Is the *N* word ever appropriate?

[Intell]

It's appropriate in the world of fiction, to reveal the racism in a character. Try reading To Kill a Mockingbird and avoid seeing the word in print. Watch an unedited version of The Shining and you'll hear the word a few times in the restroom scene.

This and quoting historical usage are the only times the -er version should be used.

Usage in comedy is also allowed to highlight racism.

[Bakersfield Uber Alles]

It's appropriate in the world of fiction, to reveal the racism in a character. Try reading To Kill a Mockingbird and avoid seeing the word in print. Watch an unedited version of The Shining and you'll hear the word a few times in the restroom scene.

This and quoting historical usage are the only times the -er version should be used.

Usage in comedy is also allowed to highlight racism.

Should’ve added explicitly that as well. I had Trading Places in mind when I wrote it.

[The Mikado]

Is it "appropriate?" I mean, if you're creating a Civil War documentary or a George Wallace biopic, it's going to be hard to avoid.

Outside of explicitly period things, it's best avoided.

[RFayette]

Is it "appropriate?" I mean, if you're creating a Civil War documentary or a George Wallace biopic, it's going to be hard to avoid.

Outside of explicitly period things, it's best avoided.

[Pielover]

Is it "appropriate?" I mean, if you're creating a Civil War documentary or a George Wallace biopic, it's going to be hard to avoid.

Outside of explicitly period things, it's best avoided.

[Crumpets]

If acting out the courtroom scene from To Kill a Mockingbird in 6th grade is not an appropriate occasion to use it, then a lot of my classmates are in trouble if they ever become famous. (I was Jem, for the record, so I didn't have to say it.)

[Insomnian]

Pretty much any instance when you're not actually calling people one (aka using it as a racial slur).

And any other imaginable use would presumably acknowledge its racism, so yeah.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Is it "appropriate?" I mean, if you're creating a Civil War documentary or a George Wallace biopic, it's going to be hard to avoid.

Outside of explicitly period things, it's best avoided.

[Co-Chair Bagel23]

Imo it is ok for black people to use it whenever wherever, but never acceptable ever for people who are not black.

[Big Abraham]

Imo it is ok for black people to use it whenever wherever, but never acceptable ever for people who are not black.

Never in my entire life has anyone who advocated this position been able to come up with a good defense for it, other than "but blacks were oppressed" which apparently gives them the right to a double standard

[Some of My Best Friends Are Gay]

It's important to note that n*gga and n---er are two separate words and generally have totally different meanings. I have never heard the shorthand version used as a slur, whereas the full version is nearly exclusively used as a slur. I don't think anyone should use the version that ends with "er", including black people themselves, but I see no problem with anyone of any race using the other version so long as they're either using it to refer to their friend ("my n*gga") or just describe males of any race in general.

[Dr. MB]

Imo it is ok for black people to use it whenever wherever, but never acceptable ever for people who are not black.

Never in my entire life has anyone who advocated this position been able to come up with a good defense for it, other than "but blacks were oppressed" which apparently gives them the right to a double standard

People have the right to use slurs that are used against them. Same with LGBT people and f**got. So yeah, it's a double standard, but that doesn't mean it's a bad one.

[Big Abraham]

Imo it is ok for black people to use it whenever wherever, but never acceptable ever for people who are not black.

Never in my entire life has anyone who advocated this position been able to come up with a good defense for it, other than "but blacks were oppressed" which apparently gives them the right to a double standard

People have the right to use slurs that are used against them. Same with LGBT people and f**got. So yeah, it's a double standard, but that doesn't mean it's a bad one.

That's a baseless assertion which has no legitimacy other than "this is how I feel on the matter". I'm not keen on double standards of any kind. I personally have no problem with anyone, white or black, saying the word "n" (or any variation thereof) unless they are using it in a specifically discriminatory context. And even then, it's the discrimination, rather than word, which is wrong.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Imo it is ok for black people to use it whenever wherever, but never acceptable ever for people who are not black.

Never in my entire life has anyone who advocated this position been able to come up with a good defense for it, other than "but blacks were oppressed" which apparently gives them the right to a double standard

People have the right to use slurs that are used against them. Same with LGBT people and f**got. So yeah, it's a double standard, but that doesn't mean it's a bad one.

That's a baseless assertion which has no legitimacy other than "this is how I feel on the matter". I'm not keen on double standards of any kind. I personally have no problem with anyone, white or black, saying the word "n-r" (or any variation thereof) unless they are using it in a specifically discriminatory context. And even then, it's the discrimination, rather than word, which is wrong.

You have to be a special kind of dense not to understand why it's different for an outsider to use a disparaging word against a specific group than it is for a member of that specific group. It's really not that hard.

[Big Abraham]

Imo it is ok for black people to use it whenever wherever, but never acceptable ever for people who are not black.

Never in my entire life has anyone who advocated this position been able to come up with a good defense for it, other than "but blacks were oppressed" which apparently gives them the right to a double standard

People have the right to use slurs that are used against them. Same with LGBT people and f**got. So yeah, it's a double standard, but that doesn't mean it's a bad one.

That's a baseless assertion which has no legitimacy other than "this is how I feel on the matter". I'm not keen on double standards of any kind. I personally have no problem with anyone, white or black, saying the word "n-r" (or any variation thereof) unless they are using it in a specifically discriminatory context. And even then, it's the discrimination, rather than word, which is wrong.

You have to be a special kind of dense not to understand why it's different for an outsider to use a disparaging word against a specific group than it is for a member of that specific group. It's really not that hard.

(1) Do you not think context matters? Did you not see the part of my post where I specifically made an exception for uses of the word that were discriminatory (or "disparaging", if you will)? Or do you literally think the word is always used disparagingly in every context?
(2) How do we determine who is a member of the "group"? Does a half-black person count? A quarter-black? One eighth? Does one need to carry a copy of their pedigree around at all times to prove how black they are? All humans have an admixture of different racial lineages, and most black Americans have a high degree of European ancestry as well, so where is the line drawn?

[Wazza [INACTIVE]]

Yes, when I'm killed in Fortnite or Roblox.

[Deep Dixieland Senator, Muad'dib (OSR MSR)]

Nazithere I said the N word.

[lfromnj]

Reminds me of a moment in Junior Year when we were reading some book with the N word in to make fun of a black character in the book(forgot the name) and one kid said Nigerian instead of the n word and our African American Teacher got super mad he tried to avoid the N word.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

I've called Kid Rock a white n!gger before, because it's what he is.

[Some of My Best Friends Are Gay]

I've called Kid Rock a white n!gger before, because it's what he is.

White trash is the appropriate term here, no need to use the N word to insult him and his sh!tty music.

[S019]

No, it is a racial slur that was used to demean African Americans in the Jim Crow and Antebellum South, therefore it is not appropriate to use it.

[S019]

Only time it should be used is if you're reading classic literature from when that word was commonplace (e.g. Mark Twain).

Even, in that case, if you are reading aloud, it should be omitted from speech

[Santander]

I've called Kid Rock a white n!gger before, because it's what he is.

White trash is the appropriate term here, no need to use the N word to insult him and his sh!tty music.

Just trash. No need to drag us other white people into it.