Jason Johnson
+ FollowRihanna says “What’s My Name?” Europe’s answer: “Ni*gga B*tch!”
One of my biggest pet peeves is talking to certain kinds of Black folks once they have returned from their first trip to Europe. After you talk about the food, the time zone changes and how long it took to find a socket adaptor for your laptop you will usually hear some variation of the following three phrases:
“Oh My God there’s just no racism over there.”
“Yo, German/Italian/French women/men LOVE black folks over there!”
“I’ve got to move to Europe there are just so many more opportunities over there for us as a people.”
After I’m done screaming in my head I allow them to live in their fantasy world before occasionally discussing what life is really like for members of the Diaspora in Europe. But now I’ve been saved part of that lecture thanks to the folks at Dutch magazine Jackie and their feature story on Rihanna. As many of you might know, Jackie magazine got into a bit of trouble over the last 48 hours when it was revealed that editors allowed the following passage to see the light of day in a feature story on Jay Z’s protégé:
“She has street cred, she has a ghetto ass and she has a golden throat. Rihanna, the good girl gone bad, is the ultimate niggabitch and displays that gladly, and for her that means: what’s on can come off. If that means she’ll be on stage half naked, then so be it. But Dutch winters aren’t like Jamaican ones, so pick a clothing style in which your daughter can resist minus ten. No to the big sunglasses and the pornheels, and yes to the tiger print, pink shizzle and everything that glitters. Now let’s hope she won’t beat anybody up at daycare.”
I’m all for giving people an occasional pass on bad translation but I figure that “Niggabitch” is probably known to be an offensive term in any language. Of course Rihanna has struck back at the magazine via Twitter, and the editor has summarily apologized and stepped down from her job but the larger story, as usual, remains untouched. Much as my friends who spend 5 days in France getting chatted up by blondes in a college café may not realize it, racism and discrimination still occur in Europe, and multi-cultural sensitivity is sometimes non-existent. This is especially the case in nations like the Netherlands where the minority populations are so small that the voice to resist racist depictions is limited. What is often the case in Europe is that you have more extreme ideologies and attitudes toward race. Those who are progressive are really progressive, and those who are conservatives or racists are borderline Neo-nazis. Making fun of people of different races or colors is not nearly as big a deal in Europe as it is here.
Remember the Mohammed cartoon from a Dutch paper? As a regular reader of blogs from African Americans abroad this Jackie story does not surprise me at all. One of the best – selling books in the Netherlands two years ago was a racialized porn story about a young white man who decides to find himself by sleeping with all of the ”different kinds” of Black women in his country.
In the end, this story will blow over by Christmas and no one will care anymore but this should server as a slight reminder to Americans about our European cousins. All of that socialized medicine, liberal-leaning parliaments and quality public transportation doesn’t always translate into more progressive racial attitudes.
Dr. Jason Johnson, Politic365 Chief Political Correspondent, is a professor of Political Science at Hiram College in Ohio and author of the book Political Consultants and Campaigns: One Day to Sell. You can read more at www.drjasonjohnson.com or follow him on Twitter @Drjasonjohnson
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12 Responses to Rihanna says “What’s My Name?” Europe’s answer: “Ni*gga B*tch!”
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Jin Mugen says:
The fact that the the word is still used as a popular "term of endearment" by many in the black community is, obviously, not helping the conversation any. Of course the Dutch or other Europeans and many white Americans and our friend Jenna here will act shocked by Rihanna's response. "Your community uses it, so why can't we use it?"
This is one reason Jenna Claire trolls her narrow mindedness (are you really "Dutch" and "ultra progressive?") on this article. The other reason is because the Dutch have an ugly secret they don't want to fess up about.
That's where white people get caught. Because why not say: "That's a horrible word and I wouldn't use it." Why are two wrongs suddenly right? Shouldn't the point be that no one should be using it? Why are you SO pressed to call folks "N***a?" Why are you itching SO bad to throw it in our face? What's going on with YOU?
