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[ComputerMKII]

Perfume maker Guerlain regrets "nigger" remarks at trial

Feb 9, 2012, 16:24 GMT

Paris - Elderly French perfume maker Jean-Paul Guerlain told his French trial for racial insults Thursday he was 'anything but racist' and that his 2010 remarks in a television interview about 'niggers' were made in a moment of 'stupidity.'

The 75-year-old descendant of Guerlain's founder and one of France's most famous 'noses', is on trial over remarks he made during an interview with state television on October 15.

Describing the work that went into the creation of one of his famous scents, Guerlain said: 'I worked like a nigger', adding 'I don't know if niggers have always worked like that, but anyway.'

The remarks caused scandal and led some black activists call for a boycott of Guerlain products.

Dressed in an immaculate light-brown three-piece suit and supporting himself on crutches, Guerlain told the court he 'deeply regretted' the remarks and apologized to the black community for his 'stupidity.'

His first remark, he said, was a phrase he had heard all his youth working in his grandfather's garden, he said. 'I'm from another generation,' he explained.

His second remark, questioning the work ethic of black people, was a 'stupidity' aimed at making his younger female interviewer laugh. 'I regret it,' he said.

'I'm anything but racist,' Guerlain insisted, recalling how black US soldiers serving with the force that liberated Paris from Nazi German occupation in 1944, had introduced him to chewing gum and Coca-Cola.

As an adult, he had spent half his time travelling in West Africa to find ingredients for his perfumes, he said.

Guerlain had already apologised for the remarks in 2010 but several anti-racism associations pushed for him to be charged, saying the remark was reminiscent of the colonial era.

Many also remarked on his ease in using the racial slur on national television and questioned what that said about France's attitudes towards black people.

Guerlain, the company, which was founded in 1828 by Pierre-François Pascal Guerlain and is now owned by luxury goods conglomerate LVMH, also condemned the remarks.

Guerlain had retired from the company in 2002 but was still acting as a consultant on perfume development at the time of the interview. The perfume house promptly severed ties with its former creator.

The maximum sentence for racial slurs is six months in prison and 22,500 euros (30,000 dollars) in fines.

The trial was set to conclude later Thursday. A separate hearing will be scheduled for the verdict.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dkhg0kFJhQ

N-word is said at the 44-second mark in the video.

 

[Alucrid]

Hilaiously stupid on his part, but damn, jail time for racial slurs? I know it seems the max sentence but I guess team french don't mess around.

 

[levious]

looks more like a moment of transparency than stupidity.

 

[SonnyBoy]

looks more like a moment of transparency than stupidity.

#cosigned

 

[t-ramp]

The maximum sentence for racial slurs is six months in prison

What are the conditions for being charged for racial slurs? That's crazy.

 

[ced]

I'm not defending this in anyway, but court or jail time, fines etc for dropping a racial slur? What the hell are we becoming.

 

[Cyan]

Um. On trial?

WTF

 

[MWS Natural]

I'm not defending this in anyway, but court or jail time, fines etc for dropping a racial slur? What the hell are we becoming.

So awesome.

 

[Baconsaurus Rex]

So old people are slightly racist and out of touch with the world? Nothing new here.

 

[Bo-Locks]

So old people are slightly racist and out of touch with the world? Nothing new here.

I agree. We should ban them from voting. Who's with me?

 

[SteveWinwood]

Jail time? Really?

 

[zomaha]

It's funny how innocently racist the old generations were.

 

[BobsRevenge]

The French need to get on top of their freedom of expression.

 

[PSGames]

So old people are slightly racist and out of touch with the world? Nothing new here.

He could have said it right in my face and I would have easily moved on. People his age say the stupidest things sometimes.

 

[Mammoth Jones]

I mean, it hurts like a mofo to hear that type of talk about my people.

But should dude go to jail over it?

Probably not.

But will I lose sleep if he does?

Probably not.

 

[Ben Pierce]

My great grandmother whom lived to 95 was exactly the same way. She would drop the N bomb without regard. That's really just how old folk are.

I didn't hear this man say it, however. Too much french got in the way.

 

[freenudemacusers]

Wow and I thought galliano fucked up.

Gotta love the "I served with them card" being pulled.

But should dude go to jail over it?

Probably not.

