2008 Woodie Awards
Racial hatred unresolved
Nathan Harrison, Staff Writer
Issue date: 12/5/06
Last Updated: 12/29/07
"You know, I'm a performer," he said during the interview with Letterman. "I push the envelope. I work in a very uncontrolled manner onstage. I do a lot of free association, it's spontaneous, I go into character."
Whether "going into character" was Richards' true motivation or not, black leaders like Rev. Al Sharpton, Jackson and others are seizing this moment to ask that entertainers everywhere - including rappers and other black performers - remove the word "nigger" from their vocabulary entirely.
When asked if "nigger" should be considered free speech, Jackson even went so far as to declare the term "unprotected."
The problem is pretending like the term doesn't exist won't make it go away, and only puts everyone at a disadvantage when confronting that truth. Consider media coverage of Richards' remarks: Many outlets have had to tap dance around the words at the heart of the issue with childish euphemisms like "the n-word."
For most, "nigger" is just as taboo as most racial slurs are today, especially in the mouths of those in the dominant white culture. When they do crop up, it's usually a fairly clear sign of deep-seated prejudice - valuable knowledge when racist attitudes are buried deep. As it stands, epithets can at least serve the purpose of catching racists out in the open. Whether or not Richards is such a person is a matter of individual opinion.
Also at issue is the vitriolic nature of much modern stand-up comedy. Though many black comedians such as Eddie Murphy, Dave Chappelle and Chris Rock have peppered their own acts with such language, as members of the culture being put down by language like "nigger," their work helps subvert the power those terms have.
But when a culture draws forth such bitter, hateful outbursts from a non-black performer who adamantly claims to not be racist, all for the sake of comedy, something is wrong. Suddenly, the situation seems more indicative of a society secretly looking to see its hidden prejudices spoken out loud, and less like one trying to laugh at its own shortcomings.
Ultimately, Richards has brought attention to the power of words polite society would like to forget, and shed light on the troubling reality that racist sentiments can hide even in those seemingly free of prejudice, only to manifest in a frenzy of negative emotion.
Both the explanations for Richards' behavior are troubling, but the one he gives is even more so. For if true, then he thought that adopting the attitude of those who helped foster 300 years of hate in this country could be played for laughs. And if it weren't for that camera phone, he probably would have gotten away with it.
Whether "going into character" was Richards' true motivation or not, black leaders like Rev. Al Sharpton, Jackson and others are seizing this moment to ask that entertainers everywhere - including rappers and other black performers - remove the word "nigger" from their vocabulary entirely.
When asked if "nigger" should be considered free speech, Jackson even went so far as to declare the term "unprotected."
The problem is pretending like the term doesn't exist won't make it go away, and only puts everyone at a disadvantage when confronting that truth. Consider media coverage of Richards' remarks: Many outlets have had to tap dance around the words at the heart of the issue with childish euphemisms like "the n-word."
For most, "nigger" is just as taboo as most racial slurs are today, especially in the mouths of those in the dominant white culture. When they do crop up, it's usually a fairly clear sign of deep-seated prejudice - valuable knowledge when racist attitudes are buried deep. As it stands, epithets can at least serve the purpose of catching racists out in the open. Whether or not Richards is such a person is a matter of individual opinion.
Also at issue is the vitriolic nature of much modern stand-up comedy. Though many black comedians such as Eddie Murphy, Dave Chappelle and Chris Rock have peppered their own acts with such language, as members of the culture being put down by language like "nigger," their work helps subvert the power those terms have.
But when a culture draws forth such bitter, hateful outbursts from a non-black performer who adamantly claims to not be racist, all for the sake of comedy, something is wrong. Suddenly, the situation seems more indicative of a society secretly looking to see its hidden prejudices spoken out loud, and less like one trying to laugh at its own shortcomings.
Ultimately, Richards has brought attention to the power of words polite society would like to forget, and shed light on the troubling reality that racist sentiments can hide even in those seemingly free of prejudice, only to manifest in a frenzy of negative emotion.
Both the explanations for Richards' behavior are troubling, but the one he gives is even more so. For if true, then he thought that adopting the attitude of those who helped foster 300 years of hate in this country could be played for laughs. And if it weren't for that camera phone, he probably would have gotten away with it.
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