Is there a limit to political correctness in the performing arts?

Comedians routinely cross social boundaries that seem dangerous or at least very risky for other’s. Being African American entitles Chris Rock to use the “N” word in ways that would not be tolerated if Caucasian comedians were to do so. The rules are unclear and inconsistent and the use of extreme vocabulary has long been used to shock audiences or to make points about social conventions.

Political correctness is about safety – the safety of the speaker, and to some degree the preservation of civility, therefore the safety of society. In this way it’s deeply conservative. Art is always about risk. They two constructs aren’t congenial.

I don’t believe in censorship. The most people can do is not give any attention to something like this they don’t like, but I don’t believe it should be censored (I’m not talking about bleeps on TV, I mean preventing them from doing it in the first place).

If a white person uses the word, then it is associated with a long history of subjugation of black people. It is a term of dominance, and as such, is extremely insulting. When a black person uses it, well, can black people dominate black people and be guilty of racism? It doesn’t makes sense.

The term has different meaning depending on who is using it. Black people can use it either to show they are in the in group, or for shock value. White people can use it for shock value, but they have to be very careful, or they might start a riot, too. It’s kind of like burning the Koran in a Mosque vs burning it in a Church. In the Mosque, you’ll get lynched. In the Chuch, most people will disapprove, but the worst that could happen is that they kick you out.

@wundayatta ” If a white person uses the word, then it is associated with a long history of subjugation of black people. It is a term of dominance, and as such, is extremely insulting.” That would be the path of least resistance to assume every time a non-Black person uses it is has to be a back of the hand comment. If it is bad it is bad. And there might not be racism in the Black community but there can be prejudice. It maybe different now but when I was growing up there was not many “blended” (biracial) Black folk in my neighborhood or school. Those who were got better treatment by whites because they were lighter, their hair less curly and less ethnic features. Some actually embraced the way they were treated as to believe they were slightly better. So there was a division (at least in my neck of the woods growing up). I don’t think Blacks should be entitled to use it with out penalty no matter how much they suffered under it. It was unfortunate how things with down back then but because it did doesn’t make the word any better and to allow Black comedians and such to use it while excluding or chiding other is to me the same type of double standard that made the word so easy to use among white people in the 1st place.

@Hypocrisy_Central You know I was just trying to explain, not justify? I happen to agree that we should all be able to reclaim words if we want. It should be possible for whites to use it in a non-insulting way, should they choose. Right now, the default assumption is that if a white says the word, it is evidence of and an act of racism. It may not be true, but that’s what we have to deal with in our world.

@wundayatta So goes this melting pot which never can get all the lumps out of the puree’

@Hypocrisy_Central – “penalty”? Is there a law? Is there a punishment? “Allow”? Who gets to set and enforce these rules? We don’t HAVE a big mommy standing over us telling us we have to take time-outs when we break this kind of rules. I’m questioning your choice of words, not your values.

@susanc There might have been a better word but for the sake of clarity everyone knows that a penalty is, it doesn’t always have to be legal it can be social and such. Back in the day if you were an unwed teen girl and you became pregnant the penalty was you were wisked off to some bording school or some distant realatives. I guess it was easier to convay a less than favorable outcome then maybe using repercussion or something similar.