Pewdiepie - Here we go again (More controversy over a word)

[Themius]

I'm a white guy with a bunch of white guy friends on the internet. Sometimes when we start a conversation, we'll jokingly say "what's up my niggas", as a satire I guess of black gangstah youth shit you see on tv. Am I a racist now all of a sudden?

I really like Jay-Z's song '"the story of OJ". If I sing a long to the chorus "still nigger", am I suddenly racist now?

Do you not see the difference between what's up my niggas and screaming nigger in anger?

[Moralgy]

I'm a white guy with a bunch of white guy friends on the internet. Sometimes when we start a conversation, we'll jokingly say "what's up my niggas", as a satire I guess of black gangstah youth shit you see on tv. Am I a racist now all of a sudden?

I really like Jay-Z's song '"the story of OJ". If I sing a long to the chorus "still nigger", am I suddenly racist now?

I feel there is a huge difference in screaming "nigger" at someone when angry and singing a song. Would you not agree there is something wrong with someone that uses a racial slur to describe someone they are angry at, especially "heat of the moment" anger.

[rohendar]

I feel there is a huge difference in screaming "nigger" at someone when angry and singing a song. Would you not agree there is something wrong with someone that uses a racial slur to describe someone they are angry at, especially "heat of the moment" anger.

I can honestly tell you I'm not a racist person. I will not discriminate anyone based on their skin color, religion, race, sexual preference, whatever. I actively call people out that are actually racist (including in my workplace), and I advocate gay equality as the brother of a gay man.

And yet, I've angrily shouted every swear word known to man while playing video games. I've called people sons of whores and cotton pickers. The thing is I just shout that shit to myself, in my own home, with nobody to hear it. The only difference between me and PDP is he did it while people are watching him.

Now you can say that swearing in public is bad, and I would agree with you. But that doesn't make him a racist, because of the word he used. I can positively say he didn't actively call the person he was mad at a nigger because of his skin color.

In my opinion, appointing words "racial slurs" is a poor habit. It gives the word more power than it should have. The world itself is not bad, the intention with which it used is bad. Can you honestly say that PDP had the intention to be racist when he shouted that word?

[Pannonian]

Now you can say that swearing in public is bad, and I would agree with you. But that doesn't make him a racist, because of the word he used. I can positively say he didn't actively call the person he was mad at a nigger because of his skin color.

If it happens one time, then yes. But how many times has he done it now? At this point he is either a racist or he is using racism as a vehicle of publicity. I don't know which one is worse.

[Moralgy]

I can honestly tell you I'm not a racist person. I will not discriminate anyone based on their skin color, religion, race, sexual preference, whatever. I actively call people out that are actually racist (including in my workplace), and I advocate gay equality as the brother of a gay man.

And yet, I've angrily shouted every swear word known to man while playing video games. I've called people sons of whores and cotton pickers. The thing is I just shout that shit to myself, in my own home, with nobody to hear it. The only difference between me and PDP is he did it while people are watching him.

Now you can say that swearing in public is bad, and I would agree with you. But that doesn't make him a racist, because of the word he used. I can positively say he didn't actively call the person he was mad at a nigger because of his skin color.

In my opinion, appointing words "racial slurs" is a poor habit. It gives the word more power than it should have. The world itself is not bad, the intention with which it used is bad. Can you honestly say that PDP had the intention to be racist when he shouted that word?

I grew up in a racist as fuck area, and the only people that ever said racial slurs in anger were racist as fuck people. I seriously don't get how this became a normal thing for people that claim to not be racist. I feel there is something objectively wrong if you yell a racial slur when angry. I curse like a sailor but have never, ever, considered using a racial slur as one of those words.

As for "appointing words as racial slurs" part, that didn't just happen over night. Words like nigger became racial slurs because it is what every racist as fuck person used FOR A VERY LONG TIME AND STILL DO to describe black people. Feel free to use racial slurs, but don't get upset when people call you racist since it associates you with racists for obvious reasons.

As for the youtuber, he is just an edgelord, but edgelord enough and you suddenly find yourself sounding no different than actual racists. He has a history of doing this shit and getting away with it because people will defend him to their dying breath. If you say racist shit in an edgy way enough, no matter how much you claim to just be joking, after the fact, you end up being indistinguishable from racist assholes after a point. TL : DR Edgelord culture is old and annoying and needs to diaf already.

[Themius]

I can honestly tell you I'm not a racist person. I will not discriminate anyone based on their skin color, religion, race, sexual preference, whatever. I actively call people out that are actually racist (including in my workplace), and I advocate gay equality as the brother of a gay man.

And yet, I've angrily shouted every swear word known to man while playing video games. I've called people sons of whores and cotton pickers. The thing is I just shout that shit to myself, in my own home, with nobody to hear it. The only difference between me and PDP is he did it while people are watching him.

Now you can say that swearing in public is bad, and I would agree with you. But that doesn't make him a racist, because of the word he used. I can positively say he didn't actively call the person he was mad at a nigger because of his skin color.

