I like how "he is liberal" is the automatic excuse for saying anything you want liberally. So you only allowed to say certain things if you have the same political beliefs...hmm...
obviously this word is terrible but to erase from history will soon make ppl in the future question whether African Americans were actually treated as second class. That word can not be forgotten and taking it out of old novels that used that word because it was the 'norm' in that time is trying to change history. We must always try to contain the truth whether it is ugly or beautiful
Norway have done the same with Pippi Longstoking, originally her father is known as the Negro King, but now it says Southern Sea King. I think it is stupid to censor old books, they where written at a different time, would it be better if we forgot how black people where treated before? In my opinion forgetting history is the fastest route to repeating it. Also that tweet, I see nothing wrong with it, it was not racist, it was a comment on the censoring issue.
I can only imagine the future: "Your honour, this man has commited a sick and vile crime against humanity. But as said crime is too vulger to even mention, we are forced to drop the charges."
To paraphrase Theodore Schroeder: "Offensiveness is not a quality inherent in a word, but is solely and exclusively a contribution of the reading mind, and hence cannot be defined in terms of the qualities of a word."
Context is everything. If those who are critical of Roger Ebert can't see that, THEY should be the ones to "shut the **** up"! While we're at it, why don't we just completely re-write Jayne Eyre, and make her the head of a modern investment corporation.
These words only have power when PEOPLE give them the power. Isn't it time for humanity to grow up and stop empowering the bully words by making them so taboo? Time to make it just a word like any other.
I applauded Ebert when he made that tweet. He makes a very good point and it's obvious that he didn't say it in a racist context. He shouldn't have to apologize at all for this.
this is a horrendous idea, sure it has a horrendous legacy but the truth is, is that it's a HUGE part of American history and as such it should be left as is.
We should not censor any word in literature, especially ones with significant historical value (yes, including the N-word) because we have whole generations who do not know the meaning or context of many words, and certainly will not understand bitter realities of racism in the past if we scrub history clean.
I am black and not offended, it is what it is. I've read the book when i was in school, too much energy is put into racism, i just don't give a fuck anymore.
Here ye, Here ye.... New Rules for when you can say the N-Word: If you're black, you can say it whenever and to whomever you like (as long as they don't mind) If you're not black, you can say the word, too. Just don't call anybody by that word. When you're at home, you can do what ever the fuck you like, but this is basic etiquette that you are wise to follow. There are exceptions to the rule. For example, if a black person doesn't mind you calling them by the N-word All In Favor Say Aye...
destroying another piece of great literature, and it doesn't matter if you are black or white, censorship is going to end us all, he didn't mean it as offense. he meant it as a point.
Look, is it an ugly word? YES. We all agree that people should not say it, and I am of the opinion that NO ONE shoud. But we preserve it as literature in it's original context because it reminds us that for hundreds of years, an entire people were placed in bondage, opressed and made to serve as the property of another person. Huck Finn is the quintessential anti-slavery and anti-racism novel. That word is a harsh reality of Huck's - and America's - world, and there's no escape from that.
It's not even used as an offensive word in the book, that's what african americans were called up until a few decades ago, it was like caucasian is today.
I don't see anything wrong with what he said. He was making a good point. Besides, he has a valid point. Why change the books? They show what was socially acceptable at that particular time. I said the same thing when the constitution was read out loud last week but they omitted the 3/5 human and prohibition sections. We can't sweep the shady parts of American history under the rug when it's convenient.
I think the fact that he apologized makes this different than the Laura Schlessinger's rant. Initially I was going to cry "double standard double standard!" but I can see this isn't the same situation now.
His first tweet is actually extremely poignant and meant to reflect empowerment for the struggle African Americans have endured. More revolution, than regnant, but by it's very nature Twitter is not the most forgiving platform for such a sensitive and broad discussion.
The book should NOT be changed. People need to be educated about the history of that word and the terrible sentiment that it represents, so that maybe they'll stop slinging it around like it's nothing. Looking at you, entire hip-hop community.
Hell, I think it was wrong for Roger Ebert to apologize. It may not have made his point as well as he wanted it to, but it wasn't all that bad either, considering his context.
No, they better not remove that word from that book. If they remove that one word they will have to remove every single bad word in every single book in existence. That is simply not right. That is not the original context. That is not how we preserve history and great literature. Might as well as change the words from the Catcher in the Rye. This is freaking insane. Come on this is about as bad as people getting upset over the word Jigger.
