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N Word
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A documentary look at the cultural significance of the weighty, historically volatile "n word," this program features interviews...
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A documentary look at the cultural significance of the weighty, historically volatile "n word," this program features interviews with a variety of cultural figures, including Chuck D, Wynton Marsalis, Dr. Todd Boyd, Samuel Jackson, Bryant Gumbel, Whoopi Goldberg, Talib Kweli, and many others. An enlightening and in-depth look at a crucial topic, the film examines the history of the word and its uses, which range from a term of endearment to an abhorrent insult, as well as the personal experiences of many people.
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3 Reviews from Epinions.com
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N Word
The N Word is a documentary about the origins and evolution of the N word and all of the variations of that two-syllable earache that begins with the letters N I G. I found this DVD while perusing the Documentary section of Netflix and thought it would be something interesting. I found it to be only mildly interesting due to its lack of focus and no clear message. This video is more confusing than educational.
For the most part, this documentary is just a collection of interviews with various black celebrities giving their thoughts and feelings on the N word. Some of them oppose its use altogether while other use it frequently. There’s also a debate over the differences between –ger and –ga, but I think that’s ridiculous. Among some of the interviewees on this documentary are Whoopi Goldberg, Samuel L. Jackson, Ice Cube, Chris Rock, Chi McBride, and even George Carlin.
There’s also a little bit of material on how the word originated, but nobody knows for sure how it came about. The producers of this video think it grew as a different spelling and pronunciation of the Dutch word Negger, which means black. It’s pronounced like N’hegger, and most English speakers would have trouble with that guttural H sound. If you drop that H part, you get the N word we have today.
Some of the interviews on this DVD offer interesting insights into the personalities of the people. Samuel L. Jackson, in particular, makes a statement that sounds an awful lot like what his character in Pulp Fiction might have said. Jackson bluntly admits that he ‘is a –ger’ and that if he gets in a fight, he won’t just punch or hit you, but he’ll do some ‘-ggery s—t to you’. Well, then! In another interview, Whoopi Goldberg states that she doesn’t recall ever having been call a –ger by anyone except other –gers.
The only thing that I really got out of this documentary was how the different age groups look at the word. For the younger people, they freely use it in movies and music and it’s part of their shtick. It was mostly of the older guys that didn’t think the word should be used at all. I think it is because those older generations lived during a time when the N word carried much different meanings than it does today. Many of those actors, musicians, and comedians were around during the civil rights movement, and I think they really know what it means to be called the N word.
This documentary tries to be objective in how it looks at the N word, but it ends up going nowhere. I would rather have seen it take a stand one way or the other about its use, rather than present a bunch of if-then clauses about when it is appropriate. If there is one unifying principle, it’s that white people aren’t allowed to use it at all.
One of the interviewees said that we all need to remove the N word from our vocabulary, then it won’t be a continued problem. By not speaking the word any more, it will lose its power. Good advice, but tell that to Ice Cube or Chris Rock or Paul Mooney or Samuel L. Jackson or Dave Chappelle.
The N Word documentary lacked focus
| Author's Rating: |
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Pros: Some eye-opening discussions
Cons: No clear message
The Bottom Line:
This documentary had a lot more potential than it delivered.
The N Word is a documentary about the origins and evolution of the N word and all of the variations of that two-syllable earache that begins with the letters N I G. I found this DVD while perusing the Documentary section of Netflix and thought it would be something interesting. I found it to be only mildly interesting due to its lack of focus and no clear message. This video is more confusing than educational.
For the most part, this documentary is just a collection of interviews with various black celebrities giving their thoughts and feelings on the N word. Some of them oppose its use altogether while other use it frequently. There’s also a debate over the differences between –ger and –ga, but I think that’s ridiculous. Among some of the interviewees on this documentary are Whoopi Goldberg, Samuel L. Jackson, Ice Cube, Chris Rock, Chi McBride, and even George Carlin.
There’s also a little bit of material on how the word originated, but nobody knows for sure how it came about. The producers of this video think it grew as a different spelling and pronunciation of the Dutch word Negger, which means black. It’s pronounced like N’hegger, and most English speakers would have trouble with that guttural H sound. If you drop that H part, you get the N word we have today.
Some of the interviews on this DVD offer interesting insights into the personalities of the people. Samuel L. Jackson, in particular, makes a statement that sounds an awful lot like what his character in Pulp Fiction might have said. Jackson bluntly admits that he ‘is a –ger’ and that if he gets in a fight, he won’t just punch or hit you, but he’ll do some ‘-ggery s—t to you’. Well, then! In another interview, Whoopi Goldberg states that she doesn’t recall ever having been call a –ger by anyone except other –gers.
The only thing that I really got out of this documentary was how the different age groups look at the word. For the younger people, they freely use it in movies and music and it’s part of their shtick. It was mostly of the older guys that didn’t think the word should be used at all. I think it is because those older generations lived during a time when the N word carried much different meanings than it does today. Many of those actors, musicians, and comedians were around during the civil rights movement, and I think they really know what it means to be called the N word.
This documentary tries to be objective in how it looks at the N word, but it ends up going nowhere. I would rather have seen it take a stand one way or the other about its use, rather than present a bunch of if-then clauses about when it is appropriate. If there is one unifying principle, it’s that white people aren’t allowed to use it at all.
One of the interviewees said that we all need to remove the N word from our vocabulary, then it won’t be a continued problem. By not speaking the word any more, it will lose its power. Good advice, but tell that to Ice Cube or Chris Rock or Paul Mooney or Samuel L. Jackson or Dave Chappelle.
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