Paul Mooney Renounces the "N Word"

It ain't my nature to promote my site in this fashion, but I've been reading and commenting long enough to say that I posed the same question recently. I think we're somewhat on the same page.

I got mad input on this but I don't wanna be the only one chiming.

I'll lay in the cut for a minute.

-Blitnack Pitneople

I'm with you, Jay. Don't use the word, and wouldn't especially miss it, but I also don't think anything is really achieved by trying to render it taboo.

I don't think that doing so increases its power, on the other hand. I just think that trying to eliminate the use of the word does anything to chip away at the underlying self-hatred that sometimes accompanies it and which I think Mooney had in mind when he made this decision.

I also think I'd miss the chuckle I always get when white people point out what they perceive to be the hypocrisy and injustice of black people using the word...

i really dont think this is gonna help shit.
thats my short answer for now.

What I'd like to know is: Why didn't Mooney arrive at this conclusion decades ago, around the same time Richard Pryor denounced the word? Is it because he hadn't made enough money off of it yet?

btw: I like Mooney, and I love Richard Pryor, but I always wondered if Pryor kept his word and never used it in his stand-up again.

I think it is past due. This should happen. I say it probably at least 100 times each day, and I am going to stop. It has no constructive use outside of a classroom setting (dealing with history, racism, sociology, etc.). It is not a term of endearment, and our community should abolish it. It would be a step in the right direction, a MAJOR one at that. I think it would change how we think about and view each other. For that POSSIBILITY alone, it should abolished, the rewards outweigh the risk. There is no risk, 'nigger' is a word with no value to us. NONE! There IS NO counter-argument. For those of us who still use it, lets take a stand and stop starting today!!!!!!! Tell all of your friends to stop too!!! We can win this battle!!!

The only argument to not stop using it is laziness and lack of discipline. There is no downside to removing this word from out vocabulary, none at all. We should all do it, period.

Well, Mooney has said that Pryor kept using the word in his private life, and renounced it only for his public performances..

And yeah that's what puzzles me a bit, Paul so adamantly held on to the word after his longtime partner made such a powerful statement against it, but is suddenly so quick to drop it after this incident.

This was a recent office discussion due to the "Kramer" blast. I think it will be a difficult thing to shake. It's become so deeply put into our common comfortable vocabulary for some people it comes out just as common as throwing in "Nah' mean?" into our vocabulary. To eliminate this does have to begin with the self. To see younglings spouting the word on the streets is enough to make you cringe at times. Hispanics have adopted the term as well and some of the darker toned asians as well. Scary indeed, but the change can be made. Every journey begins with one step.

Look, people are going to say the word if they want to. I understand that they're trying to elimate the double standard by encouraging all races to abandon the word, but this wont do much.

I won't even get into this. I've been talking about the word nigger/nigga and Michael Richards too much over the past week and a half.

I used to use the word but I gradually phased it out and used various other words to stand for all the meanings and nuances it has come to mean. This move won't help anything but it looks great in the papers I guess.

Is it worth trying HELL YEA it's worth it i don't care how long it would take, like drbibble said every JOURNEY begins with a step. And this is one journey worth taking. Black people have used this term far to long, it creates a mental block to make you fell like your nothing but that (nigga/nigger). I just hope other will follow Paul Mooney's lead especially black people.

did anybody here watch the series Black & White? There was an episode in which the black kid (dressed as a white kid) sat idly by while his white friends threw the N-word around. and when his father flipped out, he didn't see what the big deal was. I think that's kind of dangerous. yeah, the word has been recontextualized and reclaimed, and that's very powerful. but I think that reclamation involves ironies and subtexts that aren't always understood, esp by younger people. so I worry that, when it's used so frequently, folks of all races grow desensitized to it, in a way that threatens to minimize the tragedies of the past.

