AF-am Group: Are people really going to bat for Bill Maher on DU?

[SaschaHM]

The need to anti-Trump and embrace every anti-trumpian figures does not excuse "house n*gger".

[brer cat]

1. No way!

That is inexcusable.

[bettyellen]

2. I really hope not, but probably true. Am deeply ashamed.

[jodymarie aimee]

3. how old are you guys?

Lenny Bruce, Carlin....Maher is genius and gave over a Million $$ to Obama...He is brilliant and I remind you, a Comedian.

[SaschaHM]

18. How old are you?

Seriously. Your excuse for Af-am democrats having an issue w/ something is "old white men did it and this one gave a black man some money"?

[jodymarie aimee]

40. the point is that is NOT serious

Maher is a brilliant comedian/satirist. As were Mort Sahl, Smother Bros, Carlin, Lenny Bruce, I see them as colorless....I am 66 and know better than to freak out about comedy. All this black white shit...we are all brothers.

[kwassa]

41. but do black people see them as colorless?

We all have color, and we all see color.

[jodymarie aimee]

44. My black best friend, 75

thinks Maher is hilarious. Thought comment was nothing to freak out about. Let the Rs do the scrapping, we have better things to do, such as reclaim 1000+ seats in this country.

[lib87]

45. "We're colorless and need to stop this white/Black stuff" Yet you tout your 'Black best friend'

As a prop for your argument against AA anger about racism in a AA thread about racism. Then say we Black folk need to focus on better things than racism that affects us because you know what's best for Black folk,

The peak entitlement!

[kwassa]

46. Don't tell black people what to think about racism.

It isn't up to you or your black friend.

[bettyellen]

48. Did you really just say "you know better" than people complaining about racist remarks?

Maybe you need to unpack that and sit with it a while?
I've never seen so much patronizing bullshit written on one topic.

[jehop61]

4. He has been

Weirder and stranger over the last few months. Not really funny anymore. This was insulting.

[lib87]

5. Yes.

White allies defending the use of bill maher using n****r because they like his show and viewpoints aka racism lite. It is not a surprise and yet still disgusting to read.

[rogue emissary]

6. Yeah, being anti-Donny isn't enough for me to excuse his bigotry.

Especially, how Islamaphobic his rants and guest have been in the last few years. Even his DU supporters acknowledge it and excuse it.

[Binkie The Clown]

7. My great grandmother on my mother's father's side was a black African.

The rest of me is Irish, French, and Scandinavian.

Does that give me enough black blood to allow me to use the word freely?

Frankly, if people don't want to hear a word, then they should stop using the word themselves.

[Quayblue]

9. Which "people" are you referring to?

[Binkie The Clown]

11. People like me who have ancestors that were discriminated against.

And I'm including my Irish blood in that as well.

Does my Irish blood grant me the right to call other Irish by racist, insulting names? No.
Does my little bit of black blood, grant me the right to call others by racist insulting names? No.

How Irish do I have to be before I'm allowed to use racist slurs toward Irish?
How black do I have to be before I'm allowed to use racist slurs toward blacks?

I think ALL racist slurs are wrong, and never to be tolerated. But I'm calling out the hypocrisy of anyone who both uses a word, AND condemns its use.

[Quayblue]

13. Sure. Nt

[SaschaHM]

15. You have more patience than I do.

[lib87]

16. Lol!

As soon as that pedigree was listed, we knew what was coming.

[LanternWaste]

50. I consider myself pretty damned stupid if I called them hypocrites.

"I'm calling out the hypocrisy of anyone who both uses a word, AND condemns its use..."

I remember a wonderful evening about twenty years ago. One of my closest friends had just finished his enlistment duty in the Marines and he invited me to a party he was throwing with a lot of other Marines. These guys were pretty nice, and called each other "jarhead" all evening long. I got pretty drunk and wound up using the term myself. As politely as marine can, they dissuaded me from ever using the term again, telling me they had earned the right to use it, while I hadn't.

I consider myself pretty damned stupid if I called them hypocrites for their own use of it among themselves; but then again, I don't pretend to be oppressed because I choose freely to avoid particular word usages.

