Regarding the N-word

He said it, that Swede said one of the worst words in the English language. The N-word, a word with a harsh and cruel history of violence towards Africans and people of African descent, all because of their skin color. It is a word that does not belong in the vocabulary of good, decent folk. I am of course referring to a recent event where PewDiePie, the most subscribed and most watched Youtuber in the world, had uttered the word during a livestream. His usage of that word has rightly invited criticism against him, and what I hope to be a mature discussion of said word.

First off, we need to throw away some excuses and explain why they're bullshit. We start off with...

1- He's Swedish, so the word doesn't have the same taboo for him. I find this to be the best excuse for Felix Kjelberg, and I'd honestly buy it, except for one snag: where did he learn that word to begin with? Considering US media hasn't been kind to usage of that word (to the point that it's strictly reserved for racist villains; even Cartman from South Park hasn't used it) one can only assume that Felix learned it from a seedier part of the Internet (4Chan?) IF this is the case, then Felix Kjellberg owes his African descended audience a lengthy apology, and his non-black audience a lengthier explanation for why using that word is unacceptable.

2- He clearly said it in frustration. Video games frustrate us, it's true, especially if we're losing.  And PewDiePie plays games for a living, and so that adds pressure to him to demosntrate a higher skill level than normal. Plus yes, Livestreams can be nerve wracking. THAT said, it doesn't mean Felix should be allowed to get away with uttering that word willy nilly. At the absolute least, Felix still owes his African descended audience an  apology and his non-black audience an explanation over why it's bad to utter the N-word.

3- Other people say it! Yes, we call those people "racists." I would highly doubt Felix would like to be called a racist, especially considering he just got out of some VERY hot water being called an anti-semite.

3b- Black people call themselves that word all the time! That STILL doesn't make it OK for Felix, or ANYONE, to utter that word.

4. It/s just a word! This is the single most bullshit excuse there is. But let me explain something to you. Words have meaning, and though these meanings are subjective to societal agreement, it is these same societal agreements that give words their power. Some words have changed their meaning over time (Awesome, awful) while some have gained meaning through increase in usage (selfie). A word's meaning is deeply tied to how it is used. Therein lays the true horror of the meaning of the N-word.

That word is one that has been used in the lynching, the harassment, the violence, and even the murder of black people. It is a word forever tied to the inhumanization of a group of people, systematically downtrod by an uncaring populace, who have had even the value of their LIVES forfeitted by the prejudice of the immoral majority.

Nigger, one of the ugliest words in the English language, is often the last word heard by black people as non-blacks kill them, all because of the color of their skin. It is a barbaric word, a word that is used only by the most vile, wicked people around: people who see others as worthless, as subhuman, as undeserving of life, all because of the color of their skin. It is a word that belongs to the hateful, the ignorant, the despicable, the worthless. A man like Felix Kjellberg has no business uttering that word.

I don't want to think of PewDiePie as racist, so I STRONGLY implore him to issue an apology to his Black audience, as well as to make a video for his non-black audience as to why that word is so offensive and should NEVER be used. I remind him that he has a responsibility to his viewers, that he is adored by millions the world over, and that a good chunk of his audience is Black. I call for a more socialy conscious, empathic gaming community. We can all do better.