Oprah Can’t Be Friends With People Who Use The N-Word Around Her...
Options
stringer bell
Members Posts: 26,212 ✭✭✭✭✭
mediaite.com/online/nope-rah-oprah-cant-be-friends-with-people-who-use-the-n-word-around-her/
Nope-rah: Oprah Can’t Be Friends With People Who Use The N-Word Around Her
The George Zimmerman verdict in the killing of Trayvon Martin renewed debate over the use of the n-word, both within the black community and outside of it. In an interview to promote the upcoming film The Butler, media superpower Oprah Winfrey weighed in, telling Parade Magazine “You cannot be my friend and use that word around me.”
The media periodically rediscovers the debate over the n-word, but it never really goes away. Some feel that its use within the black community is justified, either as a way to take it back or to rob the word of its power, but Oprah’s line of thinking is as handy a refutation of the latter as I’ve heard, and a crystal-clear case for why it shouldn’t, and probably can’t, be robbed of its power. She also settled the inane “n-word vs. ? ” cage match in the process. From Parade:
On using the N-word:
(The Butler director)Lee Daniels: It’s a word I used quite a bit, until Oprah sat me down and talked to me about its power.
Winfrey: You cannot be my friend and use that word around me. It shows my age, but I feel strongly about it. … I always think of the millions of people who heard that as their last word as they were hanging from a tree.
(The Butler star) Forest Whitaker: I don’t use the word. Never did.
Winfrey also told the magazine that today’s young people aren’t well-informed about the Civil Rights Movement, which The Butler traces through the eyes of Whitaker’s black White House staffer. “They don’t know diddly-squat,” Winfrey said. “Diddly-squat!”
The trio also touched on racism, through the lens of recent events:
Whitaker: I’ve had many incidents in my life of racism. I’ve been thrown on the ground. I’ve been frisked. I’ve been arrested so many times I couldn’t tell you. I have no need to talk about it.
Daniels: It’s a given. I can’t even get a taxi [in New York]. I send my [white] assistant out to get a taxi because I can’t.
Whitaker: The movie deals with the valuation of life, too. Like, whose life is valuable? Is it okay to take life? In terms of today, [the film] Fruitvale Station [of which Whitaker is a producer] is playing, about the shooting of Oscar Grant in the Oakland BART station, which just happened in 2009.
Winfrey: And the shooting of Trayvon Martin.
Whitaker: If you can’t accept that these things are going on, you’re living an illusion. So the question at this point is more of, how can we move the needle forward? Can we speak up? I think this film helps that in some way.
Winfrey: Yeah. But do we live in a land where Martin Luther King’s dream has been ultimately fulfilled? No. Has part of the dream been fulfilled?
Daniels: Yes.
Winfrey: [nods] Are more people judged by the content of their character than by the color of their skin? Yes. Is everybody judged by the content of their character? Absolutely not.
Comments
-
meanwhile she giving folks a movie about a butler... ? ? ...
-
Right lol.
-
-
jus cuz they don't use the word around her don't mean they don't use it... ? if a ? im cool with don't like me using the word around them i wont.... that's jus respect...
? and honestly who REALLY gonna be like " yea i was cool wit oprah but this chick gonna tell me i cant say ? around her so i said ? it we aint cool then ? " -
Oprah Winfrey weighed in
-
Not a surprise.
I know -
I think she makes a good point about that word being the last one black people heard as they were lynched or whipped. But i still think u can take a bad word and turn it into something good.
-
-
Only white middle aged housewives care what Oprah's likes are dislikes are...
SN: My bad, forgot to include Chi. Middle aged housewives and Chi... -
This made me furiousStopitfive wrote: »meanwhile she giving folks a movie about a butler... ? ? ...
I agree with Oprah and share the same sentiments. And especially don't use it to address me
-
This made me furiousStopitfive wrote: »meanwhile she giving folks a movie about a butler... ? ? ...
I agree with Oprah and share the same sentiments. And especially don't use it to address me
butler? -
Hypocritical cos they will use the words when they get to the confines of their home.
-
Naw, u being ignorant of the significance of the butler's storyStopitfive wrote: »
This made me furiousStopitfive wrote: »meanwhile she giving folks a movie about a butler... ? ? ...
I agree with Oprah and share the same sentiments. And especially don't use it to address me
butler?