Michael Richards looked like an asshole nobody needs to come out against it. It's like when my neighbor videotaped me pissing on his lawn, nobody from the ACLU stood up and said 'I think pissing on your neighbors lawn and part of his house is wrong.' Shit, we all know that. When you go to the movies with these guys do they stand up and say 'I think it's wrong that this Death Star is even being built.' Don't we need leaders to lead us through confusion? We got a brain stem for the rest.

Let's all not use this word, are you serious, you got up in front of people and said that? You know everyone was laughing when you walked out of the room. Don't doubt it. You want to worry about something, check out how domestic terrorist is defined in the Homeland Secuirty acts, and have a nice day.

Whether Paul Mooney is right or wrong is for you to say, but I think he is, knowingly or not, and for better or worse, kind of harmonizing with the Fox News commentators who somehow managed (miracle of miracles) to turn this incident into a discussion about the "double standard" between blacks and whites in using the N-word. I'd love to see a moment-by-moment account of why Richards said what he said (has he given one?). I'd also love to see a moment-by-moment account of why the commentators said what they said about whites and blacks and this horrible double standard. Foxworld isn't just entertainment, it's a hermetic American mindset that needs to be studied.

Johnny Unitus, you are a funny, funny dude.

It's so cool that Paul Mooney is out gettin' some shine and talking about these issues.

Did anyone catch him last week when he was being interviewed on his thoughts about Michael Richards pre and post meltdown? He told the chocolate cake joke.

Anyway when all of this stuff happeded he was the first person I thought of because about six or seven years ago and Paul was performing at the Laff House on south street in Philly.

And before he got on there was this explosively funny sister on who had us all rollin' and she was talking about chicks in the hood with powder on they (their) chest and a pack of newports with they (their) license stuck in the back.

So then Paul comes on and he was laid back sitting on a stool.

And his act at this time wasn't funny. Coulda just been an off night.

So he goes into his OJ bit and then that's when one of the dope boys from the city began to shout "Man, OJ Dead!!

Thus began a series of heckles.

But Paul handles all of this shit so smoothly.

First he was ignoring dude.

Then he started cracking little jokes back and forth. And that was ok.

But when he tried to get back into his act, people started to heckle him so then he just made a little joke and was like lemme get outta here. Y'all been great. And he bowed out gracefully.

But never did he lose his cool.

I was shocked.

And the whole Mike Richards thing reminded me of this.

Now Paul an oldhead.

And Richard Pryor is the king.

But Richard was also one of the pioneers if not the greatest to ever do that conscious brand of comedy.

A lotta shit in the ghetto hurt Richard.

Heroin junkies.

White folks not carin' about the mess they made.

And at some point enough was probably enough.

Doesn't matter when.

Paul probably just got hit with an epiphany.

Because before he saw the mask slip off of MR like that, he thought MR was cool. (maybe someone can post that clip from last week. Did I see it here?)

See, if you take the word nigger it's like something that white folks gave us and we embraced it.

Like making a meal outta pig entrails. Some would say we some resourceful muvafuckas.

But whitefolks ain't give us that shit to help us.

They gave it to us to hurt us.

Like a little dagger, or a number two pencil that we can use to stab ourselves with whenever white folks ain't around to stab us themselves.

Anything that they give us or put their stamp of approval on is no good for us.
Like the word nigger, Puff Daddy or Madam CJ Walker.

Think of the reason behind the reason.

I used to be real wild when I was a young youf reading the basic black self awareness books (Behold a pale white horse, The miseducation of the negro, message to the blackman, 5% Lessons etc, etc,)

That coupled with a formal education in college had me pissed off at my people in the ghetto.

I was mad. fuming.

So I was talking to an older hustler and he told me that it took them 150 years to get us this way.

And it's gonna take us at least that amount of time to get right.

But the process has been reversed and we're on our way.

It's gradual.

Since then, I been looking at shit in a new light. Results are imminent for Black folks. All of us.

But I must be patient and realistic. And I keep a foot in hood.