In my opinion, appointing words "racial slurs" is a poor habit. It gives the word more power than it should have. The world itself is not bad, the intention with which it used is bad. Can you honestly say that PDP had the intention to be racist when he shouted that word?

So you call people cotton pockets in anger when people can't hear? I don't throw around slurs like that at all ...

To be able to say that slurs are just any other insult really is a privilege. As a person who had been quite through some shit for being gay I can't understand how the hell "it's just an insult" functions in your mind. It isn't..

It's like this person I used to be acquaintances with when angry calling people fsggots and then being confused why people were upset. They were an idiot.

The problem that you're incapable of seeing is that you are using a slur of an entire group as an insult. LIKE when white people say to each other "you're such a nigger" like how is that not racist?

[jibberbox85]

That isn't remotely the same thing, if your friends call you whatever the fuck you want that is between you and them, you call someone random you don't know that shit, then you own whatever reaction you get.

It probably wasn't the best thing to say in light of how the word is perceived, but to say it's alright for other people to make the same comment is just trying to justify the word being used by someone else. That in turn could make you seem more like a racist/bigot by making the claim that it's alright for one person to make the statement, but not another person due to their skin color.

[Themius]

It probably wasn't the best thing to say in light of how the word is perceived, but to say it's alright for other people to make the same comment is just trying to justify the word being used by someone else. That in turn could make you seem more like a racist/bigot by making the claim that it's alright for one person to make the statement, but not another person due to their skin color.

Right because black people don't get up in arms when a black person calls someone a nigger in a negative way not "nigga"

It's not like that has ended up in the news over the years and they've not had to apologize or anything.

[jibberbox85]

Right because black people don't get up in arms when a black person calls someone a nigger in a negative way not "nigga"

It's not like that has ended up in the news over the years and they've not had to apologize or anything.

You're trying to justify the meaning by saying that if two people from the same race makes the same statement than someone from another skin color it's somehow justified. That in turn is being a racist, and a bigot.

[satimy]

I remember me and 2 buddies playing halo 2 back in high school late one night. One of them is black and I screamed "Voldemort" into the mic passionately. My Hispanic friend started laughing his ass off and my black buddy just stared at me and said "I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that". Point of the story is video games have some very locker room sub cultures, kotaku won't ever change that

[Deleted]

Its not an unwarranted feeling. Pewdiepie was one of the initial channels behind apocalypse when the WSJ wrote about it. Tons of channels I am subbed to have felt the pressure and have had to change their content because Youtube is basically run by a robot. Modding channels, DBZ channels, random gaming channels, parody channels, everything has taken a hit. Strange Mysteries one of my guilty pleasures basically dedicates a video to patreon subbed people only now.

Of course it's not unwarranted. People are freaking out with the adpocalipse, and Kjellber is speeding it up. And it sucks big time.
But it's still tremendously naive: if Kjellber didn't exist, someone else would come along. Nevermind that the bigger issue that youtube wasn't policing adecuatelly is not racism/sexism/whateverism: it was actual terrorist recruiting propaganda.
Sterling here is acting the spoiled kid, seemingly entitled to his ad revenue: don't ruin this for us, dude. Perhaps they can apply some of their own medicine: don't like the ad scheme? start your own.

[Orby]

He's finally responded, very mature and i'm glad he's owning it. +respect

Well at least he admits he is an insensitive childish prick...

Now onto other news.,.. Let's let this thread die, like PewDiePies career

[Themius]

You're trying to justify the meaning by saying that if two people from the same race makes the same statement than someone from another skin color it's somehow justified. That in turn is being a racist, and a bigot.

What? are you even talking to the right person?

[Deleted]

don't you love the fact how many people here or on other websites are insinuating that it's okay to insult, as long as you don't use a racial slur? doesn't really go hand-to-hand with the whole 'don't be a bully' attitude that's prominent on the internet these days, doesn't it.

this has been a very fun thread, i especially liked some guy's quite fascist comment that it's okay to beat someone up if they say nigger. you keep fighting the good fight, sports.

[GennGreymane]

Of course it's not unwarranted. People are freaking out with the adpocalipse, and Kjellber is speeding it up. And it sucks big time.
But it's still tremendously naive: if Kjellber didn't exist, someone else would come along. Nevermind that the bigger issue that youtube wasn't policing adecuatelly is not racism/sexism/whateverism: it was actual terrorist recruiting propaganda.
Sterling here is acting the spoiled kid, seemingly entitled to his ad revenue: don't ruin this for us, dude. Perhaps they can apply some of their own medicine: don't like the ad scheme? start your own.

You are correct, but it's not just pewdiepie while he is the face of YouTube others would cause issues and have. I don't get the sense of entolement but rather a sense of not wanting bad precedent set which impacts every single single youtuber. Action against pewdiepie is not simply for him but everyone even those who have not caused problems 10 YouTube channels I sub to are being destroyed by advertisers leaving to continue to advertise on sex cussing and other bad behavior on network television. It's only because it's popular to attack YouTube, I mean they just put a camera in their face right?

