Comedy writer Paul Mooney swears off the N word. Will the hip hoppers do the same?

[Philosoraptor]

I have a great deal of respect for comedy writer/comedian Paul Mooney, he's edgy, concise, hard core, and sharp as a knife, and he's decided to take the pledge and not use the word nigger in anymore of his writing and routines, based on the controversy stirred up by comedian Michael Richard's racist rant at black hecklers.

Can we come to some sort of consensus on the awful N word? We should either all agree not to use it, or come up with rules regarding it's proper use and abuse. I tend to agree with Paul Mooney, it's an ugly word, a volatile word, an insult word, like beeyatch or ho or nigga. Is the word nigga less offensive than the word nigger? If one black man calls another black man a nigger or a nigga, is it cool? Let's get to some sort of social agreement on our insults.

I stopped using the word many years ago, although some of my friends still use it, some black, some white, but I personally stopped uttering the word in public and only use it in discussions like this one.

A lot of the so called poetic lyrics of certain hip hoppers has always been controversial, and peppered with profanities of all types. Richard Pryor himself stopped using the word decades ago, and it was his number one comedy word. He was just as funny after he stopped using it, and he never looked back.

I hope Paul Mooney's example is picked up by everyone, of all races, ugly words hurt, let's try nicer ones.

[zanne]

1. Is Paul Mooney white or black? nt

[Philosoraptor]

2. he is black.

[TroglodyteScholar]

20. Not only is he black...

But he wrote for Richard Pryor for like 20 years.

This is a big deal. If only it were publicized as such......

[Little Wing]

3. 50 Cent mp3s will be about 5K/30 seconds each to download

without 'nigga' in them.

[zanne]

4. I think it's a cultural thing that will take time. nt

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

5. I think its casual use in "non-offensive" settings only fuels the fire.

While it's true, there's no helping the ignorant, perpetuating the use of the word, under any circumstances, can't lead to anything good. Do I think we can wipe it from existence? No, I don't. Do I even think eliminating the word will eliminate the hatred that goes with it? Of course not. But I do think we can limit it to all but the most extreme racists if we treat it like taboo in ALL settings. Further, I think it's a thing of respect - no one should tolerate being called that for any reason.

[sniffa]

6. but negrodamus is stiLL cooL right?

[Philosoraptor]

7. yes

that guy is so on it.

[izzybeans]

8. Paul Mooney is one of the more important comics out there on this topic.

Still it will be hard for him to break this. If anyone here has seen his show in the clubs (live), you'd know why it was an integral part of his act (even if it was only a punctuation mark on his punchlines).

As a white audience member I learned more about myself during his performances than I could have possibly imagined before I saw him live. If Paul Mooney can continue to construct an in-your-face tragic comedy without that word then I'm all for it. His act won't lose its thunder.


example: warning graphic comedy inside
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kF18vQkIR2k

[A Simple Game]

9. I see why I have never heard of him,

he just isn't funny. I lasted till about the one minute mark.

If he would stop with the N word, and the swearing, he would just sit there and not say anything.

As far as I am concerned, anyone who has to swear like that is lazy, inarticulate, and certainly not funny.

[BuyingThyme]

10. You've probably enjoyed his work without realizing it.

[A Simple Game]

11. That's possible.

On an unrelated topic, I do enjoy Spongebob!

[izzybeans]

13. If you enjoyed Richard Pryor then you heard Mooney's words, most likely

[butterfly77]

12. He's funny ...

you just don't want to admit it because he is telling the truth.

[A Simple Game]

19. You think he is funny,

I think he is vulgar.

[Catherine Vincent]

14. I certainly hope so!

The comedians that stopped using it were still funny so I am sure the rappers that halt using that word and profanities period, will still sell their rap. It makes me so mad when I listen to some of these rap songs my nieces and nephews listen to. Its like, when these rappers are in their 50+ years and hear their old rap songs, will they not be ashamed? I know I would.

[Bake]

15. I never realized Pryor stopped using it

I was laughing too hard, I guess, to notice.

Bake

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

17. he changed his mind again near the end of his life

according to his last interview-which also had some of the best anti-bush stuff i'd ever read

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

16. it's all in context

i never had a problem with , for instance, Public Enemy doing it, as there was always a political point to it

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

18. As a white man...

frankly, I don't see why I should be telling black men what they can and cannot say.