Gwyneth Paltrow, “Niggas,” and the Black Folks Who Cried Wolf
While hanging out with two self-proclaimed “Niggas in Paris,” A-List actress Gwyneth Paltrow — who for some reason can often be found shaking what her mama gave her somewhere in the vicinity of Jay-Z – decided to tweet that she was with “Ni**as in Paris for real.”
And the Civil Rights police turned on their loud sirens and went to work.
If you’ll notice by that first sentence, there’s a lot of “nigga” throwing going on, yet there was no outcry until the white woman said it. One has to question why exactly it’s perfectly acceptable for two, adult black men (Jay-Z and Kanye West) to make a song about a couple of “niggas” ballin’ in the City of Lights, but when their white friend tweets the name of the song, she’s all of a sudden racist.
[Side note: This criticism is directed towards those black people who say the word "nigga" freely or have no issue with it unless it comes from the mouth of a non-black person. If you do not condone the use of the word by anyone, regardless of race or ethnicity, then the "hypocrite" label does not apply to you.]
It’s this kind of backwards thinking that always amazes me. Many in our communities have co-opted a word created specifically by white Americans to degrade black Americans; yet when we say it it’s supposed to be an inclusive thing. It’s the unofficial logo on the “Black card,” accepted anywhere that you can find a group of “niggas.”
I’ve never understood the semantics hoops some black people go through to justify the word’s usage. No matter which way you slice it or dice it, brotha is short for brother; sista is short for sister; and nigga is short for nigger. The word is no different when used predominantly by black people in financial bondage or living in prison slave quarters, than when used by a white plantation owner. It amounts to nothing more than bastardized slang and they know it.
Re-enter Gwyneth Paltrow.
She had no idea that her words would cause such a maelstrom of controversy. Why? Because it’s the title of a song written by black men and since when is it a white woman’s job to show more respect for Jay-Z and Kanye West than they show for themselves? (And as Kanye told a recent Parisian crowd, he’ll grant them permission to say it, you know, to sing along). For anyone to find her words in any way disrespectful or culturally insensitive — while simultaneously Diddy-boppin’ along to lyrics — would require such a giant leap into insanity that I would suggest they seek professional help. To be honest, I even get the fellas point of using the word in this song. If we’re to sift through the negative historical and societal associations with the word, it’s easy to see that what they are saying is, “Look, society calls us niggas, but now these niggas are in Paris and white people are paying thousands to come see us.” It’s a rags-to-riches tale of two homegrown “niggas” making it from the hood all the way to Paree. It’s exhilarating, cathartic, validation and confirmation that they’ve made it to the big leagues. Instead of shucking and jiving in the United States, they can now do it in Europe – and doesn’t it feel grand?
If anyone should offer an apology to the insulted masses of black folk, it’s those two for crafting such an ignorant song.
Still…just as I heavily criticized the censorship of the word “nigger” in Huckleberry Finn, I defend Gwyneth’s regurgitation of the word “niggas” here. She has an appreciation of the commercialized Hip-Hop that she has been spoon-fed. She respects Jay-Z and his art. She’s proud of him for being a “nigga in Paris,” just as he’s proud of himself.
Maybe it’s time that those who are screaming “off with her head” all over the internet redirect that anger to the real source. You know, her “friends,” Jay-Z and Kanye who have yet to come to her defense, even as “The Dream” and Russell Simmons jump in to protect her from criticism (The Dream now claims he sent the tweet from Paltrow’s phone). If “nigga” is the terminology of oppression for the black folks who cried wolf, then they must also realize that degradation will always be degradation – even if the oppressors have black faces.
yea yea yea
at the end of the day whether we use it or not this is taught to all white friends in racial sensitivity training 101 – just stay away from the word!
I get Gywneths excitement, however, there was no need to tweet it, and I partially blame her dumb black friends enter the Dream, Jay, and Ye for not schooling her on the connotations and why its NOT okay for a non black person to use it, its bad enough we use it ourselves like the authors states, so we dont need YOU ( white) to use it as well.
Im always baffled at white peoples defense of wanting to use the word bc we do,
IT’s like do you really want to use this word THAT BAD?? SMH
+1
Also Jay and Ye are not “regular” black people, but very rich and very famous, and are not subject to the kinds of ordinary discrimination and hardships that most black folks couldn’t buy there way out of.
