Time to Get Rid of the N-Word Taboo
with John McWhorter
John and I have talked extensively about the distinction between “using” and “referring” to the word “nigger.” It’s repugnant to hurl a racial epithet in order to demean someone, but there’s nothing wrong with uttering an epithet for the purposes of illustration or analysis. Now, it seems, the taboo against uttering racial slurs extends even to terms that were, in their time, markers of dignity, like “Negro.” In this clip from our most recent Q&A session, John and I talk about the sad power play behind this ever-expanding list of verboten terms.
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I agree.
It can be rude, crude, vulgar, and out of place.
But let's quit pretending it's like kryptonite.
"Time to Get Rid of the N-Word Taboo"
It really is. For all kinds of reasons.
The word is profane. No one argues that it isn't.
It is a special kind of profanity (particularly in this society). We all know that as well.
In fairness, Black people are not the only cohort to (hypocritically) use a slur playfully with one another. Girlfriends call each other b****** all the time, and there’s a comedian who does a bit about a similar phenomenon within the Indigenous community.
But there is something extraordinary about the taboos surrounding the so-called n-word. Case in point, the most popular music genre in the Western world is (arguably) hip-hop, where we hear the word constantly. How do you police that?
Do I expect nonBlack 20-somethings to bleep themselves every time their favorite jam comes on, even if they are the only person within a 10-mile radius?
No, I don't. It bothers me enough to see them censor themselves in a TikTok lip-sync video. It is such an indicator of how far we have gone off the rails.
As recently as 15 years ago, the version without the "hard -er" was (seemingly) tolerated in private circles, and as John pointed out, back in Norman Lear's All in the Family days, the "hard -er" version was acceptable in popular media (and Norman Lear was as woke as anybody back in the day).
For some reason, times changed. But I am not so sure it was progress.
But Glenn's point about being tolerated and patted on the head hit home. Indeed, it is like we are playing a silly game to preserve a false and nebulous peace.
I hasten to add this: I know people, Black and White, who refuse to use or tolerate others use of the word outside of an educational context. I can respect that 100%.
I am okay with consistency in principles. But rampant inconsistency needs to take a seat.