Ebert gets a pass and is not racist. The word should be used in the book because it gives light and character to the setting in those times, period. (Yes, I'm Black) Side note: Out of every minority group, Black people have no language (written, spoken, or read) of their, no religion, no customs. We turned a hateful word into something positive to [us], now we have to feel guilty for using it because everyone else [whom have their own language and culture] want to use it. I find that funny.lol
people the point of the black aspect of the story was to show how the time was racist and what the culture was like, taking the N word out DEFEATS the purpose of having a black man in the story.
It should not be censored. And I don't feel that he should have apologized. He had no racist or negative intent behind using it. He simply stated his opinion. An opinion that I actually agree with. Folks are way too sensitive.
@manhunt48 - Agreed 100% on that one. I'm black and personally I think censoring this book, or any book, is completely idiotic and somewhat fascistic. In this context it is just a word being used by the kids because it's pretty much all they know. Not to demean anyone or because they hate all black people and think Jim should be killed. To the critics: Chill out! Damn.
I agree with the fact that he has to use the word to state his opinion, he is actaully talking about a specific word in the book. I just find it hard to understand how he can say which one he'd rather be called when he has experiened neither. But he covers that in his apology. TYT pardon is the right thing to do. That's like me saying I'd rather be called a midget than a little person when i'm not a midget or a little person. I don't really have the experience to form that opinion.
I'm going to buy hella copies of this printing, future copies are going to have the word re-added and I'll make a killing selling this collector's edition.
Agree with Eberts point. Disagree with his delivery. Agree with his apology. *With that said this whole ordeal is extremely ironic. Funny how Ebert backpedaled and began to censor himself about a topic that was anti-censorship. lol
Yea Roger Ebert has gotten me a little pissed before with a few tweets of his (like saying video games were not an art form) but people need to let this go
@simplydreams I agree with you that it shouldn't be taken offensively all the time. But you can't be ignorant to the fact that it once was used as a derogatory term.
It's just a revised book! If you don't want to read the revised version then get the original. Books are revised all the time and it never makes the news because it's not a big deal.
What bothers me is the double standard. A word cannot be, okay coming from a black guy and not okay coming from a white guy. I personally don't like the word and don't use it. But it should either be okay for anybody to use, or not okay for anybody to use.
The n-word shouldn't be in any editions of Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer that are given to children, maybe college students but not below 18. I read both those when I was little and didn't even know there were n-words in the originals. They were still good to read. That Injun Joe, he was one bad mother. There's no reason to have little kids reading the n-word, they won't understand the debate over it.
LOL Roger had the right idea, but he fucked up on how he tried to express it. I'm half black and I understand what he meant (after it was explained), it doesn't make sense that they want to remove the n-word from a book that is supposed to reflect those times.
I understand people being offended over the word being used in the book, but people need to learn about the context in the book, and understand what the message was that the book was trying to convey. Besides, the word was commonplace when the book was written.
The censored version is perfect for the classroom setting. A child should not be forced to read the N-word over 200 times. It's unnecessary. Discussions pertaining to race can still be had, but to be honest, when our schools can barely teach reading and math, do you honestly believe that they can teach an important life lesson regarding racism? I don't think so. Read the book on your own time. You can still purchase the original text, so you have nothing to complain about.
First of all, to suggest Ebert is a racist is laughable. He isn't. He apologized for how the word was used, not for using it to make a point. He didn't just throw it out there accidentally, maliciously, or as a joke. He was trying to make a valid point in under 140 characters.
Forgot to say this in my last post: There is no controversy. There's only overly sensitive people who want to rewrite history. I heard about something like this Ah yes. The Department of Truth in the book 1984.
she is his home attendant and beard. he visited racist apartheid era South Africa and even the country they once brutally controlled ,South West Africa (Namibia now) that the UN asked people not to go to.
I'm black and I think it's just stupid to take the word out of the book. I read Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn in middle school and I wasn't offended at all by seeing the word in the book. It was just a reflection of the upbringing of the boys in the 19th century South, not that they hated black people or agreed with slavery or anything. Consider the environment. The book was actually anti-slavery.
@xyzoneon Yeah, I know, rite? It's sad to expect people to take responsibility for their actions. It must be, for how little people actually do anymore.
At a certain point, political correctness just starts to get ridiculous. Think about the context of Huckleberry Finn. It was a novel published in 1885 and set in the 1840's. THEY WOULD USE THE WORD NIGGER. As for what Roger Ebert said, it's a case of what is being said versus what is being met. He isn't using to label to an entire group of people. He's using it because THE WORD ITSELF is the issue here.
