White Georgia teens celebrate graduation with a Drake lyric (they chose poorly)
- Thread starter Guevara
- Start date
- Status
I grew up in a low-income area and the term was used regularly by people of all colors, including whites. These people weren't intending it an offensive manner and at worst got a laugh from the black kids. They faced actual racism everyday, and could usually tell when someone was trying to start something.
anarckitty
Member
Oh Forsyth county I never expected to see you as the topic of a NeoGAF thread. ::sigh::
Well, at least I graduated from Central and not South Forsyth high.
Well, at least I graduated from Central and not South Forsyth high.
billy beane
Banned
Should've picked a Macklemore lyric instead. He better represents hip hop.
jediyoshi
Member
So you are saying it's inherently irresponsible for rappers to use that word in the first place if that's the action in question
Why not? I'm not trying to stir shit up, but that word has such an awful history, especially in the US. It bothers me that it's used so casually. These kids should know better, but honestly, it's so prevalent in modern music that it's not even surprising.
jim-jam bongs
Member
No. A rapper is not a replacement for someone's parent/common sense/personal responsibility.
"I heard it on TV/on the radio/in a movie/in a video game" is not a good way to justify behavior.
Goldenroad
Member
The punishment/reparation should be that those kids, every white kid in that graduating class, should have to bus it up to Harlem and spend the entire day walking through the streets carrying that sign around...no adults...no protection, just them and that sign.
Excusing bad behavior with "but they do it on TV" is not a slippery slope you want to go down.
Zen_Arcade
Banned
I get wanting to sing along with a song that has nigga in it, but a bunch of white people writing it up in giant letters and hanging it on a wall is just a dumbass idea through and through. They had to know it wouldn't go over well.
Kids emulating their favorite musicians, get out of town. That's completely unheard of, must be some new fad.
THIS!
Honestly is used so much in modern vernacular I don't even find it offensive anymore. Walk through a patch of city kids (regardless of race) and you'll hear them say "nigga" constantly, or play music where "nigga" is said constantly. Louis CK did an entire comedy sketch where he actually said the "er" version several times, and I didn't even bat an eyelash.
People look like hypocrites getting mad about this, but tolerating other people saying it. If its a horrible word, then its a horrible word period. If its okay for some folks to say it, then there's no reason why others should be able to say it.
Anyone saying "nigga" makes me cringe so fucking hard.
Dr.Bergenstein
Banned
When's the last time you've been to Harlem?
If you meet the president, would you address him as "Barak" just because his wife/mom/dad does?
Yes, I removed the derogatory language to illustrate the main point: just because it's OK for one group to say something doesn't automatically give the green light for others to repeat it. I don't know if there is a proper name for it, but I'm going to consider this "in group association." Only the group that knows that president on a deeply personal level can address him by his first name. To everyone else, it's "Mr. President" or "President Obama" or something similar. Because you are not part of that group.
We do it every day. And how this concept is somehow lost when it comes to the n-word is beyond me. Yes, it's a word that some argue shouldn't be used at all, but that argument doesn't diminish the fact that it is known to be used specifically by a certain group of people, and is known to cause offense when used by others.
Additionally, if the president says to you, "Michelle is a wonderful mother," would it be appropriate to respond, "Yes, Michelle is a great mother"? Again: recognizing the group that you are not part of.
If you call him Barak, are you going to get arrested? No, but he might look at you funny, refuse to associate with you, or kick you out of the White House. If you call a black person the n-word are you going to get arrested? No, but he might look at you funny, refuse to associate with you, or punch you in the face. These are social things that people need to recognize and be aware of.
Sorry, but there's a pretty big difference between addressing an authority figure by their first name (or calling someone by their nickname when you don't know them well), and using a slang term that is dispersed throughout popular culture.
This is a very poor analogy. President is a title, and people refer to him as Barack all the time.
The problem is this is not a clear cut issue, and usual approach to it is "just accept it" because there are some nuances people don't want to delve into. For instance just picture a parent trying to explain this to their child who so far may have grown up in a relative non-racist environment unlike some or most of us.
"Ok dear, I know you like this music and these movies and there is nothing wrong with that but you cannot repeat, sing, write or emulate these words and phrases because of your skin color. Yes I know your cousin says these words everyday and every other post on Facebook but see his father is black and since both of your parents are white you cannot use those words because they are hurtful if they come from a white person even if you mean no malice and are just trying to emulate your cousin or movie you saw"
If I was a kid nowadays I would probably have to be on drugs to make it through. Awkward as hell. Not saying I have an answer, but at some point it would be nice if we could leave the kids colorblind.
