In light of the whole Kramer debacle, comedian Paul Mooney is renouncing the n-word and has vowed never to use it in public again.The star who has made a living off using the word, said he would campaign to get all blacks to stop using it as well. In a recent interview with AP, he talked about his history with using the word and also declared that he would no longer use the b-word when referring to women..
Here is a snippet:
AP: You helped pioneer the use of the n-word in black comedy many years ago, didn’t you?
Mooney: Oh yeah. I had a romance with the word. I worked with Richard Pryor using the word. It was so destructive it was created by whites to hurt and destroy and we were trying to defuse it, trying to desensitize people to it. We did it every chance we got, we would drive people crazy. We were very funny at it. But Richard backed off the word in the early 1980s. He went to Africa and came back and said he didn’t see any n-people there. But I said, ‘That’s him, that’s not me.’ I was very much into it like an alcoholic was into (liquor).
AP: Any idea how many times you’ve used the word?
Monoey: Oh, honey, you can’t count it! If I had a dollar for every time I used the n-word I’d be a billionaire.
AP: Will he be forgiven? Isn’t this the ultimate taboo in America a white person using racial slurs in public?
Mooney: The man is a human being. Everyone deserves a second chance. I’ve heard violent reactions from people, black and white how could I be forgiving? Look, everyone’s rap sheet is ugly, mine included. We’ve all got to straighten up about this race thing. We’ve got to make something positive out of all this.
[tells a joke]
Mooney: Believe me, it will get just as big a laugh. Oh yeah, honey, it’s a new Mooney. And another thing I will not be using the b-word (to refer to women) anymore either.
AP: Oh?
Mooney: I’ll say ‘heifer’ instead. In my wildest dreams, I never thought I’d be saying this, but it’s a whole new world. A new time. I can’t change the past, but one person can change the future anything can happen. I’m taking my stand.
Absolutely @ #113, all on point!
WE WILL NEVER END RACISM BY THROWING REEL FOR REEL, WE AS BLACK PEOPLE HAVE TO LET EVERY RACE KNOW THAT USING THE N-WORD WILL NOT BE TOLERATED & IN TURN WE MUST ALSO NOT PARTICIPATE IN IN USING SUCH WORDS AGAINST OTHER RACES AND OURSELVES. WE HAVE THE POWER TO CHANGE PEOPLE’S WAY OF THINKING, BLACK PEOPLE CAN DO ANYTHING,WE HAVE LEAD A NATION TO RECIEVE HIP HOP,I’M SURE WE CAN ERRADICATE RACISM!!!!
@110 Sorry i dont have 2 much time i can only read a couple of posts like once a day especially if ppl post 400 times in 1 thing, but, i try 2 at least go to the end for the mos recent posts so im not goin on old old stuff which has already been dealt with… no time but, sum ppl ARE like “why do u have 2 call me afro-anything” & #76 Did look like it wus sayin other kinds of ppl dont have double-names (afrocuban/asian-american/asian-brazilian…) & Sumbody DID say that
Well Anyway i jus dont have all that time, u know but, it WUS very interestin 2 google n findin out about the “japanese-american hip hop scene” & the “shanghai renaissance” which is named after tha harlem renaissance and about afro-brazlians & asian-brazilians… Well its real cool actually but, Sum ppl on here jus make u wonder, thass all
they r upset to be called “african/afro-anything”? wth, Oh well
But, its jus goin round in circles ovr & ovr again, look there r othr things 2 be worryin ovr, A lotta black folks will keep sayin niggA becuz AGAIN it aint the “n***ER” word at ALL *sigh* omg
And, sum jus wont use it, evrybody wont agree on it so maybe let it be
there r REAL issues n stuff 2 deal wit, this is kramer’s ish, its on HIM, period, Well thass all a body can say, 4 real, Well im jus gon try 2 move on already
#119: It’s your thought process that’s truly scary. You’ve already shot progress down lock-stock-and barrel. “Nope, not gonna work, it’s white man’s country?” What the heck is that?
Sweetheart, I beg you to examine your thinking on this. We (Black Americans) can do anything we set our minds to. It IS possible to come together and accomplish something despite all resistance (The Civil Right movement did make some things happen now!)
