大象传媒

Reginald 鈥淲hass happenin鈥�?鈥� Hunter is in the studio explaining his reasons for his show: 鈥淧ride and Prejudice and Niggas.鈥� Which premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe this August. He鈥檒l be on in the second half of the show.

Reginald: 鈥淚t has upset people 鈥榗os of the use of the word niggas. There was no incident regarding the title when I was in Edinburgh. The fear that someone would be offended has caused them to do this. It鈥檚 a business decision. It鈥檚 impractical for them to promote something that might affect business. I鈥檝e heard it all my life. I belive it鈥檚 the context in which the wiord is used. Some people think having the word in thtretitle is tantamount to calling people that. Where I come from, Georgia, a lot of people are referred to as niggers.鈥�

This topic will be provocative so be warned . . . A text is in already:

鈥淩acism will never end because it is a sin problem.鈥�
Kelvin, Zambia .

Alastair Leithead: our man in Afghanistan.

Alistair: 鈥淚鈥檓 in Camp Bastion in Helmand province. It鈥檚 a bleak place.鈥�

Paul in Canada: 鈥淲hat is troop morale like? What do the soldiers think their chances are and what do they need from us?鈥�

Alistair: 鈥淢orale is very high. At least here there is a chance. There is a democratically elected president and parliament and still huge [problems but the soldiers are saying that their plan will take the country forward.鈥�

A text is in:
鈥淗ow did the normal Afghanis feel about the Western military presence? Did they think it was helping improve their plight or simply delaying the inevitable of continual poverty and undesirable regimes?鈥�
Steve, Utah, USA

Richard: 鈥淒o our troops have the right equipment?鈥�

Alistair: 鈥淓very soldier says 鈥榳e could do with more鈥�. That鈥檚 a British attitude.

An anonymous text:
鈥淣ow that Rumsfeld is gone, is it not time to bring the Taleban into the main stream government with a compromise as they have good support locally...hence stop this clash of civilizations. We as Muslims has seen the slaughter of our Muslim brothers a lot since the bush became the president. It鈥檚 about time to stop.鈥�

Sue is asking: 鈥淐an women wear what they like?鈥�

Alistair: 鈥淚n Southern Afghanistan people are very conservative. It鈥檚 the norm. In Kabul鈥檚 it鈥檚 perhaps different: over a 20 minute period I counted all the women I saw and over 50% were covered. It鈥檚 just the tradition

Nisa, originally from Afghanistan: 鈥淲hat are the strategic difficulties faced by the troops?鈥�

Alistair: 鈥淭he strategy is to try and win people over. The Taleban operate over many places. The fighting that鈥檚 going has led to civilian deaths and forced people to move. The nature of the fighting, bringing the security, has in fact caused trouble for the very people they鈥檙e trying to win over. Getting the balance right is what it鈥檚 all about. 80% of people are floating voters and will go with whoever is winning.鈥�

Two more texts just in:
鈥淐onvey my love 2 British troops in Afghanistan. I probably would be one of them had it not been for not knowing anybody in the UK. 鈥�
James, Entebbe.

鈥淭he 鈥楴鈥� word: whose word is it anyway? Has it鈥檚 becoming taboo somehow diminished/disappeared numerous other derogatory terms that no longer seem2B heard?
Caro, NYks

John wants to know: 鈥淎re we getting sanitised feedback with embedded reporting?鈥�

Another text, this time from Africa
鈥淒ESCRIBE WHAT REACTION THE TROOPS GET WHEN THEY ENTERED TOWNS WITH YOU. WERE ANY LOCAL PEOPLE TALKING AND FRIENDLY?鈥�
PETER, UGANDA

Alistair responds: 鈥淚t鈥檚 very mixed. Sometimes you鈥檒l get grins and waving, sometimes icy stares. That鈥檚 a problem.鈥�

Some questions via e-Mail:
鈥淚s there actually an overall strategy - rather than just tactics - in Aghanistan?鈥�
Martin

鈥淢y question is: could you give us an example of how the troops operationalize their 鈥榳inning the hearts and minds鈥� of the Afghan people? How are their armed operations aimed at minimizing civilian casualties?鈥�
Arnav, Montreal, Canada

Julius, has phoned in from Switzerland: 鈥淗ow do the local population react?鈥�

Alistair responds: 鈥淭he presence of the forces is overall welcomed across the country. If they pulled out tomorrow it would be absolute chaos so there is generally a feeling of support for the international troops. People are perhaps disappointed by the corruption. People don鈥檛 see the effects of the money.鈥�

Ros - a trained Beeb presenter 鈥� wants to pose a Q and he knows how to get to the jugular: 鈥淎listair, were you scared鈥�.?鈥�

Alistair: 鈥淥ften you wouldn鈥檛 realise how dangerous a situation was until afterwards.鈥�

Is usage of the N-word ever justified?

