Ice Cube on the N word: When I hear a white person saying it,

[pnwmom]

it feels like a knife stabbing me.”

Ice Cube and Symone Sanders school Bill Maher – and his audience -- on the use of the N word.

Ice Cube: “I know you heard, it’s in the lexicon, everybody talking. But that’s our word now. And you can’t have it back. . . . When I hear my homies say it, it don’t feel like venom. When I hear a white person say it, it feels like that knife stabbing me, even if they don’t mean it. . . . I think this is a teachable moment, not just to you, but to the people that’s watching right now.”

Bill, looking uneasy. “I think the people watching right now are saying that point has been made.”

“Not by me!”


Symone Sanders: “That was like a slap in the face to black people . . . .This is more than just a word. Black people are literally fighting the system of white supremacy and institutionalized racism every single day. Every single day. And for some people it does not matter how much money we make, what job we do. I was literally on the campaign trail with Bernie Sanders, I was attempted to be yanked out of the entourage, for no other reason except I was a black woman walking with Bernie."

[bettyellen]

1. Maher looks like he's dying to make excuses, acting like such a victim too. Ugh.

classic - he's only sorry he has been called out, and has to endure even discussing it.

[pnwmom]

2. Yeah, he was squirming the whole time. And he couldn't stand

it when Ice Cube said the thing about sounding like a racist red neck.

[bettyellen]

9. And he just brushed off Symone's powerful statement and changed the subject.

[The Wielding Truth]

10. Nah.. He's sorry. He is honestly sorry that he was so careless with his words. Thoughtless and

stupidly insensitive. He was acting his progression, an open mouth comedian. I think I know this guy's personality.


It was wrong but it was not ,IMO, unforgivable for him to be out of character and let that nasty word appear. I feel bad that anyone had to hear it.

Shame that the Right is not as aware of the harm this word and other racial references do to our society. I hope that they start being accountable for their slights to anyone of our fellow citizens and those around the world who may look differently from them or pray to a different god.

We are all human.

[bettyellen]

12. It's forgivable but his anti PC humor is stale and offensive to many in the current climate.

It appeared to me he realizes that this edgy schtick doesn't work anymore.

[The Wielding Truth]

13. They're not as free to say offensive things, even as a comedian. I understand it, too. I'm offended.

I think that it's because we care more about how people are hurt by it than how shocking, daring or cheeking it may seem at the time.
It's degrading an entire group of good people.

[bettyellen]

15. It's one thing if he wasn't hosting a political show and fronting as an ally to liberals.

He's a hypocrite in many ways, but at least now he can retire that "rule" that liberals apologize too much. HA

[The Wielding Truth]

20. Maybe he'll see that Liberals care what we say and words have meaning to us. Unlike the RW who will

accept lies as norm and racism and bigotry as nothing as long as its not their race or religion or family.

We are different. We are sensitive and we expect those who speak for us or with us to be careful with their words.

They can have opinions and make jokes and be lighthearted and criticize public figures, but they should just be mindful

of crossing some lines.

Let's be mindful of crossing lines ourselves and not hang Maher for a one infraction. This is not his personality.

[MFM008]

3. i defer to people of color

Bill is an ass, but I doubt there is a white person alive that hasnt said that word in some context in their lives.

[pnwmom]

5. That must be regional, because I'm sure that many white people, especially

young people, have never said the word in any context (unless they had to read some Mark Twain or other author out loud in class.)

I can't imagine anyone I know making a joke like Maher's. I would be shocked and disappointed in them if they did.

[MFM008]

6. thats what I meant

in some context it has been said by almost everyone.
Im near Tacoma ,WA, not a known hotbed of racism

[pnwmom]

7. Someone required to read a book out loud in class isn't choosing to say the word,

unlike Maher.

[bettyellen]

8. I've read the word but never used it. So you'd be wrong.

[samnsara]

4. good for Ice Cube.. i know what he means.. whenever i hear a man use the 'C' or the 'B'..

..word I feel the same way. This is a teachable moment...

[Mosby]

23. Do you have any idea how many times ice cube has called women bitches and whores?

Last edited Sat Jun 10, 2017, 09:38 PM - Edit history (2)

He should not be lecturing anyone about anything.


Ice Cube Justifies Misogyny In N.W.A. Lyrics By Telling Women Not To Defend ‘Despicable Females’

“If you’re a bitch, you’re probably not going to like us.”

