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Baraka_Guru · 01-05-2011, 07:20 AM

Cimarron, a part of the issue, I imagine, is that the n-word (yes, this is self-censorship) has been going through a process of appropriation by the black community.

There are problems with this, however. Early on, the use of the n-word in hip-hop was done in such a way to raise awareness of black issues within the community. More recently, however, much of its use in hip-hop/rap is now associated just as much—if not more—with the bad aspects as with the good aspects of the process. I'm talking about gangsta rap, of course, and other aspects of the music that are associated with drugs, violence, getting rich, objectifying women, or otherwise exacerbating the problems still evident in the black community.

What this has done is make the word nigger (ouch, there it is) a loaded and problematic word. It's cultural and social value is convoluted and multifaceted. What this tends to do is make white-dominated institutions (such as schools and publishing) nervous with its use. You can easily chalk this up as PC bullshit or white guilt or whatever, but it's more complex than that.

There are those in the black community who have problems with the word. There are those, too, who use it regardless, both in a depreciating and a simply self-identifying manner. There are others still who are attempting to push forward with its appropriation as a generally neutral identifier that only takes on value within the context it is used.

That said, I still think this edition is a mistake. It's like sweeping things under the rug. It would be like reading D. H. Lawrence without the sexual bits. It kind of makes it sterile, and this is bad when you want to look at literature as a whole. It will raise more questions about slavery in general instead of about race issues between blacks and whites.

It turns the text into a bit of a mess, even though it might seem like something simple.

01-05-2011, 07:20 AM	#10 (permalink)
Baraka_Guru warrior bodhisattva Super Moderator Location: East-central Canada	Cimarron, a part of the issue, I imagine, is that the n-word (yes, this is self-censorship) has been going through a process of appropriation by the black community. There are problems with this, however. Early on, the use of the n-word in hip-hop was done in such a way to raise awareness of black issues within the community. More recently, however, much of its use in hip-hop/rap is now associated just as much—if not more—with the bad aspects as with the good aspects of the process. I'm talking about gangsta rap, of course, and other aspects of the music that are associated with drugs, violence, getting rich, objectifying women, or otherwise exacerbating the problems still evident in the black community. What this has done is make the word nigger (ouch, there it is) a loaded and problematic word. It's cultural and social value is convoluted and multifaceted. What this tends to do is make white-dominated institutions (such as schools and publishing) nervous with its use. You can easily chalk this up as PC bullshit or white guilt or whatever, but it's more complex than that. There are those in the black community who have problems with the word. There are those, too, who use it regardless, both in a depreciating and a simply self-identifying manner. There are others still who are attempting to push forward with its appropriation as a generally neutral identifier that only takes on value within the context it is used. That said, I still think this edition is a mistake. It's like sweeping things under the rug. It would be like reading D. H. Lawrence without the sexual bits. It kind of makes it sterile, and this is bad when you want to look at literature as a whole. It will raise more questions about slavery in general instead of about race issues between blacks and whites. It turns the text into a bit of a mess, even though it might seem like something simple. __________________ Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing? —Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön Humankind cannot bear very much reality. —From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot Last edited by Baraka_Guru; 01-05-2011 at 07:35 AM..