Questions on racism

the-void

the-void

the-void

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Emily has been evicted from the big brother house for saying ****** in the context of rap music.

Speaking from someone who is certainly not racist (as a few people on these forums can certainly testify) I find this situation very intriguing.

I am left wondering that as a white person does listening to rap music that has ****** in the lyrics such as NWA - (Showing my age) make me a racist. Or do I become a racist if I sing along to it? Or am I only racist because of my colour.

I am wondering why the only people who can say that word without being classed as racists is black people (namely black rap artists). Surely that in itself is actually racist. I realise the word is offensive - but surely if it is that offensive why is it legal to sell music with that word in the lyrics.

(Edit : I have no idea why this has been moved to the Music Section - it isn't really about music, its about perceived racism - but never mind)
 
1. No it isn't
2. I can perfectly understand Endemol being very, very cautious about anything that might be construed as racist
3. A black person calling a black person a racist slur is very obviously not racist. If you have a white person who has a very good friend who is a black person you might find them trading such insults with no connotations. Otherwise it is a very taboo term, with good reason.

I don't see how you think a black artist using racial slurs against blacks is racist...

the-void said:
(Edit : I have no idea why this has been moved to the Music Section - it isn't really about music, its about perceived racism - but never mind)
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You should have made that clearer then. Your thread was asking about rap music.
 
The word shouldnt even be considered offensive, same as "****".
A Pakistani on this very forum said it was stupid to be offended by an abbreviation, or foreign translation of a perfactly acceptable term, and I agree.

The problem is there are people out there who will say that they take offense just to try and make a quick buck.

And how often do black entertainers call white people "Cracker" and not a thing happens. A white person thinks the word ****** and a thousand other white people rise in uproar.

The whole thing makes me sick.
 
There is now way this is an M&BO thread.

I don't know the ins and outs of what happened here but Endemol can't afford to take any chances, in fact this 'incident' is just what they needed to help appease the frothy-mouthed ignoramuses who had a fit over Shilpa Shetty.
 
I would have to say no, and BB is stupid for evicting her for that reason.

Like yourself I am not racist and I think "geniune" racism is the most pathetic thing a human can do. How can you hate someone because of the colour of their skin or where they come from ?

However I am massive RAP fan and also have been in to NWA, Snoop and the like since late 80's and sing along use the ****** in that context as term of comradery.

I also used to have lots of black friends when in college that would call each other ****** this and ****** that and even refered to me a their ******, even though I am whiter than casper.

SO I think it is all down to how the word is used and in what context, certainly in the terms of singing along to rap music, you are merely repeating what someone else is saying on a record, so if it makes you racist then the record should be banned too!
 
Gilly said:
I don't see how you think a black artist using racial slurs against blacks is racist...
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That isn't quite what I said.

I also know that if my friends mother heard my friend say that word in front of her then she would hit the bloody roof. (And yes, she is black)

Gilly said:
You honestly don't see why they'd overreact to this?
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I was explaining why I made the post to the poster. I understand why, I just think it is a little OTT. And if the word is so bad - regardless of context, then surely it shouldn't be allowed on the airwaves.
 
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I don't see why you don't understand why they'd overreact then.

[edit]You completely messed that one up!
 
Gilly said:
[edit]You completely messed that one up!
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Not really. Its still an interesting point. Like my friends mother would tell him to that **** off or at least turn it down when he listens to it. But would hit the roof if she heard him say it in front of her. Is the word racist, or just merely offensive??

So, answering my own question. It may appear you are racist (to other people) if you sing along to the rap song even if your not.

Its a strange paradox to me.

I am not racist for buying the album.
I am not racist for listening to the album.
I appear to others to be racist for singing along to it.

I would have thought it is the intent. But I guess that doesn't make a difference to peoples own perceived intent. And that's probably why C4 had to evict her. Its PC world gone mad IMHO.

Like I said on another thread, its all about intent.

Example:

I like children.

It could be completely innocuous or down right menacing depending on my intent.
 
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Jermaine Jackson (who was also in the celebrity BB house) made a good comment about what happened between the women. He said that there was no way that the girls were racist towards Shilpa - perhaps they were unkind, or bullying her, but they weren't being racist. He went on to say that real racism is when you won't even sit down and eat dinner with a person of another colour...

He's right in a way. A lot of people are incredibly sensitive about issues of race, perhaps too sensitive. When I say "a lot of people" though, what's interesting is that often, it won't be the ethnic minority being offended, it will be a white person, or lots of white people thinking that they should be offended.
 
Yeah,like Jermaine said, you aint racist unless you take it to the extremes, but that doesn't excuse you for using terms that people may find offensive.

and of course they were going to take her out of the house, after what happened last time they don't want a repeat of that mess. This is on national TV, to millions of people and you know how many busy bodies they are that would be complaining.

use some common sense


and "****" is deemed offensive by a lot of people, that's why you shouldn't say it. Basically saying you should be free to call people "pakis" is just ignorance and lack of consideration. I also hate it when people say "chinK", it just ain't needed.

and don't give any lame excuses like "ohhh but it's ok to call the american's, yankies" there's a team called the yankees, and its common knowledge they dont' find it offensive

this thread pops up like once a month, getting tired of the same crap being spoken
 
the-void said:
Emily has been evicted from the big brother house for saying ****** in the context of rap music.

Speaking from someone who is certainly not racist (as a few people on these forums can certainly testify) I find this situation very intriguing.

I am left wondering that as a white person does listening to rap music that has ****** in the lyrics such as NWA - (Showing my age) make me a racist. Or do I become a racist if I sing along to it? Or am I only racist because of my colour.

I am wondering why the only people who can say that word without being classed as racists is black people (namely black rap artists). Surely that in itself is actually racist. I realise the word is offensive - but surely if it is that offensive why is it legal to sell music with that word in the lyrics.

(Edit : I have no idea why this has been moved to the Music Section - it isn't really about music, its about perceived racism - but never mind)
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When was this? Just earlier today?
 
What Emily did was not technically illegal (IANAL), but it was against BB/Ch4 policy and thus she was booted out. They can boot you out for anything basically, whether illegal or not...
 
Hopefully the show will be cancelled, the contestants put down, and the producers shot. That's me being fairly civil too.
 
cleanbluesky said:
No action in isolation can be automatically racist, because racism is a motvation.

Positive and innocent things can be racist, but only if their motivation is race.
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This honky's got it spot on.
 
Most importantly to the shows future watchability, was Emily one of the fit ones or one of the bonkers ones?:)
 
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