using it with each-other is an intimacy thing. When a white dude uses it, its the same as if your calling a lady on the street a "dirty cunt", just because she likes when her husband yells it when he's humping her.
I dont know why it's such a big deal to some white people that black people prefer them not using it, citing freedom of speech and all that jazz. The truth is, yeah, you can use it, but you will be a jerk if you do. No, you are not responsible for slavery or segregation, but you bring that shit up again if you do. It has the same impact of yelling "BACK IN THE KITCHEN!" to women.
Sure, those are just words, but words have meanings. So please, just grow up and let it be, yeah?
Yes you do know. If you forbid something while glorifying it at the same time it will gain power and allure. And shallow people (ie: internet kiddies) will be all over it. Basic Psychology.
Also while it's understandable, it's also hypocritical and nobody likes that.
Honestly though I've had my say in this, racism is dumb on all parts.
So you don't believe in making a joke or a farce out of something damaging to you? I can completely relate to blacks throwing the word around, but when they do it the delivery is in parody or recognition of the racism. If someone raps that a young nigga's successful, the very wording evokes the oppression and bigotry the subject had to over come. To call eachother nigger doesn't perpetuate the environment of hate (since no matter how you swing it, a racist white man is not going to take jay-z saying 'nigger' as a green light,) it represents acknowledgement and recognition of it.
I mean, don't get me wrong, i totally agree and acknowledge that blacks are hung up on and perpetuating discussion of oppression and bigotry, but don't you think they have a reason to be?
To use an alternate historical example, to say
"During the final stages of World War II in 1945, the United States conducted two atomic bombings against the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan."
Communicates a very different message than to say
"Near the end of world war 2, americans leveled a few filthy jap cities to send a message and force an unconditional surrender"
although both are accurate historical accounts, one is going to evoke the historical context, and the other is going to evoke the racial tension underlying the events.
It's not hypocritical! Generally speaking, americans don't like people from other other nations making jokes about 9/11 or the civil war, Chinese are still sore over the rape of nanking, a lot of my Asian friends are still uneasy about people making light of western and Japanese imperialism, jews don't think holocaust jokes are funny, women aren't to keen on lighthearted talk of spousal abuse or rape, and all of these groups forbid certain discussion about them because it's personal and offensive. If both whites and blacks in america had a history of being racially subjugated, it would be hypocritical. As is, whitey is just sore that we don't have any cultural hardship to make us feel special.
Edit: Also, man, where are you from? There are very few places in america i've encountered where kids who use words like this aren't intending to be racist. I mean, saying they dont understand the racism may be true, but it's what they're making an attempt at regardless, not just going for laughs.
Louis ck recently proposed a different viewpoint on the word on his show on FX. I pretty much agree with it -- making light of it is fine, and censorship would be even more damaging than racism, but kids should still understand the history, context, and harm these words evoke.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-55wC5dEnc#t=5m10s
I mean don't get me wrong i call people fags around the time, and i consider it harmless, but i don't pretend to myself that the word is in an of itself never harmful or evocative of anything horrible.
You nailed it on the head, beautiful explanation.
Yes they do. Sometimes I'm shocked to think they weren't even real citizens until 40 years ago.
"Hey cracka, you can't say that cause you ain't black and that makes it racist!" No, no hypocrisy there.
ok but you have to understand that its not something that would go away just like that. oppression while in slavery > oppression after slavery > fighting for equality > haven gotten it in laws and and such doesn't mean it would automatically go away. they grow up in it, have kids in and their kids also; all grow up with their experiences.
yes times have change but it doesn't change what happened. its a part of everyone's history and its not something that would ever be forgotten. To me it would be like letting my guard down in a way. not that i cry about it or anything, im just very aware of it. the only time it would actually affect my life in any way is if there was description towards me because of race..
same goes for countries/wars/etc that have rivalries/hate crime etc
i think it would be foolish to let go of it entirely. i think as human beings we need to remember the mistakes we made...not that we should hold on so strong that it holds us back..
a bit sleepy so sorry if i went off topic...or rambled ...