[Binkie The Clown]

53. Point taken. Clearly I was wrong. My apologies for any offense I may have given. n/t

[ciaobaby]

28. Why would you want to use the word ?

[Binkie The Clown]

29. I don't want to. It's offense. My point is, it's offensive no matter who uses it. n/t

[ciaobaby]

32. Agreed.

[JustAnotherGen]

35. Well I've been called it in my life

By angry ugly white people many times.

If I want to write a book about Highland cooking traditions and call it N-Word I should be able to make a profit off of something designed to hurt me.

We got your point - you came into the Af AM Group to chastise us
It's a message board - you participated . . .

Now you know what an American who is black is thinking. You won't change me.

As a matter of fact - I'm going to steal an idea.

After I make millions off of the book from other black people in on the joke I'm going to launch a morning show called - CPT.

It will air at noon and be the highest rated morning show ever!

[pnwmom]

37. Unless you are viewed as a black or mixed race person by the people around you,

(doubtful since you are only 1/8 black) AND unless you only use that word in the company of black people who accept you as one of them, and your use of the word, then no. You shouldn't be using the word freely.

[kwassa]

42. so it's all black people's fault.

You might consider what forum you are in.

[Binkie The Clown]

43. I didn't say that, or imply that.

You are correct though, about the forum. It's meant to be your safe space, not mine. I apologize for any offense. None was intended.

[Quayblue]

8. Bill Maher can do no wrong with some folks

I noticed his lslamophobia years ago so this comes as no surprise to me.

[lib87]

10. Now it is Black people's fault for white people using the n-word y'all

Funny how no one uses the same rationale with gay people and gay slurs.

The racism lite outing continues.

[Quayblue]

12. Seriously!!

Grown ass man can't control himself so the blame is to be placed on other "people".

[Number23]

55. And not only that but apparently it's okay because Maher donated to Obama!!

What in the EVER LOVING fuck??! Why did I come back to this slice of hell??!

[snpsmom]

14. He's been disgusting for a long time

but this was beyond his usual crap. No pass.

[rock]

17. He's a comedian

and called himself a "house n-word". What's the problem?

[La Lioness Priyanka]

20. OMG? REALLY? I HAD NO FUCKING IDEA?

we are all so dumb here. thank you for enlightening us. what would we do without you?

[rock]

22. Great answer

[leftofcool]

56. Lioness, please use a "warning emoji" on your posts

I keep having to clean up the coffee spit on my monitor.

[LanternWaste]

51. Lack of humor in both statement and context

"What's the problem?"

Lack of humor in both statement and context. Doesn't take an above average mind to perceive what is grossly obvious.

<cue the disingenuous who will allege it was funny because their many, many black friends told them so...>

[La Lioness Priyanka]

19. Yes, they are. These people are shitty fucking allies to black people.

Shitty fucking people.

[lib87]

25. Yep. Allies in name only one could say.

Dictate how a marginalized group should feel about racial slurs and jokes directed toward them? That's racist but since they vote (D), have a black friend/partner/past partner/colleague/neighbor/ancestor by rape it's not? C'mon now!

[The Polack MSgt]

21. I haven't seen any threads supporting him

But there probably will be a few soon.

Sometimes he's funny. This time he was an ass.

I believe he's racist, because the thought that what he said was acceptable didnt come from a vacuum.

I've argued this point repeatedly on DU, doing racist things means you are racist.

But whether it's a thread about voting for trump or random questionable acts on social media, there are always folks willing to say that doing racist shit doesn't mean that they are racist.

I say that defending and down playing racism is also a racist act. But what do I know.
Peace

[La Lioness Priyanka]

24. GD is full of thread and subthread. one titled 'we need bill maher..."

[The Polack MSgt]

26. Yeah, on my phone I just look at my subscriptions

Fired up the laptop and looked at GD - yep I was wrong.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

27. it's a shitshow here.