(Cont.. It does blacks, hell, ALL PEOPLE OF COLOR, a disservice to want the word removed given that the book shows how historically inhumane humans can be. The book offers a lesson in how to look beyond societal constraints and see people. A lesson we seem to either have forgot, or have never learned.
It's a WORD. Ink on a page. Geez...enough is enough.
I've never understood why anyone cared about Roger Ebert opinion. He's such a negative petty person.
I like how "he is liberal" is the automatic excuse for saying anything you want liberally. So you only allowed to say certain things if you have the same political beliefs...hmm...
I dont like the N-word, but this is classic literature. Twain uses the word in a critical fashion. That shouldn't be changed.
obviously this word is terrible but to erase from history will soon make ppl in the future question whether African Americans were actually treated as second class. That word can not be forgotten and taking it out of old novels that used that word because it was the 'norm' in that time is trying to change history. We must always try to contain the truth whether it is ugly or beautiful
The comments here are just flat out embarassing.
Norway have done the same with Pippi Longstoking, originally her father is known as the Negro King, but now it says Southern Sea King. I think it is stupid to censor old books, they where written at a different time, would it be better if we forgot how black people where treated before? In my opinion forgetting history is the fastest route to repeating it. Also that tweet, I see nothing wrong with it, it was not racist, it was a comment on the censoring issue.
No word should hold any scandal if it's in the form of a quote.
As a black man, this shouldn't even be an issue.
I can only imagine the future:
"Your honour, this man has commited a sick and vile crime against humanity. But as said crime is too vulger to even mention, we are forced to drop the charges."
I love the irony as they complain about how the article blanked out the 'n-word'.
words only have power if you give them power,if you dont,its just a word.
Any editing like this steals our understanding of history
It's a disgrace to filter such an important piece of literature, and possibly the most important piece of literature in American History.
As long as he isn't saying it to offend someone i could care less.
Everyone should go out and buy a copy of the original version of Huck Finn as a great protest to the instanity that is coming down the road.
my main issue is that they are removing n-word from a book from the past. They shouldn't censor the book.
It's a word. A fucking WORD!
Take it out!
"Whatever you do DON'T MENTION THE WAR......I mentioned it once, but I think I got away with it." - Basil Fawlty
I'm proud to say I was born and raised in the same city as Roger Ebert :)
Why? He's an a-hole.
Saying that it doesn't matter that his wife is black is like saying that a same sex married gay man is homophobic for saying faggot.
To paraphrase Theodore Schroeder:
"Offensiveness is not a quality inherent in a word, but is solely and exclusively a contribution of the reading mind, and hence cannot be defined in terms of the qualities of a word."
Chris Rock said I can use the word if I was just robbed by a black man.
WOW TYT has improve the quality even in 360p and have change the camera to be more on the face. I like it.
Context is everything. If those who are critical of Roger Ebert can't see that, THEY should be the ones to "shut the **** up"! While we're at it, why don't we just completely re-write Jayne Eyre, and make her the head of a modern investment corporation.
With liberals like these, who needs conservatives?
These words only have power when PEOPLE give them the power. Isn't it time for humanity to grow up and stop empowering the bully words by making them so taboo? Time to make it just a word like any other.
I applauded Ebert when he made that tweet. He makes a very good point and it's obvious that he didn't say it in a racist context. He shouldn't have to apologize at all for this.
I like the end of that second tweet, "I should just shut the fuck up."
look who arrived at the party a little to early... this guy
this is a horrendous idea, sure it has a horrendous legacy but the truth is, is that it's a HUGE part of American history and as such it should be left as is.
Ebert failed to make his point....THAT'S the real point.
Slave is also a demeaning term unless the word "sex" is in front of it.
We should not censor any word in literature, especially ones with significant historical value (yes, including the N-word) because we have whole generations who do not know the meaning or context of many words, and certainly will not understand bitter realities of racism in the past if we scrub history clean.
I happen to agree with Ebert!
Pfft one of the reasons this world is going down.
Waaa! Let's all cry louder about saying a stupid word.
"His wife is black"
As if that shit matters. That's just as bad as going "He has black friends"....
I am black and not offended, it is what it is. I've read the book when i was in school, too much energy is put into racism, i just don't give a fuck anymore.
Here ye, Here ye....
