Current Events > HBO says Bill Mahers use of N-word is inexcusable

(+) Yeah! (+)

It was a genuine joke, but a really stupid one and it's good that he got called for it. That being said I still haven't seen last night's episode, really enjoy the show.
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It was definitely a joke, but it's one he should've known better than to make.

Plus the guy that brought up the pass is completely right. He's a fucking asshole
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It's so bizarre to see conservatives enraged on behalf of black people who don't care, Maher isn't even a lib
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asdf8562 posted...

ShotOJameson posted...

I hate PC culture, but Maher should really deliver an apology, and not just a lame 'sorry bout that' a real heartfelt one that shows he understands.

I've been reading a little bit more about Maher and apparently he's just some smug jackass that thinks he deserves a 'pass' because he's dated black women and has black friends, and that's more offensive.

I dont see what he needs to analogize for. As a black man he did not offend me. I know he used the word with 0 ill intent.

that's cool and I respect that you have a sense of humor

Lots of folks are saying he's been kinda racist his whole career though and he used his 'comedy' to mask it. I didn't know that until now.
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Well, he just apologized. That was a mistake. Never apologize to the perpetually outraged activist crowd. That's blood in the water to them.

ShinigamiSoul posted...

The Admiral posted...

TC coming out hard with his victim complex.

The evaluation of the n-word goes like this: do you think the person saying it had racist intent? If the answer if yes, you condemn the person. If the answer is no, there is no issue with the word.

This is why no one generally cares when black people and rappers say the n-word -- because we assume they're not being racist against other black people. The same standard should apply to everyone. If you're taking a stance that the word is wrong when a non-black person says it no matter what, they you're engaging in an emotional, primitive response and pushing racist double standards yourself.

Here's a simpler evaluation: just don't use the word.

Here is a simpler evaluation:

No.

It's such a bizarre Orwellian concept to outright socially ostracize a person for using a word regardless of context. It certainly isn't moral or ethical--A moral or ethical analysis can't be done without knowing context, intent, and culpability just like with anything. The N-word doesn't get some special exception. It's the kind of short-sighted, arbitrary, and blindly "compassionate" ideology that actually only serves to breed discontent and disagreement--Case in point, every single topic this comes up in throughout the last 20 years.

Try applying the kind of absolute, despotic logic to any other infraction in society.

"That man just smoked pot! Arrest him!"

"But he needs it to treat his seizures."

"Two years in prison!"


Hm, that doesn't seem right.


"That man just killed someone!"

"But it was in self-defense. He was protecting his children..."

"20 years in prison!"


"That man just said the N-Word!"

"But it was in a satirical criticism of how we ignore or gloss over the abuses of slavery and Jim Crow racism with the excuse of tradition or heritage..."

"Blacklist him from Hollywood forever!"


Hmmm...
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TC is oozing with butt hurt. He abandoned the topic too lol
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One day I think we'll move past it(hopefully), but Bill Maher's obv not gonna be the one to bring about that change lol.
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Pogo_Marimo posted...

Don't let the n-word be the hill that you die on. There are much more fruitful battles to fight.
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If he does community service all will be well, maybe schlep litter to show he isn't from Mt. Olympus or the Playboy Mansion because right now he looks like a meschugener .
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3rd_Best_Master posted...

Pogo_Marimo posted...

Don't let the n-word be the hill that you die on. There are much more fruitful battles to fight.

What a bizarre supposition. How would it be? This isn't about the word specifically. This is about the ethics of discourse. This is about right and wrong and how we find and define it. I'm hardly afraid of defending that.
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If you're white and saying the N word, you need 10 Charisma. Anything lower and you're fucked
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I think smug, rich white man that is the 'boss' of his show saying the word is more of the problem here from what I'm gathering.
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ShotOJameson posted...

I think smug, rich white man that is the 'boss' of his show saying the word is more of the problem here from what I'm gathering.

this
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No one ever explained it better than George Carlin.

***Trigger Warning: Numerous racial slurs used for explanatory purposes***

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUvdXxhLPa8
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The Admiral posted...

No one ever explained it better than George Carlin.

You can replace what "it" is with whatever and it's still true.
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It was a joke. He is a comedian. Fuck off HBO.
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The Admiral posted...

No one ever explained it better than George Carlin.

***Trigger Warning: Numerous racial slurs used for explanatory purposes***

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUvdXxhLPa8

Carlin is my hero
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Hope he gets fired.
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scoobydoobydont posted...

Hope he gets fired.

