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"django unchained" deeply offended lee daniels: "tarantino has no right to our word."

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duckroll

Member
I don't quite understand what he's saying here. If he were to simply say that the word is offensive and should not be used or glorified, and that he wouldn't use it, then more power to him. But he seems to say that somehow because the word was created in a negative context, because it has offended his race, that somehow now only people from that race has a right to use the word in any way. That seems silly, nonsensical, and unhelpful. It's a stupid double standard that has no bearing on reality. Gays certainly do not use the word fag among themselves. It's an offensive word period. No one is in a hurry to "claim" ownership for the word fag. If he finds nigger so offensive, why does he want to claim the right to use the word himself?

Maybe there's something I'm failing to understand here?
 

Steelrain

Member
su4f5zV.gif


Keep up the good fight, Daniels.
 

Slayven

Member
I don't quite understand what he's saying here. If he were to simply say that the word is offensive and should not be used or glorified, and that he wouldn't use it, then more power to him. But he seems to say that somehow because the word was created in a negative context, because it has offended his race, that somehow now only people from that race has a right to use the word in any way. That seems silly, nonsensical, and unhelpful. It's a stupid double standard that has no bearing on reality. Gays certainly do not use the word fag among themselves. It's an offensive word period. No one is in a hurry to "claim" ownership for the word fag. If he finds nigger so offensive, why does he want to claim the right to use the word himself?

Maybe there's something I'm failing to understand here?

Not saying all do it, but I have had gay friends that used it jokingly among themselves.
 
I'm pretty sure the film did a good job of making any character who uses that word freely completely detestable, or whether it was Django owning it.
 
Imagine that post if the UK demanded all of "their" words back.

I have yet to see the film, but it is quite common for films to use the politically incorrect words of the time to paint the setting. It would be like making a film about racists in Britain and not hearing the P word once. It's almost like pretending the issue isn't there. Sweeping it under the carpet won't teach anyone anything.

Pumpernickel?

What's the P word? seriously!
 

Trojita

Rapid Response Threadmaker
LD: You know, this is a first because I've avoided this question. But I'm going to give you the real. Django Unchained -- I was deeply hurt by the movie. I was deeply offended by the movie. The movie made me angry. [Quentin Tarantino] has no right to our word; he has no right to that n-word. None. None. And thank you, Spike Lee, for speaking up and for having the balls to speak up. Thank God Spike Lee finally spoke up. I thought I was going crazy. Nobody else said anything; it was like everybody else thought it was great. No, it's not great for you to use "nigger," man! Who do you think you are?

When keeping it the real goes wrong.
 
I'm black and I think he's on something. Django, despite overall being a piece of consumable entertainment, was eye-opening for white audiences who might have otherwise skipped a movie based on slavery. And no, no I'm not offended by the use of the N word on film. In context, Tarantino writes a lot of naughty people, and naughty people don't always play nice-nice with language. Slave owners using the term is to be expected in a period piece.

The word has never been used out of context in his films, the only time it looks out of place is when Tarantino's character in Pulp Fiction is admonishing Jules for bringing a "dead nigger" to his house, right to his face. Jules was in a bind, but he didn't seem like the kind of guy who would take such language lightly.
 

Artemisia

Banned
I don't quite understand what he's saying here. If he were to simply say that the word is offensive and should not be used or glorified, and that he wouldn't use it, then more power to him. But he seems to say that somehow because the word was created in a negative context, because it has offended his race, that somehow now only people from that race has a right to use the word in any way. That seems silly, nonsensical, and unhelpful. It's a stupid double standard that has no bearing on reality. Gays certainly do not use the word fag among themselves. It's an offensive word period. No one is in a hurry to "claim" ownership for the word fag. If he finds nigger so offensive, why does he want to claim the right to use the word himself?

Maybe there's something I'm failing to understand here?

Yes, they do. I mean it's not something that's widespread, but it's certainly not rare.
 