New Rules for when you can say the N-Word:
If you're black, you can say it whenever and to whomever you like (as long as they don't mind)
If you're not black, you can say the word, too. Just don't call anybody by that word. When you're at home, you can do what ever the fuck you like, but this is basic etiquette that you are wise to follow. There are exceptions to the rule. For example, if a black person doesn't mind you calling them by the N-word
All In Favor Say Aye...
destroying another piece of great literature, and it doesn't matter if you are black or white, censorship is going to end us all, he didn't mean it as offense. he meant it as a point.
Look, is it an ugly word? YES. We all agree that people should not say it, and I am of the opinion that NO ONE shoud. But we preserve it as literature in it's original context because it reminds us that for hundreds of years, an entire people were placed in bondage, opressed and made to serve as the property of another person. Huck Finn is the quintessential anti-slavery and anti-racism novel. That word is a harsh reality of Huck's - and America's - world, and there's no escape from that.
It's not even used as an offensive word in the book, that's what african americans were called up until a few decades ago, it was like caucasian is today.
It's all about context.
Gotta love censorship
I don't see anything wrong with what he said. He was making a good point. Besides, he has a valid point. Why change the books? They show what was socially acceptable at that particular time. I said the same thing when the constitution was read out loud last week but they omitted the 3/5 human and prohibition sections. We can't sweep the shady parts of American history under the rug when it's convenient.
I agree with Ebert.
I think the fact that he apologized makes this different than the Laura Schlessinger's rant. Initially I was going to cry "double standard double standard!" but I can see this isn't the same situation now.
His first tweet is actually extremely poignant and meant to reflect empowerment for the struggle African Americans have endured. More revolution, than regnant, but by it's very nature Twitter is not the most forgiving platform for such a sensitive and broad discussion.
@JoshwithaJ yes, the most essential form of human communication has no power.
The book should NOT be changed. People need to be educated about the history of that word and the terrible sentiment that it represents, so that maybe they'll stop slinging it around like it's nothing.
Looking at you, entire hip-hop community.
People are such wimps. Words don't hurt anybody.
Hell, I think it was wrong for Roger Ebert to apologize. It may not have made his point as well as he wanted it to, but it wasn't all that bad either, considering his context.
Why didn't we get RJ's take on this? He's the only black individual in the show. It would've been interesting to see what he thinks.
No, they better not remove that word from that book. If they remove that one word they will have to remove every single bad word in every single book in existence. That is simply not right. That is not the original context. That is not how we preserve history and great literature. Might as well as change the words from the Catcher in the Rye. This is freaking insane. Come on this is about as bad as people getting upset over the word Jigger.
Ebert gets a pass and is not racist. The word should be used in the book because it gives light and character to the setting in those times, period. (Yes, I'm Black)
Side note: Out of every minority group, Black people have no language (written, spoken, or read) of their, no religion, no customs. We turned a hateful word into something positive to [us], now we have to feel guilty for using it because everyone else [whom have their own language and culture] want to use it. I find that funny.lol
people the point of the black aspect of the story was to show how the time was racist and what the culture was like, taking the N word out DEFEATS the purpose of having a black man in the story.
You shouldn't be scared of a word. He wasn't using in a racist or hateful way, so no one should be attacking him for it.
It should not be censored. And I don't feel that he should have apologized. He had no racist or negative intent behind using it. He simply stated his opinion. An opinion that I actually agree with. Folks are way too sensitive.
@manhunt48 - Agreed 100% on that one. I'm black and personally I think censoring this book, or any book, is completely idiotic and somewhat fascistic. In this context it is just a word being used by the kids because it's pretty much all they know. Not to demean anyone or because they hate all black people and think Jim should be killed.
To the critics: Chill out! Damn.
who is going after him for that? i am generally nonviolent but someone need to be smacked on this one.
He didn't mean to say the word in that context. People should stop ripping him...
are they going to censor To Kill A Mockingbird next?
@iamtheVitor Yeah, Jayar! Sorry for messing up the name! I never really noticed. My bad. Thanks for the correction! =)
I agree with the fact that he has to use the word to state his opinion, he is actaully talking about a specific word in the book. I just find it hard to understand how he can say which one he'd rather be called when he has experiened neither. But he covers that in his apology. TYT pardon is the right thing to do.
That's like me saying I'd rather be called a midget than a little person when i'm not a midget or a little person. I don't really have the experience to form that opinion.
@Macabre215 relevant question : is the person behind the decision to censor Huck Finn white?
I'm going to buy hella copies of this printing, future copies are going to have the word re-added and I'll make a killing selling this collector's edition.