That's cute that you think this would be enough controversy for HBO to drop one of their popular shows
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SlashmanSG posted...

The Admiral posted...

No one ever explained it better than George Carlin.

You can replace what "it" is with whatever and it's still true.

The N word was created by white people 400 years ago, there are greater social contexts that comics like Carlin and Michael Richards don't explain or are/were ignorant about when comparing apples with oranges. Again, if you feel left out and want to reclaim it from black people then feel free to use it in front of some black people.
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The Admiral posted...

No one ever explained it better than George Carlin.

***Trigger Warning: Numerous racial slurs used for explanatory purposes***

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUvdXxhLPa8

"words are innocent"? "words are completely neutral"?

Not quite. Do you not correct a toddler when they repeat a curse word, even when they don't know the meaning behind it? They have no ill intention behind it when they repeat it, but we correct them with the explanation of it being a "bad word".

@The_Admiral

Returning_CEmen posted...

It was a joke. He is a comedian. Fuck off HBO.

tbh he's kind of a shitty one, maybe this will actually do him some good to be called out like this though
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Deedice posted...

The Admiral posted...

joe40001 posted...

I'm disappointed in HBO. Who are these people that provide "backlash"? Are they people who watch the show? If not then who gives a fuck?

It's people like TC who don't watch the show but take any opportunity they can to cry racism.

Lol you're so blatantly racist

He used to be subtle about it

Edit: He apologized

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/03/arts/television/bill-maher-n-word.html?_r=0
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ShotOJameson posted...

Returning_CEmen posted...

It was a joke. He is a comedian. Fuck off HBO.

tbh he's kind of a shitty one, maybe this will actually do him some good to be called out like this though

It doesn't really matter if you think he's a good comedian or not. The point is that he's a comedian and it was a joke.
There's nothing to apologize for or be upset over.
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Eh. It's not like he got upset and went all Kramer on some random audience member. It was just a joke referencing what the other guy said about working in the fields

HBO is going to censor it from future episodes because it was so offensive? Why don't they censor it from the rest of their shows then?
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It's hard to watch Bill Maher and never be offended, thats part of the appeal. He's far removed from PC. So my advice is if you want something PC then don't watch Bill Maher.
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If his goal was to get more people to acknowledge him, it worked.
Critical press is still press.

This wasn't accidental or random. The man rehearses before shows. He knew he could get away with saying that term as a publicity stunt because he has status.
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On a personal standpoint, I say he shouldnt have apologized.ProtoManSPx posted...

The Admiral posted...

No one ever explained it better than George Carlin.

***Trigger Warning: Numerous racial slurs used for explanatory purposes***

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUvdXxhLPa8

"words are innocent"? "words are completely neutral"?

Not quite. Do you not correct a toddler when they repeat a curse word, even when they don't know the meaning behind it? They have no ill intention behind it when they repeat it, but we correct them with the explanation of it being a "bad word".

@The_Admiral

Actually you would correct the child because the child doesnt know the meaning behind the word and is just carelessly shouting it. Which again, goes right back to intentions behind the word.

Using a child as an example doesnt help a point because a child doesnt know better. Ofc a parent(assuming they care to parent) would sit down and teach the meaning of ill intent words to a child and when to not use them. Context is very important when using "bad words." Shouting offensive words casually because you dont know better =/= saying the word in ill intents =/= saying the word with 0 ill intent.

Like..what black person even says that as a means of being self deprecating? The little twang he threw on it too? It's cringey as fuck and just scream out of touch white men who's watched The Wire a bit too much and got too familiar.
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Bill Maher was wifing up Superhead for awhile.

I'll let it slide since he bit the bullet so I could hear more music from my favorite rappers.
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it wasnt even that he just said the n word, he had to throw in the whole "im a house n*****"

The whole light and dark skin thing is still a huge issue in black communities.
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scoobydoobydont posted...

Hope he gets fired.

Stop being overly sensitive and get over it.
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asdf8562 posted...

Actually you would correct the child because the child doesnt know the meaning behind the word and is just carelessly shouting it. Which again, goes right back to intentions behind the word.

Using a child as an example doesnt help a point because a child doesnt know better. Ofc a parent(assuming they care to parent) would sit down and teach the meaning of ill intent words to a child and when to not use them. Context is very important when using "bad words." Shouting offensive words casually because you dont know better =/= saying the word in ill intents =/= saying the word with 0 ill intent.

My point was that words are not "innocent" or "completely neutral" in and of themselves as said in that video. Otherwise we wouldn't tell children some words are "bad words" when they learn to say them.