Not hypocritical @ all.DreadlockRasta wrote: »Hypocritical cos they will use the words when they get to the confines of their home.
She said 'around her'. I think O deserves that respect. She's seen enough and done more than enough for the American ? to last two lifetimes. The least ? 's could do is not say ? around her.
I see it as not cursing in front of my parents or grandparents and so IF I was moving in her circles I'd abide by her wishes. Hell I'd probably do just about anything that she asked as long as it didn't compromises my own moral compass -
That's her right. It's stupid as ? , IMO. But how is this different than anybody else refusing to be friends with people who disrespect them?
-
Only white middle aged housewives care what Oprah's likes are dislikes are...
I wish that were true, but you'd be surprised how many black people out there act like Oprah is Jesus returned in fat black woman form.
I remember at Thanksgiving I was sitting with my In-laws and all of them were talking about how much they wanted to meet Oprah.
-
This is actually pretty common among the older generation.
-
TheEyeronic1 wrote: »lighthearted26 wrote: »I think she makes a good point about that word being the last one black people heard as they were lynched or whipped. But i still think u can take a bad word and turn it into something good.
it don't matter if the last word they heard was "cupcakes", folks were still being HUNG.
looks like I wouldn't be oprahs friend then. who cares.
I mean yea i get your point, the bigger picture is they were treated horribly, not so much the words used.i mean my 73 year old grandma uses ? . Not on a regular basis and not as a term of endearment, but usually when referencing some low down ? black folks. And my grandma has actually picked cotton before and went through segregation and all that ? .
-
That's not helping the situation @Chicity
-
NothingButTheTruth wrote: »This is actually pretty common among the older generation.
Yeah its not surprising she is in her 50's most black men and women around her age don't say that word fir the most part. -
? 's attitude towards the plights of their forefatherslighthearted26 wrote: »TheEyeronic1 wrote: »lighthearted26 wrote: »I think she makes a good point about that word being the last one black people heard as they were lynched or whipped. But i still think u can take a bad word and turn it into something good.
it don't matter if the last word they heard was "cupcakes", folks were still being HUNG.
looks like I wouldn't be oprahs friend then. who cares.
I mean yea i get your point, the bigger picture is they were treated horribly, not so much the words used.i mean my 73 year old grandma uses ? . Not on a regular basis and not as a term of endearment, but usually when referencing some low down ? black folks. And my grandma has actually picked cotton before and went through segregation and all that ? .
? ridiculous
What's not helping?DreadlockRasta wrote: »That's not helping the situation @Chicity
Changes in expectations yield changes in behavior.
-
? will always be ?
-
Let me guess, u wanna meet Chief Keef?The Lonious Monk wrote: »Only white middle aged housewives care what Oprah's likes are dislikes are...
I wish that were true, but you'd be surprised how many black people out there act like Oprah is Jesus returned in fat black woman form.
I remember at Thanksgiving I was sitting with my In-laws and all of them were talking about how much they wanted to meet Oprah.
-
That's respectable in my book. She has standards for the people around her. That's something we all should do.
There is little ? y'all friend's do that y'all scared to call them out on.
I had friends over one day and I didn't like the manner or the volume you used the word ? . Told him to chill... -
on the other hand you can be prim and proper in words. in reference to not saying ? ..
but if your actions/reactions dont rise above your omission what is it worth.
Im just speaking in general about the use of choice words juxtaposed to the actions that have that same venom -
Let me guess, u wanna meet Chief Keef?The Lonious Monk wrote: »Only white middle aged housewives care what Oprah's likes are dislikes are...
I wish that were true, but you'd be surprised how many black people out there act like Oprah is Jesus returned in fat black woman form.
I remember at Thanksgiving I was sitting with my In-laws and all of them were talking about how much they wanted to meet Oprah.
Why would I want to do that? Oh I get it, you think that anyone that doesn't worship the ground that Oprah stomps on I must instead idolize ignorant ass hood ? huh? Nope, actually I don't put any human being on a pedestal and choose use my own brain instead of fawn over what people on the tv do and say.
Get a grip, I know she's a goddess to ya'll Chicago folk, but to me she's just the woman mastered capitalizing off the masses of sheep looking for someone to lead them. I don't hate her. I congratulate her. She did big things. That doesn't mean that I hold her up as some kind of authority on all that exists just because she's made a lot of money.