God has to be at the forefront of whatever we do, but please don’t ever say stuff like this again. You, and all of us, are so much better than that. We come from Royalty, Caryn, and as soon as we grasp that, NO man can stop us.
To those who still don’t have the sense to recognize that ‘Nigger, Nigga’, or whatever’ is still negative, no matter how you slice it: I simply ask that you consider why we’re trying to have it stopped (so that WE ALL can benefit) and not just your own little worlds and thinking that someone is just trying to tell you what to do. I don’t understand why you don’t want your generation to stand for something better than that. You weren’t born knowing the term, you learned it. You all also like to be the first to have and do things. So, why aren’t you all willing to be at the forefront of change and come up with a postive way to address each other with respect, instead of thinking that it’s cool to “dumb” yourselves down? (Answers like: “That’s just what we do” is NOT acceptable. Give an intelligent response, please)
Some of you young babies, please explain this for me. Thanks.
Stick with me.
Oprah still gets called nigger by white people and blacks. Don’t kid yourself. Difference is the power she has does a lot of neutralizing of these issues for her. Talk about “buying and selling people” if she wanted to. People who have real power can inflict racism. This includes Oprah. She can hire and fire whites and other races at will if she were so inclined, for racist reasons if she wanted. (just an example folks, chill..) Jews get called every name in the book but still remain on top in many ways. Whites in their every day lives are virtually unconcerned with our chatter because we as a group have so little strategic power or at least fail to use it.
Lets stop talking about banning language or outlawing words. Say what you say then back it up. This is a free country. Any of you call a white “a cracker” don’t want to go to jail for it do you? Or one of your loved ones? Don’t tell me you don’t say these things because you might in the future on a bad day or the word nigga/nigger. It happens…Let’s encourage people not to use it, I agree, but if they don’t agree, its a free country. The word is like dynamite for some people and probably most, and I accept that. “The tongue holds the power of life or death.” Those of you who say it just understand there is a lot of confusion and tension behind the word as illustrated on this thread. Think twice or three or four times about it before you decide. If you use it just know your on your own out there and most peoples hearts probably are not with you…
Now roll with it.
im glad someone is stepping up and being an advocate for this. i hope he sticks with it.
@ #17 and #18. I always thought he seemed a little “suspect” as well.
Anyway, he has some valid points.
Is he homosexual?
while we are at it can we REdefine BLACK?
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/black
-
right now its kinda confusin
Jqueen said:
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#119: It’s your thought process that’s truly scary. You’ve already shot progress down lock-stock-and barrel. “Nope, not gonna work, it’s white man’s country?” What the heck is that?
Sweetheart, I beg you to examine your thinking on this. We (Black Americans) can do anything we set our minds to. It IS possible to come together and accomplish something despite all resistance (The Civil Right movement did make some things happen now!)
God has to be at the forefront of whatever we do, but please don’t ever say stuff like this again. You, and all of us, are so much better than that. We come from Royalty, Caryn, and as soon as we grasp that, NO man can stop us.
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Thank you so much for posting that. I was thinking the exact same thing when I read that post. That was a kind of ‘ who cares, I give up’ mentality. Ditto on the whole post.
And no matter how you try to justify it Nigga and nigger Potato, Pototo it’s all the same. All that ‘we’re just reclaiming it and making it ours’ crap is dead in the water. It’s ignorant and no matter how you use it it comes off as derogartory.
Meatloaf said:
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#73 MrsDawsondn, you gave me chill bumps, because no one was suppose to pick up on that! lol Imma have to start pay more attention when you speak! You be knowing some $#!T! hehe! I’m guessing that you are from the south with that motherwit! lol
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Not from the south but close to some southern states so I guess that qualifies. I like to say I have a sense of humor……. Well I hope I do, I come in here almost everyday lol. But seriously there are some issues to take to heart and some that just ain’t that serious.
******back to lurkdom for the time being*******
carry on, carry on
**clapping*** very well said Humunculus on post#125
I heard a man say it’s not what you call me that matters, it’s what i answer to that matters.
MY change starts within ME. My childrens vocab is based on what I and My husband say around them. It starts at home.
