I have often wondered what would happen if a white comedian used the word “nigga” in a stand-up comedy routine or simply in public. I even raised the question in a blog entry. Black comics, black rappers and many others in the black community utilize the word, in their opinion, as simply slang. These individuals claim the word is not offensive when “used correctly.” Who determines when it is appropriate? Should the word be used under any circumstances? In a recent stand-up routine, “Krammer” from Seinfeld (Michael Richards) confronted audience hecklers, that happened to be black, by freely utilizing the word.

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He is receiving a lot of criticism for this. He apologized for “losing his temper” and said he did not intend for it to happen. From watching the tape however, I believe that he intended to say exactly what he said. Is he a racist for using this word though? Does this one recent outbreak determine his whole perception of blacks? If the heckler was white, would there have been an equally insulting response? If this was a black comedian that utilized the word “cracker” to address a white heckler in the audience, would there be outrage over it?

Although I do not agree with Richards response to the heckler, I do not condone the heckler. When people pay to see a comedian, they do not want to hear audience members interrupting. I also think that people should be equally offended by the black audience member’s usage of the word “cracker” to refer to Richards. Is he a racist? The use of both words is offensive. I find Richards public usage of the word no less offensive than I do when comedians such as Kat Williams repeatedly use the word to refer to black people. I find Richards usage of the word no less offensive than when someone refers to a white person as a “cracker.”

Richards was completely out of line and his usage of this word so freely clearly expresses his comfort level with saying it. I do not believe, unlike many others, that using the word automatically puts him in the category of racist though. Many people have utilized racist slurs before, some will not admit it, and yet they do not define themselves as racist. Is it racist simply because it came out of the mouth of a white person? Does it become less racist when it flows out of the mouth of a black person? Why is “nigga” offensive and “cracker” isn’t?

What is my point? We have all been guilty of using racial slurs to refer to others in moments of anger. When a asian person cuts you off on the freeway, or a middle eastern person raises gas prices, or when a hispanic person has not learned to speak english, or when a black person is talking loud in public…Are people offended because he used the word, or because he was stupid enough to say it in public? Richards did not just use the word either, he also made racially motivated sensitive statements that were derogatory.

If you are offended by Richards usage of the word however, you need to be equally conscious and offended by your own. Is “nigga” or any other racial slur ever appropriate?