But will I lose sleep if he does?

Probably not.

Also this.

 

[ComputerMKII]

What are the conditions for being charged for racial slurs? That's crazy.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=423200

Edit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hate_speech_laws_in_France

Keep in mind that jail is just the maximum sentence. I can't think of anyone who had got more than a fine for racist remarks in France.

 

[Jackpot]

Reminds me of the Abed of racism.

 

[Kurtofan]

The French need to get on top of their freedom of expression.

Godammit I am so sick of how smug people here are about the subject.
There are hate speech laws in most Western countries, America is the exception not the norm.

 

[Roude Leiw]

he said nègre not nigger. thats not the same. nevertheless he shouldnt have said that.

 

[Chuck (Old)]

On trial? For a racial slur? Are you fucking kidding me, France?

 

[Cyan]

Godammit I am so sick of how smug people here are about the subject.
There are hate speech laws in most Western countries, America is the exception not the norm.

For clarity: do you support jail time for the n-word?

 

[Parallax]

he said nègre not nigger. thats not the same. nevertheless he shouldnt have said that.

whats the french equivalent of nigger?

 

[Roger Danish]

Europeans have a ridiculously regressive view of free speech. America #1.

 

[Kurtofan]

he said nègre not nigger. thats not the same. nevertheless he shouldnt have said that.

It has the same connotation.

For clarity: do you support jail time for the n-word?

Not for most cases, fines are enough.Jail time seems too harsh anyway, community service is good compromise.

On trial? For a racial slur? Are you fucking kidding me, not American World?

Fixed.

 

[Roude Leiw]

whats the french equivalent of nigger?

i would translate nègre as negro. dont know if the french have a translation for nigger.

 

[victreeb3l]

pretty stupid of him to say it, equally stupid of the french to put him in jail for it

regardless, i dont really give a shit about the guy and not really mad about this at all. sucks to be him i suppose

 

[levious]

i would translate nègre as negro. dont know if the french have a translation for nigger.

wiki says nègre is the french equivalent for nigger. I sure don't know myself though.

"French: noir is neutral, nègre is a racist colonial usage"


The term is much less important than the actual sentences he uttered anyway.

 

[malingenie]

whats the french equivalent of nigger?

If French is anything like Venezuelan Spanish, there isn't. Negro is black in spanish and that's it. It's like calling someone black.

wiki says nègre is the french equivalent for nigger. I sure don't know myself though.

"French: noir is neutral, nègre is a racist colonial usage"


The term is much less important than the actual sentences he uttered anyway.

Huh.. interesting. It's pretty interesting some cultures came up with a pejorative term and some didn't.

 

[ComputerMKII]

he said nègre not nigger. thats not the same. nevertheless he shouldnt have said that.

Does it really make a difference? I'm pretty much certain the meaning is exactly the same in both languages (except for the fact that "nègre" also means "ghost writer" in French, which happens to be perfectly acceptable when used with that meaning)

 

[Kurtofan]

He won't be going to jail, 6 months of jail is the maximum, but he's just going to get a fine.

i would translate nègre as negro. dont know if the french have a translation for nigger.

Those three words means the same thing in modern French.

 

[dragonelite]

What you get jail time for that.
But then again im from the netherland probably one of the most racist country in the world eyes when it comes to black people with our national holiday(sinterklaas) and rihanna vs magazine stuff.

 

[Parallax]

If French is anything like Venezuelan Spanish, there isn't. Negro is black in spanish and that's it. It's like calling someone black.

ok then, thats a bit odd, what do the frence refer to black people as?

 

[ComputerMKII]

i would translate nègre as negro. dont know if the french have a translation for nigger.

I remember seeing a French-dubbed version of Escape from Alcatraz. In it, Clint Eastwood said "Je déteste les nègres", which, in the original version, was "I just hate niggers."

Also:

 

[Ignis Fatuus]

I agree. We should ban them from voting. Who's with me?

No, we should eat them.

Actually, while he's a dumbass who deserved public humiliation and a loss of patronage, I don't think you should be jailed for speech no matter how vile.

But this is France so whatever.

 

[Kurtofan]

ok then, thats a bit odd, what do the frence refer to black people as?

