So he used the N-word. What do you think?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/10/john-mayer-apologizes-i-w_n_457445.html
Should he or Shouldn't he have used the "N" word?
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Well my first thought is not on the use of the word, but on the way he apologized.... he twittered his apology. That's like giving a high-five to your wife at the altar, or passing a McDonald's burger as filet mignon. It is good that he recognizes that he is in the wrong, but I think a less "21st century" way of doing so would have been a little better.
Next, I don't think he was using it as an intentional insult. However, the context in which he used it and the nature of the word itself make it not ok. He basically used the N-word to mean "poor, tough, and black". To me, this isn't an "intellectual" way to use the word, like he is trying to pass off in his apology.
All in all, bad move John, bad move.
I believe that people in society through that word around like its saying SEX Especially in the African American community. We have been duped as a race from our colloquial understanding of the word. Some African Americans turn around and use the word that labeled us as being a low life and derogatorily use it against one another. I'm not going to act like Ive never use the word in both instances but, I have been trying really hard to remove that word from my vocabulary. I have white friends that I play around with using the multiple contexts associated with that word. Keep in mind that its "WRONG" and this is something I'm working on changing. I came to this conclusion when I was speaking to my grandfather about something that made me upset and I used the word. He gave me this long, intense, and stern talk about that word and its meaning. It had a impact on me because he is someone who marched heavily with Dr. Martin Luther King, being placed in jail, bitten by dogs, and worse of all having his house shot up, and nigger being spray painted all over his house and church. All this so we as African Americans can have the same opportunity as the majority be treated as equals. Also This ties into the context Jon Mayer used it. He was trying to identify himself with us as a race, but he did it because of the colloquial understanding of the word. Also I would agree with Jeff about the way he went about apologizing was very immature. He should have went on BET and apologized since all the rappers and black people like him so much. This would have shown some sincerity about his apology. I actually am a big fan of John Mayer nor do I think he is a racist in any way shape of form. I think he needs to change his thought process about using the word and Identifying himself with the African American culture as well many people who use the word so loosely. Another video that ties into this issue would be the blog I posted about the teacher using it to address a student.