BSTF

this post rates 1/10
Spike Lee seems like he was right about Quentin Tarantino 15 years ago, and he certainly has a warped view of himself as some black savior while make a movie for white people.

But Lee Daniels definitely shouldn't of spoken out, too many white people can't handle any kind of racial discussion and lashing out at anyone who brings it up. Creating this aura around the word is also partly why people use the word, so they can be "edgy" without even trying.

Oh, and people should stop defending the use of the word because of the time period, Tarantino wasn't exactly going for historical accuracy in the film.
 

Log4Girlz

Member
Well okay, yeah. I guess some do, but I just find the idea of claiming "ownership" over an offensive word simply because you were offended by it to be... somewhat odd. Isn't it?

I personally think its stupid, but I guess some would label me a racist or insensitive depending on the word we're talking about. Again, if a word is offensive, no one should use it.
 
But Lee Daniels definitely shouldn't of spoken out, too many white people can't handle any kind of racial discussion and lashing out at anyone who brings it up. Creating this aura around the word is also partly why people use the word, so they can be "edgy" without even trying.

Wow.
Ignoring the fact Lee is actively racist in his comments; a lot of users have sat and discussed this here. I have no idea of their race but I think a lot have opened discussions and made good points.

Whats your defence to ignoring them, if not just being generally bigoted on the matter?

Oh, and people should stop defending the use of the word because of the time period, Tarantino wasn't exactly going for historical accuracy in the film.

Its a form of ambiance. If they didn't use the word then it would not have set the scene.
I suppose they shouldn't have shown the cruelty to slaves?

Hell, Tarantino wasn't a slave; what gives him the right to show slavery?
Should have just done a remake of The Patriot and leave it at that. Right?
 

Bodacious

Banned
Reminds me of a few years back when I loaned a co-worker an 'alternate history' book by Harry Turtledove called "Guns of the South." In the book, white supremacists from South Africa time travel back to the American Civil War and supply the Confederacy with a shitload of AK-47's. It's an interesting and entertaining read, even if a bit ridiculous. Anyway, the guy comes back with the book about 3 hours after I loaned it to him. He didn't even finish the first chapter, because he won't read a book with 'that word' in it. Never mind that it's a piece of (alternate) history fiction set during the Civil War ... can't have that word in it. I explained that in its totality, the message of the book was anti-discrimination, but to convey that message it was necessary for certain 'bad' characters in the book to be racist. Didn't compute with this guy - apparently he felt the word should not be uttered or written under any circumstance. I opted to let it go at that, and not bring up the rapper loophole.
 

Gustav

Banned
The sensitivity surrounding that word in the US is astounding, especially when you consider that "nigga" is so commonly used around blacks. It's super weird.

If you make a movie about racists, show them being racists.
 

richiek

steals Justin Bieber DVDs
Even though I disagree with Daniels, at the very least he watched the film, something Lee hasn't done.
 
Spike Lee seems like he was right about Quentin Tarantino 15 years ago, and he certainly has a warped view of himself as some black savior while make a movie for white people.

But Lee Daniels definitely shouldn't of spoken out, too many white people can't handle any kind of racial discussion and lashing out at anyone who brings it up. Creating this aura around the word is also partly why people use the word, so they can be "edgy" without even trying.

Oh, and people should stop defending the use of the word because of the time period, Tarantino wasn't exactly going for historical accuracy in the film.

Could you please explain what makes Django Unchained a movie for white people, as opposed to say, a movie for everyone?
 

Monocle

Member
This is like saying people have no right to learn about history. Tarantino should be praised for delivering an unvarnished look at the ugliness of race relations in pre-Civil War America. His use of the word nigger in Django is honest, not exploitative, and it improves his film.
 

TAJ

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Kike. Why do I know all the slurs?

You must not. There are probably a hundred for Jewish people.
'Heeb', 'yid' and 'hooknose' are probably the ones I've heard most besides 'kike'. Actually, 'Jew' is used as a pejorative so often that it's probably number one.
 