Regardless of who should or should not say the n-word, Gwyneth should’ve have known better. I find it hard to believe that Gwyneth, a 40-year old famous actress did not think there would be some kind of controversy or repercussions over her tweeting the word.
Thank you. What in the world was she thinking?
White people know better – they just could care less….Gwyneth Paltro knows better..whites end up becoming much too close thinking that they are now “down”…this is why I can’t personally (I said personally, don’t want to hear from the bw/wm nazis) date a white guy…the possibility of this happening is atrocious.
I could give a flying poop what Gwyneth Paltrow says or does. Honestly I could give a flying poop about what Jay-Z or Kanye West say or do becasuse at the end of the day the derogetory word is not going anywhere, people are going to continue to use it in all kinds of ways and the people who profit from it will always justify it’s use without a care in the world about the larger effects. So thanks Uncle Russel and Uncle Dream for once again coming to the rescue of a damsel in distress I get it. As a sidenote if Dream did say he sent that message from her phone then that’s even more idiotic and stupid. Maybe Gwen’s friends (black or otherwise) are okay with her using the word after all, Kanye gave permission to an entire city saying they could use it and since he is the spokesman for all things relating to black folks it’s all cool right? In my opinion It’s all stunts and shows really because everyone from politicians to the average joe uses it behind closed doors and in the off chance that it makes its way to the public ear black folks get all riled up and start the protest and then we get the same sappy insincere appology…which is really meaningless so lets stop wasting time on this thing because at most Gwyneth will appologize with the caveat of “it’s the name of the song” or “you all say it so why can’t I” or “my best friends are black so why isn’t it okay” or my favorite one “I was just kidding…can’t you all take a joke?”. So to Gwyneth I say God bless continue to be white rich and chillin in Paris with the n**as.
The “black people use it” so everyone else can argument is stupid because not every black person in America is using it ! Not all of them are enjoying the pleasures of the n word. Say the n word around my grandma she’ll cry . Say it around my friend he’ll declare a speech! So stop that stupid reasoning! Oh it’s okay to call women sluts and whores because they all each other it all the time so a man should enjoy the opportunity to join
@ apple: Agreed! This argument is sophomoric and disappointing. If the topic of using the word is taken up again, it would be useful to have a more nuanced discussion of it. While I am not a proponent of black people using the word, I am very skeptical of the notion that there is no difference between a black person and a white person saying it. I think white people are savvy enough (or at least familiar with the debate surrounding the word nigga) to know that it is somehow problematic for them to use it. Paltrow knows exactly what she is saying and doing. Typical hipster racism.
Exactly!!!!!
Co-sign! I had to do a double take when reading this thread and article. I mean really talk about being unaware here with that reasoning…smh I truly believe we are becoming way to desensitize to this stuff and frankly DUMBER when it is affecting us, what’s next is a lynch going to be the “new” black thing to do because some fools just revise it and made it cool so it is something to be endured than be offensive? And furthermore I don’t believe for a second that Gwyneth Paltrow didn’t know her tweet would be controversy. You honestly believe that white people don’t know that any variation of the N-word is offensive? If not then I have some land to sell you on Jupiter. Wake up people, they are laughing AT you not with you. And I so agree with Erin and a few above Jay Z, Beyonce, Lil Wayne, insert many others etc. do NOT represent me. I do think we need to hold these individuals in the public eye that uses any variation of the N-word to a higher standard and grill their behinds instead of silently saying nothing because we don’t want to come off as overly PC. And the funny thing is I’ am not really angry or mad at Gwyneth at this point but some of these off putting reasonings on why it is okay and that she should get a pass…smh
Exactly. And even if all black people were using the world, that still does not give white folks the damned right to use a word that their ancestors used like a whip against us for 400 damned years. I maintain that only an undercover racist white person would even want to use the n word. And we need to stop making excuses for such a-holes: they are no clueless kids. They are grown a$$ people who are capable of critical thinking like the rest of us, and thus they know better.
400 years? This is why the term “Forget about it” is so popular. Get on with your life….find a job and pay some taxes so the burden of welfare for the progenation of your race isn’t so heavy.