Gwyneth Paltrow lambasted for referring to friends Beyonce and Jay-Z as her "n*****"

[Dark Raven]

I expect lots of animosity from War Machine in the next Iron Man film, just because of this incident! There'll be plenty of dirty looks throughout the movie, with Stark wondering what's his problem.

[Thundercrack85]

You know it's funny, because the word "black" was considered offensive (or at least impolite) back in the day. The term "colored" was preferred. Then "colored" became offensive, and black became the widely accepted term. Now I see a lot of people using "person of color".

[Dark Raven]

Originally Posted by Thundercrack85

You know it's funny, because the word "black" was considered offensive (or at least impolite) back in the day. The term "colored" was preferred. Then "colored" became offensive, and black became the widely accepted term. Now I see a lot of people using "person of color".

That just sounds condescending to me.

What exactly are people supposed to use? Lots of black people are perfectly fine with the word "black" and it's just a convenient ethnic grouping which, if people don't make an issue out of, is something most would hardly give a second thought.

[Dr.]

Isn’t part of the problem that Paltrow attempted to (cleverly?) incorporate the song title into a description of a photo? Seems to me, that’s more problematic than simply referring to the song by its name.

[Spider-Who?]

It's sad to see how the media spins this. The article posted shows a picture of her, beyonce and jay z hugging each other...a picture purposefully chosen out of context to make her tweet seem more scandalous, while the actual photo posted with her tweet is of the stage during the song. She also censored the word in her tweet while people are acting like she actually wrote out the full, outright offensive version of the word. I hate the media. I really really do.

[Thundercrack85]

Actually calling "black" an ethnicity is nonsensical, since there are many black ethnicities. But most black Americans probably have no idea what ethnicity they are.

Neat fact, in parts of Africa they call white people "red" (or the word red in their native language). Since, they don't see white people as white.

[Dark Raven]

Originally Posted by Spider-Who?

It's sad to see how the media spins this. The article posted shows a picture of her, beyonce and jay z hugging each other...a picture purposefully chosen out of context to make her tweet seem more scandalous, while the actual photo posted with her tweet is of the stage during the song. She also censored the word in her tweet while people are acting like she actually wrote out the full, outright offensive version of the word. I hate the media. I really really do.

If that's the case, then that is pure media manipulation just to cause controversy. It's not like you can even say she should've known better than to use that word or that she's getting overly familiar with her black friends that she uses the word casually. She was just quoting the song title, which is what they actually called it, and within the context of the concert. How else is she supposed to say it?

Everyone else who has reported this, including newscasters, bloggers, newsarticles should also get a thrashing for using that offensive term n***** then. Everyone in this thread should be bashed too, including the original poster who has it in the title, because we've all used it and should've known better!!

[Dr.]

Originally Posted by Spider-Who?

It's sad to see how the media spins this. The article posted shows a picture of her, beyonce and jay z hugging each other...a picture purposefully chosen out of context to make her tweet seem more scandalous, while the actual photo posted with her tweet is of the stage during the song. She also censored the word in her tweet while people are acting like she actually wrote out the full, outright offensive version of the word. I hate the media. I really really do.

Ha! I didn’t know that. It makes an enormous difference. To the extent that, in polite society, the actual word must be euphemized with asterisks, Paltrow’s “sin” is no worse than the reporters describing it (using those same asterisks).

[Pink Ranger]

So it's clear now what the rules are. When it's the name of a song, you're not even allowed to use the censored word "n____" or any variation thereof.

Non-black Americans must henceforth, when calling certain hip hop tracks by name, use the phrase "the one that goes 'hmm dum dum dumm hmmm bip bop bam ptew ptew.' You know what I mean, right?"

Glad we cleared this up!

[Blitzkrieg Bop]

Negros With Attitude

[Thundercrack85]

Originally Posted by SnuffTheRooster

She didn't even use the actual word? Jesus christ what a bunch of whiners! I hope they all go to hell. Stupid h******. Its okay I can say it, I'm white.

Fixed.

[Sawyer]

You know, the second I saw that Kanye and Jay-Z were releasing a song with that title, I was like "Okay.... this is going to cause problems somewhere down the line."

And here we are.

[Paroxysm]

If Gwyneth Paltrow isn’t allowed to tweet “*****s in Paris” then Jay Z isn’t allowed to eat at Cracker Barrel.

[Pink Ranger]

Originally Posted by Paroxysm

If Gwyneth Paltrow isn’t allowed to tweet “*****s in Paris” then Jay Z isn’t allowed to eat at Cracker Barrel.