Just a side note that’s kind of offtopic
MsMac1 you throw some serious food for thought out there whether I agree or disagree. See, the loopers need ppl like you to make them think. But I’m sure you already know that just thought I’d recognize U. Keep doin what you doin. Teach one reach one.
This is more than just a gossip blog ppl.
I have an idea, from now on let’s refer to ALL black men as Motherf*cka’s. I didn’t say Motherf*ckER’S, I said Motherf*ckA’S with an ‘a’. When I say it with an ‘a’ at the end it means friend.
How about instead of calling people like Jay Z, NAS, and LL Cool J rappers, let’s call them Child MolestA’S. NOT Child Molester, I said Molesta with an ‘a’. Child Molesta doesn’t mean the same thing as a Child Molester, so it’s ok. Child Molesta means rapper. If we change the spelling of it, we can take the power out of it and it can mean somthing totally different.
Folks no matter how you spell it, it is going to always be something negative. You can tell me until you are blue in the face a Child Molesta means rapper and Child Molester is a sexual predator of kids, the world that we all live in will still view it as something bad.
VELVETJ, I don’t mean to be rude, but your miss the point. Its not simply a change of spelling, there is a psycho-social reason 4 the use of Nigga. Its like if u slap someone as a way of punishment, and the person cries everytime u slap him. then suppose after a while, the person doesn’t mind you slapping him, in fact he smiles, and asks you to continue slapping him. You then have to find a new way of punishing them. the use of Nigga is in a sense, kind of what Jesus was talking about when he said ‘turn the other cheek’. Racist folks called us Niggers, so we said, u know what, we r Niggas, we flipped the word, to mean something positive. It is exclusive to black folks, anyone who aint black and uses it is sayin ‘Nigger’. So its more than just ‘er’ to an ‘a’. I can’t believe some racist fool uses the word Nigger, and then we as blacks feel sorry for ourselves and say “hmmmm we damn sure are Niggers, lets stop using that word”, You and I know that when a black person says “Whats up my nigga?” he aint disrespecting u. I will still use the word Nigga, not just because I have a right to, but because I am a PROUD socially-concious black male, who isn;t goin to be demeaned by others. the way racists would look at this discussion is :
the way racists would look at this discussion is :
WE CALLED THEM NIGGERS FOR SO LONG, THEY STARTED TO BELIEVE THAT THEY WERE NIGGERS
Freedom of speech and self-will WILL be the deciding factor whether or not this particular movement will work. It’s not illegal to call names (period).
This is really a moral issue more than anything and we live in a world of people whose morals all vary. You have to realize that some people will never change, because they don’t want to. Some people have made it their life’s career to be fake and hide their hatred behind a smile. Then, there are those who continually examine and challenge themselves to become better human beings. We ALL need to do some self-examination because no one is innocent. We ALL have or have had pre-conceived notions about other races.. some true, some false.
Also, while we set out to ban the use of nigger/nigga, let’s remember that we don’t have a free pass to use racially charged slurs either. It’s hypocrital to do so.
It’s time for us as BLACK’z to weak-up and smell the coffee. Let us not color outside the picture here with using this word NI**A.
NI**A can be categorize in different connotation just like any other curse word; it is a matter of how it is being delivered.
We have taken this negative word and made it applicable in our daily lives to address one another not in a humiliating way but in a way that we feel, it is okay. Who are U/THEM/THEY to tell US (BLACK’z) what we should finally do with this word, when there are so many other words/issues/problems that we can all expound & elaborate on but haven’t found a mere way to address & solve it.
THEY SAY THE REVOLUTION WILL NOT BE TELEVISED!!!!!!!
So stay abreast and don’t try to agree and consent with the MEN’s wording and way of speak. If they have not found equality in 2006, they aint gonna find it by switching up a word like NI**A.
A math problem is usually solve by the root causes of the matter, if we as BLACK’z and White America really wanted to go back to this “ROOT” causes of this word, then we have more then da word NI**A to worry about it’s BLATANT RACISMS that is still being cared out in 06’.
DON’T BE BLINDSIDED or QUESTION the TITLE of WHO WE ARE, this is the men’s modern-day tactic of confusing the elite one in which we all are.