I can't believe this shit blew up so hard. People are acting like this was Micheal Richards using the word as an insult rather than referential joke with absolutely no malice. Social media was a mistake.
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FaultyGourry posted...

I can't believe this shit blew up so hard. People are acting like this was Micheal Richards using the word as an insult rather than referential joke with absolutely no malice. Social media was a mistake.

People are offended by Bill Maher and this gives them a good reason to call him on his shit. I think this has more to do with the person delivering the joke than anything.
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FrisbeeDude posted...

Like..what black person even says that as a means of being self deprecating? The little twang he threw on it too? It's cringey as fuck and just scream out of touch white men who's watched The Wire a bit too much and got too familiar.

Look at the casual racism and stereotyping this clown throws in here.

Bro, you're 100 times more racist than Bill Maher on his worst day. This is why no one here outside of the other ignorant race victims takes you seriously.
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ShotOJameson posted...

FaultyGourry posted...

I can't believe this shit blew up so hard. People are acting like this was Micheal Richards using the word as an insult rather than referential joke with absolutely no malice. Social media was a mistake.

People are offended by Bill Maher and this gives them a good reason to call him on his shit. I think this has more to do with the person delivering the joke than anything.

Well, I mean, a lot of the 'outrage' is coming from the right, so I guess you're right.
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I hope they dont fire him republicans have said worse and they get away with it fuck the pc police
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The Admiral posted...

FrisbeeDude posted...

Like..what black person even says that as a means of being self deprecating? The little twang he threw on it too? It's cringey as fuck and just scream out of touch white men who's watched The Wire a bit too much and got too familiar.

Look at the casual racism and stereotyping this clown throws in here.

Bro, you're 100 times more racist than Bill Maher on his worst day. This is why no one here outside of the other ignorant race victims takes you seriously.

Lmao at thinking anyone takes accusations of racism from you seriously
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If I'm to be honest, Maher has made a lot of jokes leaps and bounds worse than this joke. Really, the dude is a libertarian shock jock who ridicules both sides of the aisle every night. The n-word barely registers beyond the programmed and scripted outrage that comes every time its spoken by a white person, regardless of context.
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People who think "that word" equates to blacks are the true racists.

What Maher said was indeed fucking stupid, but not offensive.
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FrisbeeDude posted...

It was just a joke...are y'all fucking for real? Who the fuck evens says that shit as a joke? Bill Mahr doesn't get a pass, but like I said, it's funny to see so many "liberals" telling on themselves

As black man I thought that this hilarious.

Are there any black people upset about this or is this white people trying to be upset for us?
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ViewtifulGrave posted...

is this white people trying to be upset for us?

Mostly
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It was a dumbass joke and he should have known better. I like the guy, and find some of his work amusing/interesting, but the guy needs to learn to shut his mouth sometimes. I get why HBO might want to pull the plug on him.

ViewtifulGrave posted...

FrisbeeDude posted...

It was just a joke...are y'all fucking for real? Who the fuck evens says that shit as a joke? Bill Mahr doesn't get a pass, but like I said, it's funny to see so many "liberals" telling on themselves

As black man I thought that this hilarious.

Are there any black people upset about this or is this white people trying to be upset for us?

yeah I thought the joke was kinda funny, unlike Kathy griffin's lame attempt at being funny

ProtoManSPx posted...

asdf8562 posted...

Actually you would correct the child because the child doesnt know the meaning behind the word and is just carelessly shouting it. Which again, goes right back to intentions behind the word.

Using a child as an example doesnt help a point because a child doesnt know better. Ofc a parent(assuming they care to parent) would sit down and teach the meaning of ill intent words to a child and when to not use them. Context is very important when using "bad words." Shouting offensive words casually because you dont know better =/= saying the word in ill intents =/= saying the word with 0 ill intent.

My point was that words are not "innocent" or "completely neutral" in and of themselves as said in that video. Otherwise we wouldn't tell children some words are "bad words" when they learn to say them.

Except its still just a word.
Purposely letting a toddler chant the N word would fall under the category of ill intent. Not at the fault of the child, but at the fault of the parent or guardian letting it happen. Chanting it casually is not innocent, and its certainly doesnt fall under the category of no ill intent. My point still stands on context.

Bill in that video didnt say that word in a context that was remotely ill intended towards black people.

Smashingpmkns posted...

Meh. I hope he doesn't and I doubt he will get fired for this. Bad joke and he knows better.

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