[ravenswood]

don't you love the fact how many people here or on other websites are insinuating that it's okay to insult, as long as you don't use a racial slur? doesn't really go hand-to-hand with the whole 'don't be a bully' attitude that's prominent on the internet these days, doesn't it.

this has been a very fun thread, i especially liked some guy's quite fascist comment that it's okay to beat someone up if they say nigger. you keep fighting the good fight, sports.

Don't conflate personally and maliciously bullying someone you know, with calling xX42Sniper a "fucking cunt" on voice com in a video game. I think we can agree that the latter is inevitable and can be distinguished from real bullying. Pewdiepie is facing the spotlight here because the words he used (arguably) shed some dark light on the content of his true character, not because anybody was truly offended or victimised by his words.

[Radeghost]

Wtf is this whole taboo about word 'nigger'? It's just another insult or racial slur like cracka or whatever. I don't get why people say "n-word" instead of "nigger" when quoting this word, like you quote "fucker", "cracka", "gook", why all the controversies with "nigga", especially when black people constantly use it? I'm not from USA and I don't really get this weird, fake taboo. All the media and people seem to censor this word just for show. Nigger is insulting for black people, cracka is insulting for whiteys; dumb fuck is insulting for stupid people, so maybe we should censor that too? And "idiot", because it also insults people from a certain group (people with low intelligence). Oh, let's also make taboo for word cuck, because it may insult people who like their wives to be fucked in front of them.

Either censor all insults or none. I don't know why saying "nigger" is worse than saying "fuckin cracka". All the drama, woo "a whitey used n-word", so what? I can't wait to see all the headlines like "Lil' Wayne used n-word!" or "<random black man> used c-word", or "Somebody insulted somebody".

If you call somebody a "Fucker", "fucking idiot", "motherfucker", you're no better than other guys saying "nigger".

[Themius]

Wtf is this whole taboo about word 'nigger'? It's just another insult or racial slur like cracka or whatever. I don't get why people say "n-word" instead of "nigger" when quoting this word, like you quote "fucker", "cracka", "gook", why all the controversies with "nigga", especially when black people constantly use it? I'm not from USA and I don't really get this weird, fake taboo. All the media and people seem to censor this word just for show. Nigger is insulting for black people, cracka is insulting for whiteys; dumb fuck is insulting for stupid people, so maybe we should censor that too? And "idiot", because it also insults people from a certain group (people with low intelligence). Oh, let's also make taboo for word cuck, because it may insult people who like their wives to be fucked in front of them.

Either censor all insults or none. I don't know why saying "nigger" is worse than saying "fuckin cracka". All the drama, woo "a whitey used n-word", so what? I can't wait to see all the headlines like "Lil' Wayne used n-word!" or "<random black man> used c-word", or "Somebody insulted somebody".

If you call somebody a "Fucker", "fucking idiot", "motherfucker", you're no better than other guys saying "nigger".

Epitome of ignorance of history here. Cracka is in no way similar to nigger. Any person who thinks so is out of touch or has some victim complex .

[ravenswood]

Wtf is this whole taboo about word 'nigger'? It's just another insult or racial slur like cracka or whatever. I don't get why people say "n-word" instead of "nigger" when quoting this word, like you quote "fucker", "cracka", "gook", why all the controversies with "nigga", especially when black people constantly use it? I'm not from USA and I don't really get this weird, fake taboo. All the media and people seem to censor this word just for show. Nigger is insulting for black people, cracka is insulting for whiteys; dumb fuck is insulting for stupid people, so maybe we should censor that too? And "idiot", because it also insults people from a certain group (people with low intelligence). Oh, let's also make taboo for word cuck, because it may insult people who like their wives to be fucked in front of them.

Either censor all insults or none. I don't know why saying "nigger" is worse than saying "fuckin cracka". All the drama, woo "a whitey used n-word", so what? I can't wait to see all the headlines like "Lil' Wayne used n-word!" or "<random black man> used c-word", or "Somebody insulted somebody".

If you call somebody a "Fucker", "fucking idiot", "motherfucker", you're no better than other guys saying "nigger".

I really can't tell if you're trolling or not, because I find it hard to believe somebody could possibly be this ignorant. So what, in your bizarre view, all insults are the same right? There's no need to account for history or context when they're used, we can just group every derogatory term under a broad brush and disregard their etymology. That sure makes things simpler right? You really don't understand why a white man calling a black man "nigger" is more offensive to the black man then the black man calling a white man "cracka?"

[shaunika123]

Saying the word itself is disparaging another race so it is racist.

yeah im sure if he called someone a cracker, people would be up in arms about it

as long as hes not calling a black person nigger i dont think there's an issue here.

it can only be derogatory if it's relevant