We鈥檙e back after the news and our phone lines are ready for your calls. The number is on the right hand side.

Reg: 鈥淚 understand. I鈥檓 not too surprised. I don鈥檛 want that word having power over me. If you want the word to lose its power then remove it from its special place.鈥�

T is in Detroit: 鈥淚 disagree with the use of the word. Not everybody may have the strength he does to not let it get power over them. He鈥檚 from a Southern state 鈥� I don鈥檛 get it. Not everybody is capable of using common sense. . . .

Reg: 鈥淭here鈥檚 a reason why people can鈥檛 use common sense is cos there鈥檚 an unofficial reaction we鈥檙e supposed to have.鈥�

T: 鈥淟ook at other slang words like spic . . . you don鈥檛 hear that. There are too many young people who don鈥檛 know what it means. I hear N-word this N-word that in Coney Island all the time . . the word has been popularised? If you have a feeling about expletives, the N-word is just like an expletive.鈥�

Reg: 鈥淗earing a word uttered doesn鈥檛 give me the right to get with piissy with someone.鈥�

Lee Jasper: 鈥淭rying to having a post modernist understanding of that word is just not a believable premise. It is a word imbued with so much pain and anger. Attempting some sort of liberal reclaiming of the word flies in the face of . . . it isn鈥檛 popular in the UK鈥�

Reg: 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a bold assertion. Have you heard rap music in the UK?鈥�

Emails are flying in:

鈥淲ords have the weight and importance we give them. I don't and wouldn't use any language that I consider offensive in reference to anyone else, but find that use of the word "nigger" by others is useful, in as much as it alerts me to what sort of person I am dealing with, black or white.鈥�
Gladys, Berlin

鈥淚 believe the word 鈥榥igger鈥� should be stripped of its negative connotations by bringing it out in the open - you hear it a lot in New York city but only among some groups of people - it's like anything else, if you try to hide it, it becomes taboo.鈥�
Pepe

鈥淚 think there's a variety of uses of the 鈥榥-word鈥欌�� the offensiveness-level really depends on the context. For example it can be used as a derogatory and racist term, or in a more funny way to tease someone or to rag on what someone said.鈥�
Arnav, Montreal, Canada

Kwame: 鈥淩eg is finding himself in the position of defending the N-word. I applaud TFL for being aware that this word causes offence. Whether we wish to reclaim it through the prism of rap is a separate discussion.鈥�

Reg: 鈥淚鈥檓 not upset with TFL鈥檚 (Transport For London) decision.鈥�

Lee: 鈥淭his word is racially codified. I haven鈥檛 seen the show so maybe the show would give me some context. But when you advertise with this word or title with this word then the first caller from the US was right, some people are not gonna handle it well.鈥�

Reg: 鈥淭hat鈥檚 part of your job to keep the peace. My pov is a more artistic mandate, Through comedy I like to point out certain things in society.鈥�

An e-Mail:

鈥淚t is about intent!! If someone uses that word with me, they MUST know that it is ok. If you don't know whether it is ok, you DON'T use it.鈥�
Errol, Boston, USA

Reg: 鈥淭here is a thing sometimes about American black imperialism. Anyway, the irony for me is that I know people who are racist but who would never say the word nigger. People think by not saying the word racism will disappear. That鈥檚 just not so.鈥�

Ros: 鈥淒id you do this for publicity?鈥�

Reg: 鈥淚t was genuinely an attempt to do a piss-take on Jane Austen. Sometimes you forget other people don鈥檛 have your sense of humour. I am quite surprised at what鈥檚 come back.鈥�

Jean in the Netherlands but originally from Africa: 鈥淚鈥檓 a bit surprised that it is a big issue. I am proud to be a negroid. It should be ok . . . it鈥檚 what we are.鈥�

Some e-Mails:
鈥淚 live in the Caribbean and we do not like anybody to use that word. It is derogatory like Coolie and Buck. Black Americans seem to enjoy self mutilation. It does not matter how wonderful the literary work, it cannot wash away the history of that word.鈥�
Janice

鈥淚 always thought n word was uniquely identified with African American and not other cultures, but a friend told me that poor/disadvantaged Arabs are referred to as sand n word. It sounds bad all around to me.鈥�
Bruce

A caller from the states: 鈥淭his discussion is Richard Pryce, Lenny Bruce, Richard Wright . . . these people taught me how to understand that word. The rest of the world can carry right on along.鈥�

Lee: 鈥淚 find it difficult to conceptualise that this word is an advancement for black people. It is a summation of the worst aspects of our own character.鈥�

Final word of the night goes to the man himself . . .
Reg: 鈥淧ain is pain. There鈥檚 no such thing as Jewish, gay or black pain. Claiming we can 鈥榯 say this word is like saying it鈥檚 black pain.鈥�

. . . apart of course from our numerous texters and e-Mailers:

鈥淯sing 鈥榥...鈥� word by the black is a sort of masochism; used by the white is a kind of sadism.鈥�
Krzysztof, Poland.