KEEP YOUR HEAD-UP
Mz. Cali-Chi’
Julez – “Racist folks called us Niggers, so we said, u know what, we r Niggas, we flipped the word, to mean something positive”
Huh???
Why would you receive anything that comes from a hatemonger?
If someone called me nigger all day long…
niggerniggerniggerniggerniggerniggerniggerniggerniggerniggerniggerniggerniggerniggerniggerniggerniggerniggerniggerniggerniggerniggerniggerniggerniggerniggerniggerniggerniggerniggerniggerniggerniggerniggerniggerniggerniggerniggerniggerniggerniggerniggerniggerniggerniggerniggerniggerniggerniggerniggerniggerniggerniggernigger
and I won’t believe it. Nor, will I refer to myself or anyone else in that way.
Do you lack the ability to define yourself? Do you lack the ability to take a positive word and assert that to yourself?
The truth is… it’s not about the racist (they’re irrelevant) but it’s more about what you think of yourself and how YOU define yourself without having to use a word or words made up by people who clearly hate you.
You have to realize that the word nigger is all that some have left. Everything else was destroyed and didn’t last, because the foundation was built on hate.
If you want to take something and “flip it”, atleast make sure You’re the author of it.
My hat goes off to him. I really wish a lot of the people on tv would stop using it. I live in the suburbs and the white people here think that because they hear it on tv, it’s okay for them to say it which just isn’t right. As much as i love the Dave Chappelle show, i completely understood and accepted why he had to leave it. He realized that instead of making light of racism, it was just beginning to reinforce it.
Oh yeah. But it’ll never work.
To whosesideuon- why would u flip something u made? and many respected black folk have used the word Nigga, so suggesting that there is some understated self-hatred involved in the use of the word nigga is over-the-top. To some, Nigga is just a mere word, to others it symbolizes immunity to racism.
@Wifey – I agree with you.
@MS_mac1
If we just call ourselves “black” it makes us sound like we don’t identify with a culture. Black is the colour we are labelled with but we still have a cultural background. I have no problem being called African-Caribbean as I know my ancestors were from africa, and my parents are from the caribbean and although I was born in Britain I don’t call myself British African- Caribbean because the british part would just be to inform people that I was born in britain of african caribbean parents and not because I feel part of british society. Maybe the term african-american is used because it gives a sense of belonging for black people in america who were taken as slaves from africa to america. Italians and other cultures probably don’t use the word american because the struggles black people faced in america were different to other cultures. Black people had to fight just to be seen as human beings. If we just call ourselves black we might as well go back to calling ourselves coloured. If you don’t like being called an african american and want to include your irish, british, chinese and belizian roots that should be your right but then if you just want to be called black wouldn’t you be denying those other cultures anyway?
Hope this makes sense!
You got to kiddin’ me…Paul Mooney not sayin’ nigga anymore…That’s like Magic Johnson not beginning every sentence with “Ahh”…That’s like Young Jeezy without the “HEEYYY”…You’ll niggas don’t believe that s*#t do you? You know he got a new DVD comin’ out in a couple of months…Filmed where you ask,,,Laugh Factory in L.A.
Paul Mooney is setting a good example. I admire him a great deal. So far, he is the only African American/Black celeb to comment on this issue.
We can’t confront issues of race if we are not willing to talk about it. (Refering to celbs)
kind.
PAUL MOONEY DO YOUR THANG!!! I”M GOING TO GET OFF THE SUBJECT FOR A MIN, TO TELL EVERYONE TO VISIT THE “YOUTUBE.COM WEBSITE” AND TYPE IN THE SEARCH BOX RACISM, MY GOD YOU GUYS YOU WOULD NOT BELIEVE THE VIDEOS AND THE RACIST STATEMENTS,I THINK SOMEONE IS GOING TO END UP GETTING HURT BADLY IF SOMETHING IS NOT DONE ABOUT THIS RACE ISSUE!!!!!!!!
I hope rappers can embrace this. Paul Wall and Chamillionaire have stopped using it. It’s time for a change!
julez – “why would u flip something u made?”