Because I only got one people: Black People.

Ain't no "educated black people". Ain't no "niggas". Ain't no "uppity black folk". Ain't no "dumb ass niggas".

All of them my people.

So I made up some shit in 2004.

Since the process is gradual.

A lotta people I know just coming home from doing bids (jailtime). A lotta people I know ain't never gon know what the fuck a syllabus is.

So I can't realistically step to them and be like "Yo, for real on the Farrakhan tip, calling ourselves niggas is only making the white man happy cuz it's putting verbal power to self hate".

People'll be like "go 'head with that bullshit" especially when they know where and how you were raised.

I just cool out and replace "niggas" with "ninjas".

It's funny as shit at first. Really really funny.

Coupla of my friends do it. And just that cognizance of insulting yourself and loved ones with that word will make you stop using it altogether.

I mean you can get caught out there.

Sorta like when a meateater notes that vegetarians are having veggie burgers and they go "if you really were true about that shit then you wouldn't want the taste for a burger at all."

I peep that game about using the substitutes.

But the process is gradual so "ninjas" is an in-between buffer.

However,

However,

However,

You gotta really map out how white people do their thing.

Like shit can be simplistic for us. We're like

"But you can't beat me, though."

and we also maintain that if and since we can fuck people up, that's the ultimate display of power.

But white people get off on other shit.

Like staring at you when you are unaware.

Or not acknoweldging your presence.

Or being the last one to ask a question.

Or seeing you respond to their usage of a phrase or word.

So some could say that deading calling ourselves niggas would only make the slur more powerful.

But that is living for a response.

See, white people start some bullshit. And then you say "well I 'ont think we should do it because that's only gon make white people blah blah blah."

stop.

that's the problem.

Overall, I think some of y'all know where I'm coming from: Reactions or actions that are stimulated by something other than yourself are weak. Living for the acceptance (or the rejection) of white folks is played.

We'll start doing what we want as it applies and benefits us with disregard for the approval or disdain of anyone.

The way that others feel about us will cease to matter.

We didn't cause them to feel that way, so we can't change them.

No asking permission.

The strong never ask permission, they only apologize after the fact.

If it suits their needs.

We'll start to do what's best for us and us alone.

Dropping calling ourselves niggas serves our benefit.

-Black People

(said I had mad input)

i still think there is bigger problems then a word.... but since we all stuck on this raceism b.s. i might as well add some hip hop.... one of the positives of gettin rid of nigga would be that rappers couldnt use it as a rhymeing crutch no more . you know a two word line put nigga at the end of the line move to next line and repeat process. it gets kind of old when your entire verse is comprised of the nigga rhyme scheme.

All I know is, that weird "Dave Chappelle Conspiracy" web page that popped up online after Chappelle went AWOL from his show seems less weird to me in light of all of this.

Not to come off as TOTALLY bugged, but what would have happened if "Chappelle's Show" were still on the air and this Michael Richards thing still went down?

I wonder what Bill Cosby, Oprah Winfrey, Farrakhan and Whoopi Goldberg have to say about all of this.

black people have been trying to gain acceptance from white for to long, fuck that...I agree with bp that we have to do this for self...meaning to strengthen our people not because we think by denouncing the word it's a victory for white people and defeat for us. there is a bigger problem than the word itself but the word is part of problem.

I agree with everyone who posted that the word has to die but our struggle does not end with stopping the usage of the word.

I come from the perspective of sound power, in that the power that created the word is what is actualized whenever it is used. In this perspective, each and everytime the word is used collectively it's like a dagger in the heart of any attempt at self/communal love. It took a lot of work to get to this point (being conditioned to a slave mentality without a whip instead we whip ourselves). Sean Bell's murder is an example. I think also what we're seeing is class at play. I notice Jame's point about Chappelle show and what would Cosby, Winfrey, et al have to say. They're in a different class than we are. They walk in different circles and yet they have the privilige of stepping down to talk to/and down (in the case of Cosby and Oprah) to we working poor. A lack of understanding or desire to ignore class disparity is at the root. Which shows that money doesn't bring intellect or empathy simply an ability to be ignorant by living away from what's the majority.