I guess this is an American thing to define a skin colour as something as homogenous as a family.
And I'm not saying this ironically: for me it's baffling, but each culture deals with identities its own way.
DonasaurusRex
Online Ho Champ
oh the irony.
You completely missed the point of that analogy.
White kids in georgia were saying "nigga" even back when I was in high school(03-07). Funny thing was I was the only kid who would be offended and I would be shrugged off because the kids saying it were cool and I was a "lame ass nigga who watched anime and wanted to be white".....funny how the world comes full circle.
Crap music is a cancer.
Crap music is a cancer.
Horse Detective
Why the long case?
I don't understand why words are visually censored. If someone reads that, the worst that could fall on them are the negative thoughts that they associate with it. Come to think of it, if I saw an exposed penis on TV, I wouldn't know that to be a disturbing site unless the news convinced me that it is.
Thanks, great discussion.
anarckitty
Member
Yup. =/
I mean you actually missed the point of that analogy entirely and thus your post in response to it contained strawman arguments trying to prove why the analogy was a false one. The point is that language is not static; the meaning of words change based on the relationship of the people using them.
See, thats a response. When you give a drive by vague one liner how can you expect a response?
No i get the point hes trying to make just fine, again they are poor analogies though for the topic at hsnd. Plenty of people call Barack Obama by his name, anyone can. President is a title, just like doctor. Has nothing to do with being part of same vague arbitrary group, this isnt the movies or West Wing. And many, MANY peope can call Michelle a good mother, and have. You dont need to be part of their family to do it. On top of that I can call my own mother a good mother or someone else, i can use that phrase.
And great of you to try and disregard my entire post as a strawman just because i disagreed on someone elses post. Like I said its a highly nuanced subject that people dont want to fully tackle. Im trying to illustrate a VERY real world situation of the term and how its being used today and so ingrained in media and social networks. Its exremely easy to lay back on a forum and say "just dont use the phrase if you arent black" but its not that simple to to tell that to a young generation who is experiencing that word quite differently then older generations.
nvrndr
Member
Haha ok.
cartoon_soldier
Member
Graduating High School, "We made it" lol
The job market for high school graduates is amazing for you to make it
The job market for high school graduates is amazing for you to make it
I live in Georgia, but aren't there two Forsyth's? Not that it really makes a difference I suppose - but I know there's a Forsyth county on the north-side of Atlanta. I think there's another way down in the middle GA area? I could be mistaken.
You missed the point isn't a drive by one liner.
I'm calling your posts a strawman because you didn't bother to refute the point being made and you're still not doing it now. Instead you seem much more interested in when and where that analogy fails.
Let me give you another one: Suppose you and your significant other call each honey. Now suppose I call your SO honey. Would that be appropriate with y'all? I doubt. Suppose your SO calls someone who isn't you and is a stranger to you honey. Would you be cool with that? Considering what that word means in your relationship I highly doubt that you would just shrug off your SO using it with someone else if you're in a monogamous relationship with the person.
And you're right this is a highly nuanced subject because guess what? Were talking about language which is in fact a highly nuanced subject.
mrmickfran
Member
G/A/F?
styl3s
Member
Black, white, purple or green..
Anyone who uses the word "nigga" makes me cringe. Same with people who can't comprehend the belt or a waistline.
SapientWolf
Trucker Sexologist
Still better than YOLO.
roosters93
Member
This shit is embarrassing. Treating your opponent in an argument like an idiot is a very good tactic lol
I didn't mean to be patronizing and if it came out that way then may bad.
Tarkus
Member
Nope, I think Dawson County is more white.
anarckitty
Member
Yes. Forsyth the city, which is South of Atlanta, and then there is Forsyth County, which is about 45 minutes North of Atlanta.
And Lumpkin County could be more white than that. I could totally be wrong though.
Tarkus
Member
Nah, I grew up in Lumpkin and there's a small black population...I used to hang out in the two "black neighborhoods."
Just checked, Fannin County is only 0.2% black.
Pai Pai Master
Banned
To be fair, this is Georgia.
Jesus. I went to HS in Elbert County, which I thought was the most redneck place on earth and it was 30% black. I can't even imagine 0.2%.
Yeah, ok. "Nigga" might not be all that bad but do you think its honestly a good idea to put that on a sign and hang it somewhere? Then again, 18 year olds think everything is a good idea.
Liamario
Banned
Anyone using the word, unless sarcastically should be embarrassed. Black people don't own the word and any attempt to restrict its use to a specific race is inherently racist in itself.
- Status