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Shazza says:
Are you serious? I love when white folk deem someone hyper-sensitive when dealing with racism. I have NEVER heard the term nigga bitch in my circle EVER. Of course no one in the Netherlands is bothered, it doesn't pertain to THEM.
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Gail Gaskin says:
Get with the programme people. Calling a lady a "Nigga bitch" is by no means a compliment or terms of endearment. Which dictionary have you been reading?
It's time you white folks get off the band wagon and stop referring to people of colour as niggas….Who gives you the right? We are all God's children.
Rihanna is from Barbabdos not Jamaica…Face it… and she is the epitome of a beautiful, talenter and intelligent black woman. Not only is she beautiful, but she can sing and demands the attention of her audiences, worldwide . She is 23 year old and has accomplished way more than some of us ever do in our lifetime. Instead of tearing her down each time, why don't we give her the props she deserves. And yes she had a beautiful ass…there is nothing ghetto about that. Some of us do; others have don't. This is one of the attibutes of black women . Thank God for this.
Proud to be a bajan! -
Ultimately Rihanna got to get something off her chest, Jackie’s editor in chief, Eva Hoeke was momentarily red faced for perceived or actual discretions and probably got to get new readers to the journal whilst somewhere down the street some kid has just spent the last 2 hours calling another kid a nigga bitch and I’m willing to bet my life savings you didn’t even flinch when you walked past the two little bitches.
http://scallywagandvagabond.com/2011/12/editor-of… -
Jenna Claire says:
The F-word Rihanna tweeted is far worse than the unfortunate but accurate comment that she is a n@#a-b&*^ch! In the context of the comment of the magazine it was entirely understandable and she (when performing) could not have been described better by another word. Privately she might be a sweet lady. I did not comment on Jamaica or Barbados. Clearly amongst black people being "from Jamaica" is an insult judging from the response. When people ask me if I am from Sweden, Germany or Denmark I don't get in a tizzy over the fact they are wrong. En ja, ik ben Nederlandse, opgegroeid en geschoold in Nederland. Wij zijn trots op ons land en aanvaarden alle soorten mensen. Aan de andere kant houden we er niet van dat anderen ons land inkomen en ons dan wel eens even willen vertellen wat we wel of niet mogen zeggen. Wij zijn een redelijk volk dat anderen kansen geeft maar niet onder de voet gelopen willen worden. Duidelijk?
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Charles says:
We have rationalized the use of derogatory term and have embraced them..every video,rap song uses b-word..,the n-word .some even wear them as a badge of honor. its a part of the pathology that mask itself in 'keeping it real'.How CAN YOU DEMAND RESPECT WHEN YOU DON'T RESPECT YOURSELF ?
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unfiltered discourse says:
?? :/ Why cry foul? It’s NOTHING new! It’s generalized Black American urban interpretted culture adopted by mainstream America, exported WORLDWIDE. I mean when Jay-Z is talking about standards of beuaty and says back to his Beyonce, (his wife) . . . And ends the song saying, “Get your own, cuz that’s my bitch”, what the hell do you expect? (And, of course, I’m not only blaming Jay-Z, but the many millions earned is behavior reinforcement, not behavior modification). With respect to my European friends, now that we’re older, more mature and a certain need to be trendy has passed, so has the popularized use of, “What’s up my nigga?” that I would consistently have to rebuke and use as teachable moments. This was pretty much the case amongst those who idolized American culture – not really those who resented its intrusion. Those who had and hadn’t before visited America wanted to be like us. The good Dr. is upset? Rihanna is upset? Hmmm, export that conversation consistently in word and deed hypocrits.
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Rihanna was given a compliment. Term of endearment and high piaise. With her American cultural "hyper-sensitivity" she chose to use the opportunity to get publicity. Am sure nobody in The Netherlands is the slightest bit worried about it. Only in America …. !!!
Dutch, living in North America, ultra progressive by American standards but only middle of the road by Dutch standards.