[ciaobaby]

30. Could not agree with you more.

I am white and I bet you 99% of the support for Maher is from white people. It is depressing and sad and makes me angry to be lumped in the same category. This site has reached a new low.
My question to all defending Maher is why would they ever want or feel the need to use this historically racist term. No answers yet.

[bettyellen]

49. Partially my fault- sorry guys but they piss me off. Such lame excuses.

[radical noodle]

23. I'm old fashioned

I don't like the n-word coming out of anyone's mouth. I was taught it was a disgusting slur and I'm not going to stop feeling that way at my age, even if it's a comedian who gave 1 million dollars to Obama. There's just a limit for me and that's one of them.

[stevenleser]

31. One of his defenders said I wasn't POC enough to object to Maher's use of the word

while she defended it.

No really: https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=9153916

[pnwmom]

39. What gall. n/t

[emulatorloo]

52. Deplorable!

Really disgusted at how low these Maher defenders will go.

[sinkingfeeling]

33. Not me. I never could stand him.

[elehhhhna]

36. Same here. He's a jerk. Next he'll call women the c.word and the excuses will fly.

Disgusting.

[Rollo]

34. Sticks and stones...

I figure a member of a race or ethnicity gets a mulligan for using self-deprecating racial slurs... But it's not something I approve of when members of other races or ethnicities use them, especially if it's in a hostile context.

I've seen blacks use the n-word among themselves, and mostly it appears to be a sort of a bonding experience. If talking like that is a right, then they've earned it.

Similarly for other races and ethnicities, using slurs directed at their own.

Unfortunately I'm of such a mixed European ancestry I can't claim any one nationality other than American. And the n-word has never been part of my vocabulary, and never will be. When someone not of a certain race or ethnicity uses a racial slur directed at members of other races or ethnicity, my response, if any, is usually, "I don't use that word." They usually get the message and stop using it, at least with me.

I do recall back in the 70's a black friend of mine going on and on about how great a certain hair product was, that was/is called "Afro-Sheen". After a while I quipped, "Oh yes, that's great, and I use 'Honky-Glow''. He doubled over with laughter.

I also recall a movement to ban from public schools the use of Mark Twain's great novel, "Huckleberry Finn" because of its use of the n-word. I have mixed feelings about that, because the novel was revolutionary for its time showing the trials and tribulations of a black man in the antebellum South, as a real person with feelings and emotions. It is, in fact, great literature. At the same time, I can see a big problem if children of today were required to recite passages containing the n-word. It likely would be very hurtful to their classmates of African-American heritage, and also bad if it legitimized, in a child's mind, use of the word in a hostile context.

[pnwmom]

38. Thank goodness for this haven. The obtuseness of some progressives --

if that's what it is -- floors me.

I wish I could apologize for all the idiots who share my skin color.

[wildeyed]

47. Absolutely.

I don't even need to check.

[PragmaticLiberal]

54. Am I going to bat for him?

I think I understand what he going for from a comedic viewpoint.

Doesn't mean it was funny. I just understand the context.

The real issue is it might give an excuse for people who I think are genuinely racist (don't think that's Maher) to say anything.

Not that they don't say it now...but you get my point.

[LanternWaste]

57. What then was he going for?

"I think I understand what he going for from a comedic viewpoint..."

What precisely then was he going for; and what was the relevant context you allege to understand?

[PragmaticLiberal]

58. I'll explain.

Perhaps seeing it in text will help:


“Adults dress up for Halloween, they don’t do that in Nebraska?” Maher asked.

“It’s frowned upon,” Sasse replied. “We don’t do that quite as much.”

“I gotta get to Nebraska more,” Maher said.

“You’re welcome; we’d love to have you work in the fields with us,” Sasse joked.

“Work in the fields,” Maher scoffed. “Senator, I’m a house nigger.”

“You still working in the fields out there, huh?” Maher said.

“Yeah,” Sasse said. “We want our kids to suffer.”




Now do I think he should have said it? Nope.

I just understand what he was going for from a comedic standpoint.

Obviously it backfired because rather than get "laughs" he got shock/outrage.


Hopefully he'll learn from this experience.