Discussion: CNN Repeatedly Airs N-Word: 'We Believe It Is Important' You Hear It

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Discussion for article #234182

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CNN, leading the way in airing the obvious. Will Don’s unashamed use of ‘the F word’ be next?

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People need to see and hear the actual chant. Saying or writing about frat boys chanting an “African-American slur” just doesn’t convey the obscenity.

There are nasty words and phrases we should usually avoid. But there are times when they need to be said.

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Nontroversy. I have no problem with them airing it so the viewing audience can appropriately recoil in disgust having been fully informed of what was in the video.

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“Marc, in all fairness she’s not calling black people niggers…She’s repeating the lyrics of a song.”

That’s true and I thought about that yesterday and came to the conclusion that all it does is require us to dig a little deeper to understand why what was in her video was just as disgusting: They video’d her doing that because they thought it was fucking hilarious to get the old lady to spew the n-bomb repeatedly. That’s just as insulting and disgusting as their bus chant. It leaves her intent somewhat in doubt (she may have just been a clueless dupe or she could’ve been in on the joke), but not the intent of the fart guys, who were clearly displaying their racist leanings by thinking it’s all a joke. It’s a bit of a reminder that yo may be holding the camera, but you’re still “in” the video. What you choose to record can say a lot about you.

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Myself: “Oh, Don Lemon said smart things without adding one or more dumb things to the mix.”

“‘Marc, in all fairness she’s not calling black people niggers,’ Lemon cut in. ‘She’s repeating the lyrics of a song.’”

Nnnnevermind.

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Sorry Don…she chose to repeat the lyrics…or did they put a gun to her head and make her do it ?

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Half of me yearns for the day when CNN gives up on its “all banality, all the time” format, and half of me dreads what it will be replaced with. The executives absolutely know that they’re not going to repeat their experiment of trying to report real news with copy written at an adult reading level that they did in the mid-aughts. Who wants to see that?

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“Die Horst Wessel Leid” is just a song too. I’m pretty sure most people would agree that singing it today would not be the moral equivalent of lip synching “Singing in the Rain.”

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I dont see how this is a big deal or technically a swear word. Might as well give people the full impact not watered down if anyone can find it online.

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This “n-word” stuff is ridiculous. Good for CNN. Have I said “nier" before? (typed as such so it is not deleted) YES. But I never CALLED anyone that. But I have definitely said "Tea Baggers can’t handle that there is a "nier” in the White House". And I have said that to lots of black people, and they laughingly agreed 100% and took no offense.

Was I supposed to say “Tea Baggers can’t handle that there is an N-word in the White House”. Those same black people would laugh their asses off at me for phrasing it like that.

Good for CNN here. Show exactly what these dicks said.

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and I’ve been in situations where im only white person around and people sayin ‘watch out for dem crackas’ and dont take offense because they arent talking about me specifically.

People are too sensitive these days

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He can’t use the word “fuck” since it contravenes FCC 's ruling. However, the word “nigger” is permissible because he is describing to people what a new item is about. The people didn’t say N-word. It’s called journalism.

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You are wrong on ‘fuck’ usage. The word describing the sexual act is forbidden but its use as an adjective (for ex: That fucking movie was fucking awesome!) is permitted.
If you require the full spelled-out N-word to understand the clear and obvious use of that word, you are admitting more about yourself than you think you are. CNN’s use isn’t journalism but sensationalism.

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Maybe here a rule for white folk: If there be but a slip of a shade of a misgiving that saying “nigger” in a given context might sound racist, don’t say it. That’s going to rule out jokes entirely. So be it–because no joke ever was taken as intended by half the people it was told to. I get pretty cringy over white people making disclaimers and painstakingly explaining how and when and why they said “nigger.” (and of course how all the black people laughed.) If it takes the damn meeting minutes to assuage any fear of potential misunderstanding, maybe you should’ve left it in your head where it belongs. Just be smart.

On the other hand, when the subject at hand is a word, and the sound of the word, and the saying of the word, and we’re trying to convey that a word was said in what fashion, tone, and context, just use the damn word-in-question. We’re adults. In serious and sophisticated journalism, y’know, the Don Lemon brand, we should be able to stomach our subject matter. Why aren’t we more concerned about watching NV cannon-cam reels of C-130s blowing homes and folks away? We all watched a man get choked to death on Staten Island. If that stuff offends you, are you more upset that you experienced it, or that it happened? Who you gonna dive after? The messenger, sure. Jesus.

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