*Things got tense on “The View” Monday when Sherri Shepherd and Barbara Walters had an animated discussion over the use of the “N” word.
It all started when the ladies brought up the controversy surrounding presidential candidate Rick Perry, whose hunting camp greeted visitors with a rock with the term “Niggerhead” on it.
Goldberg started the fireworks off when she mentioned that Herman Cain had used the word during a Sunday interview. Walters responded, “It’s very hard for me to say, it gives me chills.”
Goldberg chimed in that it was useless to pretend that the word didn’t exist.
Then Shepherd broke in with her point of view. Turning to Goldberg, she said, “When I heard you say it, it was fine. ‘ Then turning to Walters, she declared, “I didn’t like the way you said it.” Sheperd peppered the conversation with the word several more times.
“I don’t know if it’s a semantics thing, but it’s something that goes through my body,” Shepherd declared.
“Is it because I’m white?” asked a surprised Walters, and Shepherd said yes. “It’s something about hearing you say it,” she said. “I don’t like it when you use the word…when you say it it’s a different connotation.”
Goldberg returned to the broader issue of using the word, but Walters turned back to address Shepherd. “If I’m reporting on this you mean I can’t use the word?” she inquired.
“You can do anything you want,” Shepherd shot back. “You’re Barbara Walters!”
“I’m sorry, that has nothing to do with it, Sherri,” Walters responded.
“When you say the word, I don’t like it,” said Shepherd. “When white people say it, it brings up feelings in me.”
Goldberg chimed in that she didn’t care if Walters used the word because she was relaying information. But Walters was still taken aback by Shepherd’s candid comments.
Pausing, Walters responded, “We all should care about the same things and the fact that I don’t say something exactly the way Whoopi does..”
Shepherd apparently tried to set Walters straight.
“You can’t take away the way it makes me feel, Barbara,” Shepherd said.
“But I never knew you felt this way and I find it just amazing,” Walters answered, obviously floored.
ABC will undoubtedly receive a flood of emails on this one.
Another ONE thinking they have the “nigra” pass!
Whoppi is WAAY off base on this one. The problem is that word has been used so much that youth’s beleive it’s acceptable-IT ISN’T!!!! I wouldn’t use that word anymore than the B-word. They aren’t just WORDS that’s bull. I don’t care what color the person is the word is offensive and should NEVER be used by anyone. And why are we the ONLY race that uses derogatory terms when referring to our own? When white youth or asian or hispanic youth sing songs and use derogatory terms in songs about thier race then I’ll beleive it’s JUST a word but since that doesn’t happen-I don’t by it and neither should our youth!!!
Uhm…it is just a word? Does it breathe, pay taxes, vote, or cook a mean pot of collards?
Nigger is like bytch..both are profane W O R D S
cool, then shut yo nucca bytch azz up, u aint making no sense u bytch azz nucca.
@ musbdherb. So if some random person called your momma/child/wife a Stupid Nigga Bitch (in my white trash drawl) you’d be ok with that? YEAH RIGHT!! (if your answer is yes, which it would have to be to support your “PROFANE WORDS” Bull) Words DO hurt, as testament to all those who commit suicide from being bullied, words can “breathe” life into someone’s insecurities, and CAN devalue one’s feelings. I for one have HIGH self esteem, so my anger wouldn’t be in what you say, but the fact that you think you have the RIGHT to say it TO ME, or MINE without repurcussions!
The conversation was not about calling someone a name. It was about using the word in a news story. This point escaped Sherri and apparently a lot of people.
Didn’t escape me at all, the conversation evolved into whether it is “just words” and what harm they can or can not do.
Of course it wouldn’t. But it still doesn’t change the fact that it’s a word. “Fat” in certain quarters is considered an offensive term. So I know not to use it when i’m around fat people. Same for bitch. I know not to call a woman one even if its a commonly used “word” describing all sorts of things. I don’t think I have a “right” to say it which is why I don’t..so I get your point. But it’s still a word.
I haven’t watched this clip but based on what I’ve read, it seems as if Sheri is faced with the same conundrum as others in that they “choose” to abbreviate the word whenever they’re discussing the term. Personaly, I think it’s silly and people should be able to say nigger if that’s the “word” they’re talking about.
Some people will abbreviate and some won’t. I don’t because I think people should be able to have an intelligent discussion about the “word” while using the exact term. But I also get Sheri’s point and I too “feel some type of way” when I hear nonblacks discussing the word. That’s how she feels and at least she’s honest.
Sherri told Barbara Walters STRAIGHT!
Cosign. I did not see the actual show I have it in my DVR.but from what I have read Sherri did school Barbara on hte offensive word.