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ice-cube-defends-misogyny-in-nwa-lyrics_us_55ce1c35e4b055a6dab03267

As gangsta rap pioneers and beneficiaries of the corporatization of rap/hip hop in the 1990s, N.W.A. played a key role in yoking rape culture and rap misogyny. Throughout their career they’ve been hailed as street poets and raw truth tellers mining the psychic space of young urban black masculinity. In song after song, gang rape, statutory rape, the coercion of women into prostitution and the terroristic murder of prostitutes are chronicled, glorified and paid homage to as just part of the spoils of “ghetto” life. The 1988 song “Straight Outta Compton” trivializes the murder of a neighborhood girl (“So what about the bitch that got shot, fuck her, you think I give a damn about a bitch, I’m not a sucker”) while its outlaw male protagonists go on an AK-47 and testosterone fueled killing spree. “Straight Outta Compton” was an early salvo for such popular fare as “To Kill a Hooker,” “Findum, Fuckum & Flee” and the rape epic “One Less Bitch” in which N.W.A. co-founder Dr. Dre lets his boys gang rape a prostitute then notes, “the bitch tried to ‘gank’ me so I had to kill her.”

http://www.clutchmagonline.com/2015/08/dear-ice-cube-your-misogyny-is-showing/

[pnwmom]

26. That would have been a REALLY good point for Symone to make.

But it wouldn't excuse Maher.

[Lil Missy]

11. Dyson and Ice Cube both chastised him - 100% appropriate. It was an excellent program/discussion. n/

[femmedem]

14. He had a tough time listening.

I'm not sure he really got it until he listened to Simone talk about the experience of enslaved women.

I didn't think his changing the subject was due to not acknowledging what she said. His demeanor showed that he was listening to her. I think he changed the subject to be fair to Ice Cube, who was running out of time to promote his album.

[pnwmom]

16. That could be true. Too bad they didn't have more time. But didn't he say

the comment about the audience having heard enough -- to which Ice Cube responded, "Not from me" -- before Symone had had a chance to say anything?

[bettyellen]

17. Well his complaint to Ice Cube that others had criticized him already about it was rude AF....

It seemed very difficult for him to pretend he respected others enough to actually listen, let alone engage with them.

[pnwmom]

18. I agree. He pretended to want to listen to Ice Cube, but then he quickly

tried to shut him down.

[bettyellen]

19. He acted like a shitty husband upset at being "nagged"

[angstlessk]

21. He said 'but' too many times.."The word BUT negates or cancels everything that goes before it"

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiWn-LlnrTUAhVGcj4KHZSTDn8QFggkMAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnlp-now.co.uk%2Fbe-careful-with-but%2F&usg=AFQjCNFgj6-TsNOgpB4ebc1fL8x4_0F0OA&sig2=wovRVsTpk-YtUzlz-DIUog

[bettyellen]

22. Yeah, complaining he'd already heard that criticism? No way to treat guests-

I'm glad Cube called him out for that shit. Embarrassing.

[tomhagen]

24. For gods sakes; the threat is Trump; not Maher!!!

[pnwmom]

25. I don't think that's something for a non-African American to say.

Only those who are personally touched by racism can decide if they're more threatened by institutional and social racism, or by DT.

But let's stipulate that the threat posed by DT is greater -- much, much greater. That still doesn't mean we should condone racism or racist language.

[Doodley]

30. I am not clear what you are saying in response to the previous post.

Are you saying a non-African American cannot say if Trump is the greater threat, and then you go on to say Trump is the greater threat?

[pnwmom]

32. "Let's stipulate" doesn't mean that something is true. It just means:

Let's agree, for the sake of this argument, to assume X is true. (Even if it isn't proven.)

[Sailor65x1]

27. Wow

So now a violent mysoginistic piece of shit is a DU hero.

Strange times we live in.

[pnwmom]

28. Symone Sanders should have schooled him while they were schooling Maher.

Maher's a misogynist himself, so he wouldn't have been the right person to do so.

Ice Cube is not a hero, but what he is saying about the N word is important.

[Sailor65x1]

35. I agree about Sanders.

The classic problem, when a good message is delivered by one with no credibility; the message suffers.

[LiberalFighter]

29. As a white person I would have to agree.

Even if I think it it would be wrong. Any denigrating label should not be based on race or sex. Because as a white person the only reason that it would be used would be to hurt.

[Doodley]

31. It is obvious Bill Mayer was making a joke or arguably a valid point about Republican racism.

He didn't mean offense, but he used language that was offensive. He should have been more humble and apologized like he meant it. He should also apologize for his consistent Islamophobia. That will never happen.

[OnDoutside]

33. I hadn't realised that there are African Americans​ who

want to see the word banned from their own community as well. There's something farcical to say you're​ offended (understandably) by the use of such a hateful word, and then freely use it in music, speech and comedy yourself. I can understand why they tried to use it to depower the word, but that's decades now. It's time to retire it from the language, so that it will die off.

[BainsBane]

34. Just reacting doesn't include the N word for me

and I would suggest that if it comes so easily for Maher, that's a seriously problem for him.