From what I've heard, Cracker Barrel is way ahead of you there.

[Spider-Who?]

Originally Posted by SnuffTheRooster

She didn't even use the actual word? Jesus christ what a bunch of whiners! I hope they all go to hell. Stupid honkeys. Its okay I can say it, I'm white.

I know, right? No one bats an eye when white people are called whitey, cracker, or honkie,but the second some one types "n***a" in the most innocent way possible, the whole damn universe explodes. I don't use any variation of the word, but the double standard is rather ridiculous.

[Wolfwood]

Originally Posted by Dark Raven

The female newspresenter in that clip is quite funny though with her Kate Winslet Titanic impression. Most newscasters would be more serious but she's fooling around trying to do that iconic pose.

lmao Yeah that made me bust up too. Especially when the guy got into it and smelled her hair.

[Dark Raven]

Originally Posted by Wolfwood

lmao Yeah that made me bust up too. Especially when the guy got into it and smelled her hair.

She sounds like she might be able to sing or at least hold a tune, just from hearing those couple of notes or so that she sang. Who is she?

[Mace Bloodstone]

Originally Posted by SnuffTheRooster

He isn't even allowed to eat at c****** barrel.

[Dark Raven]

I suppose pulling a Christmas C****** is less verbose way of saying that you've successfully picked up a yultide caucasian?

[Hunter Rider]

Ghetto Gwynnie!

Originally Posted by Parker Wayne

Okay, I'm gonna explain my opinion on this.

I don't use the word in at all. I don't really care for the word, and I don't like using the word. With that said, I have a bunch of people around me that use the word, black, white, hispanic, asian. I've gotten used to different races using the word all the time. I wasn't always like that, and I was uncomfortable when I was in middle school in a sense that it was a bit jarring to see other races say it after being told of how bad the word was. But at this point, people are going to use it. I don't mind people using it because I know it is not in the wrong context. I know my friends around me mean no harm when using it, and people close to me use it more in a joking context than anything else. Sure, it bring negative connotations but I say that in the last few decades those connotations have been less negative about the word.

We as African Americans have changed the meaning of the word to mean something else, and that I think it's the fact that we make a big deal about it that continues to help reinforce negative connotations for the word. However, I should mention that I was not alive for the Civil Rights Movement and am part of the new generation of African Americans so I will admit that I can not fully understand older African American struggles as much as I try.

Now with Paltrow, in my eyes, it was harmless, though you do have to watch what you say when you're a celebrity. I don't mind that she uses it, but others will, and as much as I wish people wouldn't make a big deal out of this and try to label her racist, people will exactly do that.

Great post.

[Hobgoblin]

Since I refer to myself as white, I refer to black people as black. (I use "African American" when writing a paper for school.) Strangely, I would never call a Hispanic person "brown," an Asian person "yellow" or an American Indian "red." That seems racist, but "black" and "white" seems just fine.

[Spider - Man]

Originally Posted by Manic

Sometimes I almost feel sorry for white people. Some seem to have a hard time finding an inoffensive term to refer to black people as. It really doesn't help that what is and isn't offensive varies from person to person. For example, take "colored." A lot of people get offended by that one now, but that was the politically correct term a few decades back.


As for this whole Paltrow thing, I find it more funny than anything. People are acting like she told her ex to get raped by a pack of N-words, but all she did was reference the title of the Jay-Z & Kanye song "N****s in Paris" while listening to Jay-Z & Kanye perform "N****s in Paris" live in Paris. That is quite possible the most circular sentence I've ever written, which shows just how silly this is.

My personal favorite is 'you people'. Say that to white people anywhere within earshot of a black person and see the look you get! It's ridiculous!

[Spider - Man]

Originally Posted by SnuffTheRooster

She didn't even use the actual word? Jesus christ what a bunch of whiners! I hope they all go to hell. Stupid honkeys. Its okay I can say it, I'm white.

I wasn't drinking Coke when I read this, but I assure you had I been, I would've spewed it all over my keyboard! That's good!

[childeroland]

As a black person, I'd say that if blacks don't want whites using the words, we shouldn't use the word ourselves in the titles of songs meant to be pop hits.

[Dark Raven]

Originally Posted by childeroland

As a black person, I'd say that if blacks don't want whites using the words, we shouldn't use the word ourselves in the titles of songs meant to be pop hits.

Maybe Kanye and Jay-Z were writing an anthem to secretly incite racial hatred but it turned out to be so catchy they released it into the charts.