Melody,
Sherri’s too real for them yt ppl.
You can tell Barbara was thinking, she can’t be saying this, but Sherri didn’t back down an inch.
Once more, black folks tell us it’s “okay” for them to use that term, but not white people. If the word is offensive, it’s offensive period. It doesn’t matter who uses it, and people like Sherri Shepherd want to impose a no N word policy for white people, but thinks it’s okay to use it herself, then she is just a racist. Pure and simple. There is more racism on the part of black people in this country than ever existed on the part of white people. Stupid, stupid, stupid. I will never watch anything with that racist Sherri Shepherd in it again.
I know you’re just trying to invoke a response, but this REALLY isn’t the forum for you to try to start some ISH, so please beg off silently.
but yo name is “whitey” and u think this forum is going to take anything u say seriously. shut yo ignent azz up till u get a new eur moniker.
1. You seem to be naive as it relates to language. Words have more than a literal or surface meaning. There are connotations, as Sherri said, as well as intentions and associations. All these things imbue a word with different impacts and meanings. So one word can be used in multiple ways by different audiences in different contexts to convey vastly different things. If this is news to you, I’m not sure how you communicate effectively with people. Any communication class discusses the weight of audience, context, association, interference etc. on language. Words don’t really mean anything until they are endowed with history, intention, and a bunch of layers that aren’t on the surface.
2. The conversation on the View was really meant to be about saying the full name of the camp or not …depending on the speaker. Sherri should never have said the camp name was OK in any context. That’s just a result of her not understanding the initial conversation Barbara and Whoopi were trying to have.
Ditto
What folks got to understand is how demeaning the word was meant to be when used by whites against us. When a white man called you a N back then, it was supposed to put you in your place. So crushing and denigrating that you had to step back, bow your head, and recognize white supremacy.
Well, blk ppl say, we got to do som’n ‘bout this. The white man should not wield so much power and inflict so much harm through this word.
We going to castrate it, make it sterile. Take away its venom. So if we use it on ourselves, how the fuc you going to use it against us in a harmful manner. And we are going to take it one step further. Although we freely use it, you never dare use it in our presence. That’s what Sherri was articulating.
I tell you one thing though, if blacks stop using the word, it’s not going to go away, as Whoopi was pointing out. Whites will l still continue to use it, and that will help it to regain some of its power.
We will have to see if Sherri still has a job in the months to come, you know what has happened to other co hosts who DARE!! to cross/embarass Baba Wa Wa!! LOL!!!!!
Reds, I’m so glad Sherri didn’t back down and try to make Walters feel comfortable. She was right on with: “You can’t take away the way it makes me feel, Barbara,”
There’s nothing worse when others try to dictate how we should think or ‘feel’ about something.
here is a scenario or sorts: jay z and beyonce in a 5 star restaurant for dinner, lets say forsythe county georgia, just the two’s of them. a young white waiter in his, lets say, early 20′s is their waiter. he in visibly excited to see jay z and beyonce. no harm intended he rather loudly says “oh mannnnn! jay z!! my nucca!!! whats up! how can i help you bro! pleasure to meet you mrs. beyonce-knowls-z! pleasure to make you acquaintance!, welcome to “Whiteys” a 5 star restaurant, i will be taking good care of both of you this evening and the meal is on the house”. now, the rest of the patrons in the restaurant are looking at jay z, beyonce and the waiter with curiosity. is there a problem with what just transpired? what should jay z do? say pleasure to meet you? is beyonce embarrassed by the waiter? have her and jay z agreed that the word is now acceptable? are there circumstances in which the young white waiter can and cant greet jayz in this manner? in mixed company is it off limits? if the word had lost its power there should be no issue right? is jay z concerned that the waiter is playing him? or is the boy being genuine is his greeting? the waiter offered them free food before anything was said. so he is on the up and up right?
Anyone who thinks words are “just words” needs to read the Good Book and get more in tuned with their spirituality. There is power in words! Like everything else in the world, words carry spirits. The n-word (the most vile word ever) is not “just a word,” it is a spirit. It carries with it a spirit of degredation and evil. There is no way anyone can tell me that is “just a word.” Bullcrap it’s just a word.
A link for the deniers: http://www.openbible.info/topics/power_of_words
Ok, I lol until I realized that you probably are really serious about this.
Now the word is a “spirit?”
Clearly you have been watching waaaaay to much True Blood tgen.
