Every family...even to a smaller extent relationships...has their own language that they use in regards to one another. You may call your significant other Fartface, Dipsh!t, Cuddle Nugget, etc. You may call people in your family offensive names and get away with it because it's said in YOUR context. I would never tell people what I call my boyfriend, siblings, etc. in public. It might offend others, but in my context, we love it and laugh.

I do agree with Whoopi and J. Jackson (at least on this piece...not the cutting off of the balls of B. Obama). You have a certain culture in your family, friends, relationships. You would NEVER use these words in public...but you use them amongst each other. Call these people whatever you want...as long as you want to. That's what J. Jackson and Whoopi (at least on that episode of The View is saying). The public use...not acceptable. J. Jackson wants it OUT of music also! I don't think it has a place in a public sphere...in a private, it depends on the relationship you have with these people.

Elizabeth Hasselbeck had a stupid argument. I don't want to tell my little girl what she can and cannot say. Hi- when I was young, I was told not to swear. Then, as I got older, you can swear here...but not here. It's not teaching kids specifically WHEN to say WHAT- it's teaching them about audience. And if the kids don't catch on soon how to tailor their speech to an audience, they are royally screwed.

On another tangent...it's ownership of the word also. I don't say that word, but if people want to turn that word into a positive connotation for them, go ahead. I still hold baggage for it (negative baggage), but if others say it privately, go ahead. Words have changed their connotation over time since the beginning of language- why should this be any different?

what whoppi was saying was stupid. who the hell gave "them" the right to pick and choose what words in america are right for them to say but not for others. they have not lessened the meaning of that word by calling each other that.

Alright then: who gave anyone else the authority to say people of color COULDN'T say those words? They aren't trying to "lessen" the meaning of the word; if that was their goal, they would call ALL people to stop it. They are trying to take ownership of the word.

The same argument exists of women who take back the word "health forum", and homosexuals that take back those slurs.

I say...go ahead! Turn a bad thing into a positive thing for a group of people.

I know that the word f/\g isn't as loaded as the 'n' word. However, being a gay person, the word f/\g brings about many different connotations.

Sydney, I totally agree with you. It's not about the "when" and "where" of saying something, but it's the audience. It's purely contextual, and those contexts change with who we're talking about and what we're referring to.

I agree with the fact that things you say in your family you'd never say anywhere else. Could this be used as an analogy for an entire group of people, though? Black people have been harshly persecuted throughout history and, as I am sure, they have a strong sense of family. Could it be that this type of language they use, they're using within the context of a 'family' type atmosphere?

I know a lot of gay people use the word f/\g in an almost amicable or, dare I say it, loving way. They're giving their own meaning to something that has had such a negative meaning for so long. I think it's a great way to deal with travesties of the past. Re-establishing words and terms and making them their own. It's kind of like 'stickin' it to the man' so to speak.

People would argue that the redefinition of the 'n' word in music especially is controversial and not so positive to say the least, but that's another debate altogether.

PS: Elizabeth Hasslebeck never has anything good to say

A person can say all sorts of things and about all sorts of people but it is what is in his heart that counts. Racisim can not be defined by the words one uses, there is no such thing as a racisit slur. There is no such thing as a anti catholic slur, no such thing as a homophobic slur, becuase racism /anti catholic/homophobia comes from within a person.

A group of protestants maybe sitting and one says "I would like to burn and skin those catholics alive" that may not be anti catholic, he maybe saying it sarcastically as a critical look upon protestants who think like that, he may just be doing it for a laugh with his protestant mates.

It depends on the person, yes. But even more so, it depend son that person's intent.

But that little story...the Protestant was saying something AT THE EXPENSE of a Catholic. I wouldn't tolerate that any more than I would tolerate a friend (of color or white) using a racial/sexual/religious/gender epithet in a neagtive connotation. So yes, I believe those slurs you say don't exist...do.

Every time we talk about using these terms in your own sphere (family, friends), I'm thinking these words are being used positively. Most certainly I never assumed these people were using the word negatively against others.

I disagree and agree with you. I think racial slurs exist. They become existant when the anti-catholicism or homophobia from within a person is expressed verbally.

I refrain from using the 'n' word because I don't want to cause hurt to someone. If artists want to use it for whatever purpose then that action reflects upon their character to whatever end.

How do you know?

I have to agree with Sydney. I used to work in an office where we had a black lady, a ‘colored’ lady, (half black and half white as we call them here) two Indian men and two white ladies. We used to call each other the most horrifically racist names which had us in stitches all the time.
But should anybody outside of the office call anyone of my co-workers any of the names I would call them five minutes ago, I would have ripped their eyes out. These people where more than colleagues – they were my friends.
It all depends on the situation. I call my mother ‘ol’ bag’, and my fiancé something that would have this post deleted in a flash by the mods - so I’d rather not post it here. But its okay, nobody’s offended and it’s done in good humor.

Just to stir the bucket a little more, Taye Diggs has made a comment.



Thought?

What did this Hasselbeck person say that made Diggs respond like that?

Who are these people, anyways?

http://www.popcrunch.com/the-view-whoopi-g oldberg-elisabeth-hasselbeck-fight-video-c rying-elisabeth-whoopi-n-word-clash/

Whoopi Goldberg and Elizabeth Hasselbeck had a discussion on the television show "The View." It was pretty heated, and where the stem of THIS discussion comes from. I've given this URL because you can find the 6 min clip there. The things she said (not explosive, but just reiterated by every "scorned" white person abotu this subject) is in this clip also.

Taye Diggs (aside from being a hearty, delicious piece of man-meat) is a Hollywood/Broadway and also a person of color.

I couldn't watch it after about a minute and a half. I don't think that's helping anyone's career.