Standing at barely five feet two inches and amassing under 110 pounds with ivory pale skin, Victoria Vitanza might not be thought of as the typical person to say, “Fuck school nigga, I’m [going to] be a dope dealer.” But this is exactly what she posted on fellow University of Vermont sophomore Chris Heres’ wall without a moment’s hesitation; for her, the N-word is a term of endearment, humor, and meant for casual conversation.
“I guess I’m insensitive, but I wasn’t trying to be offensive,” Vitanza said. “All I thought was: I’m going to post some song lyrics and it’s going to be hilarious.”
Vitanza’s sentiments echo those of teens and twentysomethings in a recent Associated Press-MTV poll, which found that people’s inhibitions about using harmful language are lowered when texting or posting in public forums such as Facebook compared to face-to-face communication. According to the poll, 54 percent of American youth believe it is okay to use discriminatory words, such as “slut,” “fag,” “retarded,” and even the N-word, among friends since “I know we don’t mean it.” Humor is also a big motivating factor, as 57 percent say they use discriminatory language online because they are “trying to be funny.’’
And when it comes to using the “N word” online or in text messages, only 44 percent said they would be offended, while 35 percent said it wouldn’t bother them much, and 26 percent would not be offended at all. However, there is still a significant minority of this demographic that is offended when they see these words used, especially when they identify with the targeted group. Sixty percent of African-American youth said they would be offended by seeing the N-word used against other people.
The AP-MTV poll was conducted August 18-31 and involved online interviews with 1,355 people ages 14-24 nationwide. This poll was a part of MTV’s “A Thin Line” campaign, one of many initiatives that call for teenagers “to identify, respond to, and stop the spread of digital abuse in your life and amongst your peers,” according to the campaign’s website. The campaign believes that this generation faces new challenges using social media such as Facebook and texting.
Since these forms of social media require society to define what funny, appropriate, and acceptable language look like, this poll highlights the fact that the N-word does not carry the same significance it did 20 or even 50 years ago, namely as a derogatory word toward black people. For some, it has taken on a new dimension of meaning, like that of an endearment or friendly nickname.
Although Heres is a white male, he was not of the latter persuasion when he read what Vitanza wrote. He responded with, “Don’t comment using the ‘n word’ on statuses that my black friends have liked…” Heres could not be reached for comment.
Laughing, Vitanza wrote back underneath his comment, “I don’t give a shit. Also [what I wrote] is a song [lyric]. And I didn’t put the ‘er’ so it’s friendly.”
Erin Gathers, an African American student at Boston University, has a severe intolerance for this type of linguistic intolerance. Gathers dislikes seeing the N-word used on Facebook and spoken aloud, no matter how it is spelled or pronounced, what context it is in, or who says it. Quoting songs is no excuse for her either since it only encourages others to repeat the N-word.
“I think that a lot of people freely use offensive or discriminatory language to be ironic or funny, but in my opinion, if you have to rely on those kinds of words to make other people laugh you’re probably not that great of a comedian,” Gathers said.
Even if new connotations have grown around the original foundations of the N-word, its hurtful meaning has not yet receded completely into the annals of history. Therefore, the sentiment of apathy or indifference toward using potentially offensive slurs online can be a dangerous one when combined with the saturation of popular culture with digital communication. So is it possible for American society to accommodate a positive interpretation of the N-word?
“It is definitely possible,” said Gathers. “In the future, if the word is completely accepted I hope that it could somehow represent pride in a history of suffering rather than a somewhat ironic or funny term that is thrown around haphazardly. However, there would definitely have to be a mindful transition to that usage and that does not seem to be happening.”
Works Cited
“About a Thin Line.” Web. 21 Sept. 2011.
“Poll: Young People See Online Slurs as Just Joking - Page 3 - Boston.com.” Featured Articles From Boston.com. 20 Sept. 2011. Web. 21 Sept. 2011.
“Young People Jaded By Slurs Online | News One.” Breaking News for Black America | News One. 20 Sept. 2011. Web. 30 Oct. 2011.
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