Ignorance is bliss Musb. You only “lol” because you’re in deep denial, which is astonishing considering your otherwise clear thinking on many subjects. I think it’s sad you don’t realize the power of words. But oh well…go ahead and keep spewing that filthy word from your tongue, whatever floats your boat…
AWWWW YES,,,,i love it tgenerate and musbwhiteytobrightey are scratching each others eyes out. look at musbwhitey, he’s fighting like a little bytch…..here, take these..(huey throws two midevil stick with spears coming out of them into their cage)…kill each other bastards…
I think it’s sad you don’t realize the power ofwords
there is no factual evidence to support what you just said. If you notice below, I clearly said that “people” give words power. I never said that words don’t have power. But if you want to think I’m in in denial about the fact words can be powerful even when I said that they do, go ‘head. Whatever floats your boat.
I will agree that it doesn’t bother me to hear a black person use the n-word but when a nonblack especially white person uses it, it makes me cringe & I don’t like it so clearly people that are pretending like “it’s just a word” have to know that’s not the truth. If it was just a word it wouldn’t matter who said it so I know that it’s more than “just a word.”
I’m not really sure how anyone could argue that it’s not though. Sure it’s a vile, repugnant (some may say evil) one but it’s still a word. It just is.
People give power to words. Words don’t give power to themselves. They don’t jump from the pages of Webster and automatically “humanize” itself. It’s takes a human to do that.
Yes, and can’t testify to it, but i believe we all are humans, and most have feelings, that WORDS can ignite one way or another, so though it may be only a ‘word’, the meaning and intent behind those words are what drives the “word” to be more than just a “word”. That is how you can read something and it makes you laugh, or it makes you angry, or sad, they invoke feelings, which is the intent.
Yes, my screen name is Whitey, so you would know that I’m white. Don’t talk to me about being ignent, when you can’t even spell the word.
The N work is offensive, and I don’t blame black folks for despising it. But don’t turn around and tell white people you can say it whenever you like. I’ve even heard my sons black friends call him the N word. So, this whole debate is about one thing: black folks cannot let the past be the past. Black folks will continue to beat this dead horse as punishment to white racists. Well here’s a news flash: most of the racists are dead and gone. So, now, there’s no one to blame for your failings but you. Get off the street. Live with morals and values. Stop calling each other a word with such negative connotations. It’s your job as a race to lift yourselves up, not continue those old stereotypes. Sherri Shepherd can’t keep her racist feelings to herself. Plain and simple.
The amazing thing here is that nobody seems to be addressing what ACTUALLY happened in this segment. Of course if a non-black person called me or mine a ni&&er I would flip and most likely catch a charge. What happened here was not even close to that. At no point was anyone referred to as a ni&&er. They were all discussing a topic that has gone national. A topic having to do with a man that is running to become the next POTUS. This is real news. So now white journalists can’t use the word even if it happens to be integral to the story? That’s just dumb. I am so tired of people on this site and a lot of us in general walking around being perpetual victims. Waking up going out into the world waiting to be offended by something. Are you not tired? That sh it is old. Ok… Now I’m waiting to get blasted by all of the “woah is me” victims that troll this and other sites for reasons to gripe. Have at it!
I love black people, but i HATE niggas -Chris Rock
The amazing thing here is that nobody seems to be addressing what ACTUALLY happened in this segment. Of course if a non-black person called me or mine a n_g_er I would flip and most likely catch a charge. What happened here was not even close to that. At no point was anyone referred to as a ni_g_ er. They were all discussing a topic that has gone national. A topic having to do with a man that is running to become the next POTUS. This is real news. So now white journalists can’t use the word even if it happens to be integral to the story? That’s just dumb. I am so tired of people on this site and a lot of us in general walking around being perpetual victims. Waking up going out into the world waiting to be offended by something. Are you not tired? That sh it is old. Ok… Now I’m waiting to get blasted by all of the “woah is me” victims that troll this and other sites for reasons to gripe. Have at it!
I love black people, but i HATE ni_g_as
-Chris Rock
Folks will never get tired of being offended. Hey! I know, let’s have a rally in front of wherever they tape The View. Then we can ask Barbra to publicly apologize. That will make us all feel better.
What people need to realize is that the word will never go away as long as there are whites in this world. The people who advocate for an end to its use as a way of “killing” it, are just engaging in wishful thinking. It’s a powerful word and will always retain some of its power. We are not the ones holding onto it. Our association with it is a defensive ploy to tame it, divert some of the power which whites would want to endow it with. Even though we can’t completely neutralize it, we are reducing some of its historical powerful effects.
I watched this last night on my DVR and personally I felt Sherri came off as too ignorant for words.
