..." I won't forget my camera. Me forgetting my camera is like a nigga forgetting her weave. Nevaa happenin!!"
yea.
go back and read that again.
yea.
this was part of facebook status update that an acquaintance of mine posted. the person thought that this particular statement made by a friend was hilarious. both people in question are of the caucasian persuasion. but that doesn't even matter. this statement, made by aaaanyone, is completely inane and inappropriate. i seriously did a triple take and had to convince myself i wasn't bugging. i even went so far as to try to convince myself that there was nothing wrong with that statement. but there is.
let's examine this a bit and break down exactly what is was wrong with this "joke". i'm going to start off with the stereotype that was used. the person compared never forgetting a camera to a black female never forgetting her weave. *news flash* not all black women wear weaves. and not all who do wear a weave feel they "can't leave home without it". furthermore, many women of other races wear weaves with much greater frequency than black women. 2008 and some people still pigeonhole black women into the shanaynay stereotype.
secondly, the word "nigga" can be an extremely incendiary word regardless of what context it is used in. it has generally come to be accepted as a term of endearment amongst many members of the black community, and to a lesser degree other male minorities, white men, and even members of the lesbian community. but it is not used (well at least not since, like, the civil war) by anyone other than slave owners, racists, and other equally ignorant individuals, as an acceptable term with which to casually describe or categorize a black person. that is absolutely
not ok. ever.
thirdly, you are part of the problem. you are why black people cringe when other people use the "n-word". because they now that eventually, you're going to fuck up. you're going to use a word with such a destructive and painful history as a joke. and then all hell is going to break loose. and i know you don't mean to sound racist and i know you think it's ok. but it's not. trust me.
it is a very widely debated question as to whether or not the word nigger in any of its' form is acceptable in any setting or context. i'm not going to attempt to weigh in on that now. i use the word. sometimes in serious conversation, other times in jest. i also try not to use it. overuse of any given word can make an individual seem static and ignorant, and that my friends, is not me. so use the word or don't use it, i'm not one to judge. but at the very least use your brain when you do. or you might end up sounding like a nigger.
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