You missed the whole point. As the originator of anything, you possess the authority to control it. It’s about the power of self definition in which you alone control.
However you spin it, nigga is derived from nigger. It’s meaning is the SAME. Just like ho is a derivative of whore. It’s all the same. Negative
Also, you might consider the “black folk” that use the slur nigga/nigger as respectful, but I certainly have no respect for anyone who does not respect their heritage or ancestors and that is one form of self-hatred in my book.
I’m sorry, Paul Mooney is a fagget. I can not sit here as a strong black person and support the homosexual race. It is ridiculous seeing a man sucking on a another man penis.White people is laughing at us right now for listening to faggets. We was better off before all this garbage started. As for the laugh factory, How can we be sure that this guy wasn’t a person who could be called the N-word. He was acting unruly and ignorant, disturbing the show. I hate to say it but usually when I go to the movies.. it is a black or hispanic causing trouble.
What is up with all the pale-faced idiots spouting crap on this forum? Don’t yall have a life? Ugly-ass little dick hobbits
Again, please someone explain this to me like I’m a 5 year old:
What has anything that black people, or anyone for that matter, chose to call themselves have to do with the racist attitude of the white community?
And while we’re on the subject of explaining…
MS_MACI:
If you consider yourself to be Irish, British, Chinese, Belizean or what not, what makes you think that when people say “African American,” they’re referring to you? And since you’re technically not being referred to, why do you get incensed?
In other words, how can you claim to be “black,” while yet denouncing the implied dominant root?
In other words, why are confused slaves still in existence in the 21st century?
I agree with him on all points, BUT if I had to be called one, I prefer b—- to heifer. My first choice would be my name or something respectful (not shorty, baby and def not b—- or heifer).
Paul Mooney can slay me ANYTIME!
#147 Comedy theater management expects the average “comedian” to wrangle in hecklers without refering to their entire race in particular, and say something assinine like (to a jewish heckler for instance) “Why could’nt Hitler have incinerated the rest of you” (“cause , well… your pissing me off tonite and well…I’d like to get paid… ok…”)
WTH? You tellin’ me Chris Rock or Robin Williams coud’nt have handled this like a real man, a real professional, a real human being!!!??? What comedy shows do you go to?
Handling hecklers should be the easiest thing in the world if you have any wit whatsoever…If your worth a three piece with fries usually the audience does it for you.
On the other hand if your a rookie, scrub, with no stand -up credentials you can always grab a comeback from the oldest playbook in the world: the trough of excrement we call the race card.
The insinuation alone…
Dude…Come correct next time!
Bravo Paul. It’s about time, since your boy Rich Pryor gave up on the word decades ago. I never understood why we would take a word that’s origin is a negative. We then put a different spelling on it, and say it’s okay. That’s twisted bullshit.
We need to love ourselves as individuals more, if not, we’re doomed.
My post #154 is really aimed at #148. Pissin people off…
If you band the so called “n” word you should also band
picnic (you know pick a nigga)
drelocks (they called our hair dreful)
the list goes on and on.
the only reason they want to band one of the bad words African-Americans use is because WE ARE THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN SAFELY SAY THIS WORD. THEY R JUST MAD CAUSE THEY CAN’T SAY IT TO US WITH OUT US GETTING AT THAT ASS.
im sorry for having to be the only one here with some balls… but this P.C, bull crap doest stop anything it only pushes it to the unseen… whats more is that it makes us more aware of our differances drop the PC bull crap you wanna call a person something do it we live in a land where we are free to say and do what we want as long as it doesnt cause physical harm if your too much of a weak person to let someone call you something bother you then go somewhere else we dont need to turn into the big cry baby state of england leave the bully laws to them lets live free say what we want and leave the P C crap to the cry babys life is too short to worry this simple crap…. please people grow some balls stand up and say the n word the s word the H word and anyother word you want to cause we can and if it hurts someone tell them to grow up slavery didnt start in america and it still goes on in africa and other lands stop all the cry baby stuff and just grow some thick skin when someone calls me a spic or anything else i pay them no mind i dont give them the pleasure of bothering me everyone should be that way
in death i bring truth and absoultion
doombringer