I also agree significantly with trusouth, about how removing the word would lend to a transformation of lyrical content as we know it. yet at the same time, the material directed to the mass public is due to the commodification of Hip-hop/rap. the whole hip-hop is dead is a lie, it's fine, simply commodified to a degree. Kinda like saying Jazz is dead due to blue-note and heroin.

Remove the word, it's a start, add bitch, as well, lets see what happens. What's there to be scared of. The rest of the world is waiting for us as black folks in this country to get our shit together (at leas as a collective) the majority of we are poor, expendable. Time and time again that's what has been seen. It's how this country still exists as it does.

Irregardless, dialogue is important, and a step in self/community healing and cultivation.
Peace
j

People are very resourceful, they'll find a new word.
If you want to challenge rappers, make them get rid of 'like.'
Healing and Cultivation is too soft for the underground,
blowing shit up and bouncing bad checks.
Keep advertising Dick Gregory's book.
Peace to Dick Gregory, the Perverted Monks, and Brooklyn.

...so Black people can't have any more POETIC license, no sense of irony or humor? everything changes including words how can this word be allowed to be different than all others...will things no longer be sick, stupid or the shit? meaning that they are EXCELLANT...Black people in the U.S. have always taken things that were considered worthless and made something valuable out of them...especially language...my feelings are mixed in this situation which is challenging, but things are so much bigger than this word and as such is possible to be put into greater perspective; it just seems like another thing that pertains to African Americans in U.S. culture, however harsh, deemed to be the most reprehensible thing that ever existed and therefore must be completely discontinued at once if society is to have a chance at survival...as if all we needed to do is clean everyone's mouth out with soap and prejudice would be closer to being gone...some use the word, some don't, and the context of how it's communicated when and if it's used will indicate it's meaning like so much of everything else...besides, more people have moved beyond this particular debate than are given credit...just my thoughts...

Does anyone know where I can find that new Yoop Dogg song? I think it is called Undercover Lover. That boy gets down for this R&B shit. He can drip that funk shit. Also i am trying to download his other hit "Onto The Floor". Where do i get this ? Peace

I think the whole thing is ridiculous and disingenuous. I saw Mooney with Dick Gregory at the Lincoln Theatre in DC a few weeks ago. Mooney was washed up, tired, dull. Gregory, on the other hand, handled himself with grace and aplomb. He faced the nigger issue head-on and took a stand. Quite admirable, I'd say. On the other hand, Mooney, rather than discussing with the audience, his longtime fans, his decision to no longer use nigger or bitch in his acts, simply launched into his routine, side-stepping the obvious elephant in the room. And the audience, perhaps feeling sort of snubbed (as I did), waited and watched for him to slip up. And he did. He said both nigger and bitch. And we heckled him. Not because we support, necessarily, the bad language, but because he was dishonest with us. He didn't enlist us in his new quest. He discussed his intentions with Greta Sustern on Fox, but he couldn't dicuss it with us - all of whom had laid out big bucks to attend the show. And, therefore, he lost our respect. We all know we can't let a white person determine what we say. And we sure can't pretend that Michael Richard's greatest error was saying "nigger." It was his harken back to lynching, and violence, and a time when white Americans were bona fide terrorists. And it was the socially acceptable way of life in this country. If Mooney thinks using the word nigger was the real problem with Richard's bad behavior, he's not as smart as I always thought he was. That night at the Lincoln, and in the days preceeding as he did his rounds on cable news programs, he missed the opportunity to zero in on true American racism, a topic he has used for decades to earn a living. And, to that end, I'll never buy another Mooney CD or attend another Mooney performance. He's a fake - and I detest fakes.