Just checked out the Louis C.K. Reddit Q & A he had recently.  And the querie/answer/comments about the use of the words nigger and faggot really resonated.

I’ve always felt white people got off asking me about the word nigger mostly cuz it turned them on saying it to black person without getting punched in the face.

Here’s the exchange:

Q: How do you feel about people using your standup as an excuse to say “nigger” and “faggot”?

 

Louis CK: yeah I don’t know. Ive seen that happen and it doesn’t make me really… so happy all the time. But that’s them. I did those bits as a kind of analysis of the words and what feelings they bring and how they’re used. I was playing with some fire. It was interesting. I think that the discussion of the word faggot that I did in the poker scene was a bit of an evolution. I pretty much never say faggot on stage anymore. It’s just worked it’s way into and out of my act. It’s not interesting anyomre and i”m not goign to say it just to say it. Nigger… still pretty interesting.

Comment: As a black dude, I find your “nigger” bit hilarious, but you clearly have put thought into it and know what you’re talking about. All your race stuff is gold, really. But a lot of very dumb white boys use those bits out of context to justify calling black people niggers (they use Chris Rock’s “black people vs. niggers” bit to justify making a distinction and your bit about the coffee shop to say that if they decide the meaning is different, I shouldn’t be offended by them calling any black person they don’t like a nigger).

My feelings on it are a lot like the poker scene. You’re an expert with it, and I’ll laugh when you do it because you can make it funny. But that word does bring up feelings and memories of beatdowns and parents breaking up relationships and that time the Klan tried to break into my dorm freshman year. So by all means keep doing what you do. Just keep in mind that not everyone who watches is intelligent enough not to use your intelligent and hilarious jokes as an excuse to make the lives of black people miserable.

Sorry for the essay. Just felt like I should put my perspective out there.

 

Comment about the comment: thank you. 54 yo black woman here. love Louis and couldn’t articulate this as well as you did.