Author Walter Mosley Quits 'Star Trek: Discovery' After Using N-Word in Writers Room
I am linking to this article because Walter Mosely's Op-Ed is behind a paywall.
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https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/li...s-room-1237489 If the above article is correct he was using the 'N-Word' to describe himself not anyone else in the room nor was he using it in a way intended to demean anyone. But of course someone was 'Offended' and demanded an adult (Human Resources) take the 'nasty thing' away. |
In before someone white tries to somehow use this incident as proof that it's not racist for white people to use the n-word and/or wrong to criticize them for doing so.
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I have always admired Mosely. Was the show so unfamiliar with who he is, and who he represents in his writings?
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Ya I'm sure you beat a dozen posters to the punch. I clicked this thread but now that I know the story it doesn't interest me. |
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And I’m sure that like most people who complain about other people complaining, the irony of your melodramatic overreaction is lost on you. |
According to the story, as reported in the link:
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So he believed he had special license to use the word, and being told he doesn't is for him unacceptable. I am pretty sure there are all kinds of rules in most workplaces about what constitutes acceptable language and what doesn't. The writer should realize that just because he is okay with the word, it doesn't mean everyone else has to be. |
Bloke uses word repeatedly in a workplace that is deemed unacceptable in any environment other than certain social environments and music lyrics, other staff say it isn't on, they get pushed/decide to leave.
Is it a slow news day in the US? |
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Huh? You do realize that Walter Mosely is an African-American author... |
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Mine's capitalized - does that mean I win? |
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In pretty much all other contexts, it's pretty racist. |
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Seems like some sort of black privilege is at the root of this.
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That said, I also think one should be mindful of the comfort level of people around one's self. If you are saying things that make people uncomfortable, maybe you should at least take into consideration not to say those things. Maybe they should have all sat down and talked about this instead of taking it to the media. |
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Err Mosely is black, and he used the word to describe himself - he has the absolute right to use a pejorative to describe himself if he so chooses and no-one else has any right to be offended by that. We've had this discussion before. I am 100% deaf in one ear. I hate the use of PC descriptions such as "hard of hearing" or "aurally disadvantaged". When people use such terms in reference to me, they usually get a ******* earful (if I hear them). |
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BTW - my friend does not like the word "but" because that is the last word her grandfather said before he died. Not only that - but as a religious person that word reminds me of the other word that has another "t" on the end and that is offensive because it reminds me of a sexual innuendo that was once used in my presence. Thank goodness my workplace is so progressive and protects everyone's most sensitive sensibilities! Oh yes - and before I forget - your name is offensive. It it reminiscent of the the old Dudley Do-right cartoons I used to watch when I was a kid. The character Snidely Whiplash used to exclaim "Drat!" when he was defeated and hearing that brings back memories of my cat that died when the TV fell on him. Dreadful! |
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I've done a lot of consultation work over the decades and that means with every company I work with when working for the company I have to abide with their rules and practices. If I didn't my contract would have been terminated. |
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I disagree that he has the "absolute right" to use a pejorative to describe himself if the workplace bans the word and makes it a fireable offence. Could you explain to me where this absolute right is enshrined? Similarly, could you show me how it is that "no-one else has any right to be offended"? How are these rights distributed? Quote:
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It's a workplace.
It's pretty irrelevant whether he is OK with using the word, even if aimed at himself. If I spent a work meeting being a sweary-Mary, and calling myself, I don't know, a useless ****** several times, I would not be at all surprised to have someone suggest I not do that anymore. |
Kind of agree with Darat on this one.
While apparently writers rooms can be notoriously low blow humour places, because frankly they have to be to create an atmosphere of creating humour, there are limits, like every other workplace. I read Ken Levine's blog for quite a while. Recommend btw. Wrote for MASH, Cheers, Frasier among others, and a certain amount of gratuitous stuff is necessary for the creative process, just repeating the same crap as this dude apparently did in the presence of people who found it offensive seems a tad OTT. |
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"- Bob is uncomfortable with your usage of the n-word around the writer's room. - I'm only refering to myself, and I don't appreciate white people telling black people when and where they can use the n-word. - Granted, and we have decided that we're going to have a conversation about the use of the n-word so that everyone can appreciate each others' viewpoints." Not everything needs to lead to a racial incident, at least where well intentioned people are involved. Quote:
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Call me old fashioned, but I was raised to believe it was always an ugly, offensive word in any context, and still do. I get the idea of taking 'ownership' of it, but it doesn't make it any prettier or acceptable. My father had hoped it would one day fall completely out of use. He'd be heartbroken today.
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I could use general profanity at a relatively young age without repercussion, but the "N" word would get me in trouble. |
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I just think it's a bit sad. I very much doubt either party had ill intentions. |
I behave differently at work than I do when not at work. It's called "professionalism". A lot of people believe they are too grand and too important to bother with being professional. They are the ones who are most surprised when their actions result in negative consequences.
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I don't know, if you are an artist of Mosley's caliber, I think you get to use whatever words you feel you need to use.
If Maya Angelou called herself the N word, i'd completely understand. Mosley, same thing. They know more about words and writing than anyone making the decisions on whether they can use it or not. Also, simply because it is not allowed, would push artists of that caliber to use the word. |
You tell any respectable artist they can't use a certain color, because it offends some people, they are probably going to use the color.
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I'm not sure we should be mourning a change in culture occurring in Hollywood. Sure, maybe on in the past the writer's room was a uninhibited, free-wheeling creative space where anything goes. Much of show business is very "casual", but it is increasingly clear that it was also rife with abuse. People using the casual nature as a way to grossly cross all boundaries of good taste.
I'm not saying that this writer committed some great offense. But if there is one industry in this country that could benefit from more regimentation of workplace norms, it's probably Hollywood. Maybe that means that these jobs become less relaxed and open, but if it is a part of cleaning up the absolute cess pit that is Hollywood, it will be well worth it. |
Ok, maybe I'm missing something here...
Talented writer uses the n-word referring to himself. HR pulls him aside and says 'dude, you really can't do that'. Writer quits. Doesn't like to be told what do do, I guess? Is there some dilemma here? Some travesty? Something unfair? I guess you could say it was unfair to the show that he quit for such a trivial reason. I dunno. Was the HR dude white? That would be kind of funny, in a way. But it seems there was a HR guy doing his job, politely and discretely, and a well-known writer with plenty of employment options (no financial distress resulting from this, I assume) who doesn't like rules and quit. So...sorry to be dense, but what's the issue? Whether a black man can use the n-word. He can. Whether a company can remind a worker that they do not allow the use of slurs in the workplace? They can. Did HR make a spectacle or do something inappropriate? They didn't. Sooooo.....? |
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If I hire a chef with the explicit requirement that he not crap in the salad bar and he craps in the salad bar solely because I told him not to, he's just an ass, not some outside the box thinker keeping it real for the squares who can't handle his realness. |
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I have a strong sense that whatever argument could be made about this incident, whether it's "PC gone mad" or "Edgy ******* writer" any real evaluation would hinge on the specifics of what was said by any parties involved, and how, and when.
I could easily imagine it going down a number of ways, and I can't work up to getting worked up about it, knowing that any possible reason to be outraged would be in those details that will almost certainly not be made public. |
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