People who were architects of slavery would find such terms to be offensive,its a very liberal term by my standard.
Weaver Mumba,LSK,ZAMBIA.

鈥淯 CALL ME NIGGA I'LL CALL U HONKEY !I DONT BELIEVE A WORD SHOULD BE BANNED GROW UP U PEOPLE (BLACK OR WHITE!)鈥�
FRANK OBIE ONICHA NIG

鈥淲ORDS LIKE THOSE ARE REAL ABUSE TOWARDS THE BLACK PEOPLE. PLEASE LET'S HAVE RESPECT FOR ONE ANOTHER.
MUTAI.

鈥淲hat one culture finds offensive, another acceptable. What is the big deal as long as the user can handle the repercussions?鈥�
A CRACKER from phoenix.

鈥淪o many lives were lost in the attempt to get words of such negative connotations to be banned. Why is Reginald, a black man at that trying to reach back and pick up such an offensive word to embrace? If anything he should ask himself if Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, and other black civil rights leaders would approve behaviour.鈥�
Alfred, Chicago, USA

鈥淚 think that one should not feel offended by this word. That way nobody would want to use it to offend...鈥�
Kenechi, Nigeria.

鈥淩idicule the offensive and we ridicule those who offend! Go for it - with respect and care, but go for it! 鈥�
Nick, Norway

鈥淎s a homosexual, i and my gay friends use liberally words like queer, fag, and the like, because they are ours, and i think using them that way weakens their negative affect, as the gentleman says. he has the right to use it, but i probably wouldn't.
Stefan, Prague

鈥淔or God's sake - it's not the WORD, it's certain USES of the word that are problematic. 'People of colour' (now we can't say 'black' either) have every right to use the word as they choose - and they do. Watch some African-American films, listen to some, er, 'coloured' music. It's up to African Americans. Great publicity for the show, but Get Real!!!鈥�
Martin, Amsterdam

Some final texts to this stormin鈥� debate:

鈥淭he word does offend many people and as such one generaly should not use it.your program shows how much emotion it can raise.
JOHN -zambia .

鈥淩eginald you do not have self respect that is why you use the n word but not all BLACKS are fools like you.鈥�
ABUBAKER JINA SOUTH AFRICA

鈥淗ow will u feel if a white person call u a n word .....?鈥�
oshoke, from Nigeria

鈥淚f a black person uses the N word,it would not sound offencive to me. But should a non black use the word,it would be offensive鈥�
Nigeria

鈥淪ince African Americans hypocritically use it, no matter. Now since Brit Blacks dnt like it. Changed name ova there. DAHHHH !鈥�
Henry Mang. Jos, Nigeria.

鈥淲HEN BLACK REPLE USE THE WORD ITS JUST SELF DEPRECATING HUMOUR. BUT WHEN WHITES USE IT, IT SOUNDS LIKE A RETURN TO PAST ARROGANCE.鈥�
PETER, UGANDA

鈥淚n the Gettos, N.Y. Florida they coll each other N. I called some of my black friend, whats up my 'neger'!?鈥�
J-the incorrecto.

鈥淒is comedian being a Black American isn't likely to cause offence using d nigger word. As a Black I'm not offended by it.鈥�
Lamii Kpargoi in Monrovia

鈥淚 think it isn鈥檛 offensive as why does hip hop artist use the word so often in there lyrics and yet most people envy the music and most hip hop artist are blacks.鈥�
Am Tito nyatta in MOMBASA KENYA.

That鈥檚 all folks. A great debate I think you鈥檒l agree. Goodnight and sleep tight!

PS It's James here, just finishing up at WHYS HQ, where the emails and texts are still coming in. Here's the last of them:

Caroline
I am a black person in the US. I find it absolutely offensive when people use this word. There is nothing funny about it at all. Is there anything funny about using the B-word?

Claudio
Why make such a fuss? If the show is any good,let's hear about it. Not ONLY about one word which is used in the shows' title and has been the subject of many discussions for many,many years. What's new??

Keino in Kenya
Hi whites calling blacks Niggers should stop arguing about human rights. All beings are equal.

Peter, Calabar, Nigeria
Blacks should outgrow reacting angrily to name calling. They have acclimatized better to Western-style democracy than have - say - Arab/Muslims who are near neurotic in matters like this. Blacks should use this as an oportunity to demonstrate their coming of age.

Beno, Nigeria
The 'N'word is common among African Americans especialy rap musicians who actually promote its use.Its unfortunate that blacks use this ofensive word.