I understand that she wanted to make this a generic conversation about “the n word” but it was really about how to report on this story about “N*ggerhead” and Rick Perry and whether the word should be used in that context… what about truth in reporting. I mean that’s the camp’s name.
Whoopi and Barbara both said “N*ggerhead” referring to Perry’s camp. So, for sherri to say it’s not offensive when Whoopi said it but is when barbara does is ridiculous because they aren’t using their own personal descriptions or casual language. They are referring to the specific name of the camp in discussing the Perry as a news story. It’s not like Barbara called someone N*gger; that’s very different. BW can’t say the name of the camp? But when Whoopi says the name of the camp it’s not offensive? STFU Sherry. This camp should be offensive to everyone. Whoopi’s saying it doesn’t make Perry’s camp sound better or OK. Shut up you dumb bytch.
OK. N*ggahead. Does that really make Perry’s camp not offensive because whoopi pronouced it it with an “a” and not “er.”
Now, if they were just generically having a discussion about n*gger, fine, have at Sherri. You make some good points. But to read your boss the riot act because she is saying the name of a camp (not calling someone a nigger) is just ridiculous. She interrupted this 80 something year old boss and make a dumb argument that we’ve already heard 1000 times. Sherri’s pea-sized brain couldn’t wrap her head about the fact that they were discussing something specific : Perry’s camp (and not the casual use of the n-word). Hope she’s fired.
Niggas vs. Niggers? Really? Changing the er to and a means something different? That’s the only justification black folks can come up with to explain why it’s okay for them to use the word?
Nigga please.
Since only Sherri has made that argument, why don’t you go to her fan board. You sound ignorant. Why don’t you address points made here instead of arguing with fiction.
Only justification? Did you miss what everyone has been trying to tell you about connotation, intent, association, history, context, etc? you are one dense mofo.
It just seems to me that you would be better served to use your time to help better your communities instead of wearing your heart on your sleeves when it comes to a WORD. Just a word. You can call me honkie all day long. I don’t care. You can call me cracker. The reason I don’t care? I have moved on. You people are still stuck in the 1960′s, still fighting a civil rights war that you have already won. Look around you. You now have the right to do all kinds of vulgar things on t.v. You have your own awards shows. You have your own colleges. You have your own beauty pageants. You won already.If a white person says the N word (which, btw, I am so sick of hearing white people say, just say Nigger when referring to a debate), just go on with your lives. Sherri Shepherd is obviously not a professional. If so, she would never have made it personal. Journalism is not personal; it’s reporting.
this word will never go away …i find this word to be many different things now so its hard to take it seriously anymore…just know that when you whoeverr you are use it it needs to be at the right time in the right place on the right subject in the right context or face the consequences of the person your talkin to who just might happen to be offended by it…………we all use different words of profanity to get our point across,,,,,but some words can backfire and get u in deep shit…..and that goes for all races….my uncle will get u fired if you use that around him just playin in your head and sayini it ..when i mite understand the context depending on the conversation and let it go however still feelin unfasure if it was intentional..so again i say be carefull how and were and around who you decide to use this word!!!
I AGREE totally with synthia . . . .the whole conversation was switched around and Sherry doesn’t listen very well in conversations, it seems. However, I think that many of these conversations and so-called arguments are ‘staged’ – - – because Sherry NOR Whoppi don’t appear to be the type of Negroes that would go up against their boss – — ESPECIALLY after what happened to Starr! So, I never believe all the arguments, walk-offs, or the such on “The P-U” . . . . .and as for Barbara Walters, whether she said “N” in a bad way or not, she SURRRREEE loved her some black “N” poon-poon going up her Jew-ass possibly more than one time in her life – — so I wouldn’t ESPECIALLY pay HER any attention at all. Heck, I stopped watching “The P-U” because I feel that they are all dingbats and Toms . . . . !!!!!
By the way, I have seen FOR MONTHS NOW how “certain folks” in our forum curse and spew the most trifling words back and forth to each other, simply because of their differences of opinion or politics, but I see NONE of those trifling curses or put-downs spewed out to our ‘WHITEY’ VISITOR in our midst – - – and he/she didn’t get the same treatment. Why are some of US so afraid of those folks? Think about it . . . . . . . .it is the same old story. And hey, ‘Whitey’, don’t try to tell black folks how or why we should or shouldn’t be offended about the use of the word nigger vs nigga. WE understand what WE mean and what offends US. It doesn’t matter what YOU think we should feel.
The reason has been explained to you ‘crackas’ over and over again. YOU are wasting your time and your comments.
Sorry Niggas. Just speakin’ my mind. White people don’t have to feel guilty about everything that you don’t like. You ain’t Jesus.