I don't care about QT's use of the word, but I was annoyed about how the final villain in a slave inspired revenge film, the one to be despised and hated the most, was a
black guy or house Negro.

I made a post about it awhile ago in the black culture thread. Wasn't received too fondly. :/
 

Slayven

Member
This is like saying people have no right to learn about history. Tarantino should be praised for delivering an unvarnished look at the ugliness of race relations in pre-Civil War America. His use of the word nigger in Django is honest, not exploitative, and it improves his film.

The main problem is people looking at a Tarantino film for a history lesson.
 

Bodacious

Banned
This is like saying people have no right to learn about history. Tarantino should be praised for delivering an unvarnished look at the ugliness of race relations in pre-Civil War America. His use of the word nigger in Django is honest, not exploitative, and it improves his film.

well, watching Django Unchained is not 'learning about history,' but it does have a message that would be weakened without the racism of its 'bad' characters
 

Interfectum

Member
Spike Lee seems like he was right about Quentin Tarantino 15 years ago, and he certainly has a warped view of himself as some black savior while make a movie for white people.

But Lee Daniels definitely shouldn't of spoken out, too many white people can't handle any kind of racial discussion and lashing out at anyone who brings it up. Creating this aura around the word is also partly why people use the word, so they can be "edgy" without even trying.

Oh, and people should stop defending the use of the word because of the time period, Tarantino wasn't exactly going for historical accuracy in the film.

That's kind of a racist thing to say. I no longer what you to use the term "white people." Thx.
 

Monocle

Member
The main problem is people looking at a Tarantino film for a history lesson.
Let's not be too glib here. IIRC, Tarantino has stated in interviews that Django is something of an answer to the sanitized Hollywood version of the antebellum South. And in fact, his movie does convey the inhuman conditions suffered by slaves. Django has something worthwhile to say about history.
 

Thaedolus

Gold Member
Gays certainly do not use the word fag among themselves. It's an offensive word period. No one is in a hurry to "claim" ownership for the word fag. If he finds nigger so offensive, why does he want to claim the right to use the word himself?

Maybe there's something I'm failing to understand here?

The two gay guys I lived with used "fag" to describe overly-effeminate guys, among other things.

EDIT:

beaten like a dead horse
 

Slayven

Member
Let's not be too glib here. IIRC, Tarantino has stated in interviews that Django is something of an answer to the sanitized Hollywood version of the antebellum South. And in fact, his movie does convey the inhuman conditions suffered by slaves. Django has something worthwhile to say about history.

Yeah it has something to say, but it is by no means a reference on the period.
 
Slavery was an incredibly varied "institution" in the south. The vast majority of slaves would have experienced nothing resembling what goes on in this film. That is why the film isn't terribly useful as a historical piece (Slaves, afterall, were far and away the largest financial investment for the vast majority of owners). It is gratuitous cinema, nothing more. My qualm is more with Mr. Daniels trying to exclude a word from the lexicon of an entire race, which is racist.
 

Dead Man

Member
Slavery was an incredibly varied "institution" in the south. The vast majority of slaves would have experienced nothing resembling what goes on in this film. That is why the film isn't terribly useful as a historical piece (Slaves, afterall, were far and away the largest financial investment for the vast majority of owners). It is gratuitous cinema, nothing more. My qualm is more with Mr. Daniels trying to exclude a word from the lexicon of an entire race, which is racist.

That argument relies on the assumption that only the largest segments of a group are worth representing.
 
Slavery was an incredibly varied "institution" in the south. The vast majority of slaves would have experienced nothing resembling what goes on in this film. That is why the film isn't terribly useful as a historical piece (Slaves, afterall, were far and away the largest financial investment for the vast majority of owners). It is gratuitous cinema, nothing more. My qualm is more with Mr. Daniels trying to exclude a word from the lexicon of an entire race, which is racist.

everything Tarantino does and has ever done has been over the top bombastic gratuitous cinema, I wonder if certain people will ever stop being offended by every movie he makes lol
 
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