I rarely refer to people by their skin colour, because that's awkward, but the common term is "Noir" (Black) or more familiar "Black"(the English word).I don't know if "Personne de couleur"(Person of color) is still used, since that's pretty old fashioned.

Edit:not attacking you Computer, but why don't people make threads when other European countries condemn hate speech?Like when that racist subway lady that got arrested in the UK?

 

[hey_it's_that_dog]

In cases like this isn't the public backlash punishment enough for an act of speech? This feels like needless (but well-intentioned) tampering with the social economy (for lack of a better term).

 

[Simplet]

Old person uses old persons' vocabulary, doesn't realize the world has passed him by.

Does it really make a difference? I'm pretty much certain the meaning is exactly the same in both languages (except for the fact that "nègre" also means "ghost writer" in French, which happens to be perfectly acceptable when used with that meaning)

Well "nègre" is also used in some set-phrases in french. "tête de nègre" ("negro's head") for example is a kind of pastry. It feels kind of weird to say that but everyone realizes this is just the way the thing was called, we keep the name because there's no real point in retconning history. The way he used the word "nègre" kind of sounds like a set expression, so it's easier to understand why he made the mistake of using it.

 

[Alucrid]

It has the same connotation.



Not for most cases, fines are enough.Jail time seems too harsh anyway, community service is good compromise.



Fixed.

Community service is the better of the three.

 

[ComputerMKII]

Edit:not attacking you Computer, but why don't people make threads when other European countries condemn hate speech?Like when that racist subway lady that got arrested in the UK?

I tend to make threads on things I know better (that is, French news) and it's interesting to know what Americans think about hate speech laws (my opinion is that they shouldn't exist, but whatever).

Well "nègre" is also used in some set-phrases in french. "tête de nègre" ("negro's head") for example is a kind of pastry.

It seems that the expression is used less and less, as people find new names for the pastry.

Edit: Interesting:

There is a Swedish pastry traditionally called negerboll (literally "negro ball"). Due to its possible offensive character, the name has fallen out of favor in for example new cooking books, being replaced by "Chokladboll" (Chocolate Ball), though it is still used colloquially.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negro)

Somehow I don't really like the idea of eating "negro balls".

 

[TheMan]

lol, my dad said the same thing one time after coming home from an ER shift

Spoiler

he is black

 

[Simplet]

It seems that the expression is used less and less, as people find new names for the pastry.

Really? Where I live I'm pretty sure everyone uses the name, I don't know any other one at least.

 

[BobsRevenge]

Godammit I am so sick of how smug people here are about the subject.
There are hate speech laws in most Western countries, America is the exception not the norm.

I guess you're right, but I didn't mean to imply that France was particularly at fault for these kinds of things. Germany seems to be worse with it.

This is one area where I think America is ahead of the Europeans, though.

 

[ComputerMKII]

Really? Where I live I'm pretty sure everyone uses the name, I don't know any other one at least.

That's what I heard, but I haven't been to a pastry shop in quite some time.

 

[whitehawk]

He should be able to say the n word 50 times on TV and still not go to jail. What is this?

 

[Ripclawe]

Godammit I am so sick of how smug people here are about the subject.
There are hate speech laws in most Western countries, America is the exception not the norm.

Exactly. That's why we are so smug about it. We are exceptional. It is pathetic this type of law is in place

 

[TheContact]

Looks like a slip of the tongue. Probably meant because they worked hard when we used to enslave them. He probably should have chose a different word, but I don't think this guy is racist.

 

[7Th]

In cases like this isn't the public backlash punishment enough for an act of speech? This feels like needless (but well-intentioned) tampering with the social economy (for lack of a better term).

Exactly; this is pointless and borders in censorship If you fuck up with your language you apologize or get destroyed by the media and the world moves on.

 

[shuri]

It's just an old, old expression from another era.. I remember my own grandma using it to talk about how her son and her husband had worked hard on something in the backyard. She was not racist at all. She was one of the most open minded people I have ever met. My grandpa was a racist asshole (well he was a general asshole anyway, he hated everything) and he kept getting into arguments about races, sexual choices, etc with her.

It's just an expression that people said back then.

Another expression from the time that could be considered far more offensive is 'un plan de negre', which translates to 'a nigger plan', which means a poorly thought, slapped together plan, or idea. Now that is far more derogative