It's only a word. Jeez, people need to chill the fuck out...
Agree with Eberts point.
Disagree with his delivery.
Agree with his apology.
*With that said this whole ordeal is extremely ironic. Funny how Ebert backpedaled and began to censor himself about a topic that was anti-censorship. lol
history is history. leave it. mr. ebert you have my respect as a "militant" black man for your apology as well, as unnecessary as it was.
What gives the obnoxious N word such power? Its basically nnnnnnnnn; and grrrrrrrrr; -anger sounds. That is the origin of the N word.
Ebert's wife is a black lady. It's surprising he didn't talk to her before tweeting this.
Huck Finn smoked. That is a bad example - could they please replace it with eating organic carrots.
Holy shit, Anna looks stunning today.
Yea Roger Ebert has gotten me a little pissed before with a few tweets of his (like saying video games were not an art form) but people need to let this go
THEY REALLY DID THIS? WTF.
@simplydreams I agree with you that it shouldn't be taken offensively all the time. But you can't be ignorant to the fact that it once was used as a derogatory term.
It's just a revised book! If you don't want to read the revised version then get the original. Books are revised all the time and it never makes the news because it's not a big deal.
What bothers me is the double standard. A word cannot be, okay coming from a black guy and not okay coming from a white guy. I personally don't like the word and don't use it. But it should either be okay for anybody to use, or not okay for anybody to use.
Is more racist worrying of his consecuences than sayin' it
The n-word shouldn't be in any editions of Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer that are given to children, maybe college students but not below 18. I read both those when I was little and didn't even know there were n-words in the originals. They were still good to read. That Injun Joe, he was one bad mother.
There's no reason to have little kids reading the n-word, they won't understand the debate over it.
this is R-word.
@PercyMcqueen Anyone who looses his entire chin to cancer would look no better.
LOL Roger had the right idea, but he fucked up on how he tried to express it. I'm half black and I understand what he meant (after it was explained), it doesn't make sense that they want to remove the n-word from a book that is supposed to reflect those times.
thinkning people of another must race find something racist is racist
I understand people being offended over the word being used in the book, but people need to learn about the context in the book, and understand what the message was that the book was trying to convey.
Besides, the word was commonplace when the book was written.
The censored version is perfect for the classroom setting. A child should not be forced to read the N-word over 200 times. It's unnecessary. Discussions pertaining to race can still be had, but to be honest, when our schools can barely teach reading and math, do you honestly believe that they can teach an important life lesson regarding racism? I don't think so. Read the book on your own time. You can still purchase the original text, so you have nothing to complain about.
Ana looks amazing in this video.
First of all, to suggest Ebert is a racist is laughable. He isn't. He apologized for how the word was used, not for using it to make a point. He didn't just throw it out there accidentally, maliciously, or as a joke. He was trying to make a valid point in under 140 characters.
Forgot to say this in my last post: There is no controversy. There's only overly sensitive people who want to rewrite history. I heard about something like this Ah yes. The Department of Truth in the book 1984.
It's just a fucking word.
she is his home attendant and beard. he visited racist apartheid era South Africa and even the country they once brutally controlled ,South West Africa (Namibia now) that the UN asked people not to go to.
@Zander73 Exactly! I'll likely be doing a vid about this later today or this week.
@NoJamOnYourBread yes
I'm black and I think it's just stupid to take the word out of the book. I read Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn in middle school and I wasn't offended at all by seeing the word in the book. It was just a reflection of the upbringing of the boys in the 19th century South, not that they hated black people or agreed with slavery or anything. Consider the environment.
The book was actually anti-slavery.
@xyzoneon Yeah, I know, rite? It's sad to expect people to take responsibility for their actions. It must be, for how little people actually do anymore.
This is a historical thing. You want people to forget where the word came from? Well this kinda stupidity is like that. No.
At a certain point, political correctness just starts to get ridiculous. Think about the context of Huckleberry Finn. It was a novel published in 1885 and set in the 1840's. THEY WOULD USE THE WORD NIGGER.
As for what Roger Ebert said, it's a case of what is being said versus what is being met. He isn't using to label to an entire group of people. He's using it because THE WORD ITSELF is the issue here.
(Cont.. It does blacks, hell, ALL PEOPLE OF COLOR, a disservice to want the word removed given that the book shows how historically inhumane humans can be. The book offers a lesson in how to look beyond societal constraints and see people. A lesson we seem to either have forgot, or have never learned.