Elisabeth Hasselbeck, the whitest member of The View, cries over the n-word

Something else we can blame Jesse Jackson for: in a discussion of the n-word on The View -- in which both the show's black panelists defended their right to use it -- resident tight-ass Elisabeth Hasselbeck nearly was brought to tears by Whoopi Goldberg's aggressive deployment of the slur.

As you can see from this clip, the censors at ABC must have worn out their fingers on the audio mute button, cutting out Goldberg's many, many variations on "nigger."

I myself find it ironic that one of the show's most white bread figures was the person who got most upset by the exchange (it's no surprise that black folks' complex relationship to the n-word is beyond the capacity of Whoopi, Elisabeth or Sherri Shepherd to articulate on TV). Note to poor Elisabeth: You have got to stop picking fights that you don't have the heart to finish. You haven't seen your hero George Bush getting all weepy over any of his bonehead moves, have you?

Comments

[calvin taylor]

Ms. Hasselbeck is a little confused,
little blond blue eyed girl who is out of touch with american history.She was
with o` donnell now whoppi maybe the guy who says boom,boom Iran, too.
she is out touch with reality. Does she use the o word in private. An those fake tears that she and hillary
are a joke. I am very proud of Barbara
Walters and ms curic, I AM A PROUD
BLACK REUBLICAN AMERICAN.I have always
voted straighted republican for 45 years, but now i am confused, and will change that on 11/4/08.Bush tricked us.
No mass weopons of distruction, Finish
what my daddy started. 5 - 10 thousand
girls & boys will die if mc`cain gets into office and with his win theory,
like his no win in Vienam for oil.
The n word is not america priority
We need to change the jumbo house rate
from $417,000 to $600.000, just like FDIC from $100,000 - $250,000.AMEN!

[calvin taylor]

what about white youth, who call themselves whiggers,is this a term of endearment to them ? malcolm said:"we still have some ----- in the world". It
is odd that america is still trying to define us as a people. We love america dearly as our country but america was founded on racism, from ocean to ocean,
mexico to canada.How blacks see mugabe
and how whites mugabe,with hate/pride.
People say i only see people,no you see
me as a african american,and we still
live in different worlds,one black, and one white.Look how white america treated the red,black,brown,yellow man,
and say there is no racism in america.
I am a proud black republican who under
-stands what america stood for and what it stands for now. I understand
the N word in all respects,but it is
complicated for white america who invented the N word and now want the N word back on there terms. No not at this time.

[TEXAS]

Why should we retire a word that was created by white america. As an black person I really could less if you call me the N word. The word means nothing to me. If I live to be 100 I'm sure we will be called another word. N****R, colored, negro, black, african american. So let me know when you have assigned another label to what ever you want to call my race.

[Concerned]

Eric, here is the story from 2007.

http://blogs.tampabay.com/schools/2007/07/index.html

"The Pinellas School Board on Tuesday approved a one-day suspension for a white teacher who referred to the hair of an African American girl as "nappy."
The board voted 5-2 in favor of the suspension and diversity training for Belcher Elementary teacher Porsha Call."

The N word is worse than "craker" and "whitebread" but "craker" and "whitebread" are worse than "nappy".

I hear this from others. "Until you walk in my shoes, how do you know what I find offensive?" Sometimes whites don't know what blacks find offensive, as the teacher said "I did not realize it(nappy) was an offensive word."

If whites tell you that "cracker" and "whitebread" are offensive, until you are white or walk in their shoes, why question them?

Ask some white people. Ask for complete honesty. You'll be surprized what you hear.

[Eric Deggans]

I guess we're going to have to disagree on at least one thing: I think the term "cracker" and the term "white bread" are hardly at the same level of offensiveness.

I'm not familiar with the case you cite about a teacher suspended for using the term nappy headed, but it would hardly be the first case of clueless school officials overreacting to a minor problem.

I think a perspective would go a long way here...

[Concerned]

Eric, you can't possibly think that "In a weird way, it holds up things people of color say about white people to a higher standard than other groups."

Out of ALL ethnic groups, "people of color" are held to the LOWEST standard of acceptable behavior. This "dirty little secret" has been written about on many blogs and emerged during the Imus "scandal" into the public’s consciousness.

Blacks CONSTANTLY use derogatory terms about whites that whites find offensive. YOU do it ALL the time!! A term like "white bread" is an example!! I also hear the term "cracker" used by blacks CONSTANTLY. Do you use it?

Do you remember the teacher suspended in the Tampa Bay area for using the term "nappy headed"?
Why is using "white bread" any different? That proves the LOWER standard you yourself operate at.

[Acanthus]

"Language is an ever-evolving form. Currently, the N word is being appropriated by African Americans as a means to take it back from those that had used it with such negativity."

Well, that's not exactly true. First of all, blacks "appropriated" the word long before I and probably you, were born. In the 70's, it fell out of favor among blacks, and generally speaking, that's still the case. Yes, you hear it on rap records, and bandied about by some young blacks, but by no means is it used by "blacks", as in all or most blacks. Actually, aside from young blacks, the black people most likely to use the term in the most cutting, ugly manner are black conservatives.

[Dan Barrett]

Language is an ever-evolving form. Currently, the N word is being appropriated by African Americans as a means to take it back from those that had used it with such negativity.

As society progresses, so too will the evolution of the word. Is it currently okay for whities to use the word? Heck no. Will it be in years to come? Perhaps. Maybe black people will stop using it too.

The time at which black people will no longer feel the need to use the phrase exclusively is hopefully not too far away.

[Eric Deggans]

I think it's obvious that many comics use language onstage that they wouldn't necessarily use around their kids -- even if they don't use the n-word.

What I know is this: The discussion about use of the n-word among black people is way too deep for a hot topics segment on The View. I also know that, as simple as some people want to make it, this is not a simple issue.

I don't use the word in my own life nearly at all. But there are times when I can totally relate to the way chris rock or denzel washington or a friend around the corner might use it in life or art.

there was a time when saying something sucked was considered a vulgarity of the highest order. But now, its in tween-centered shows on the disney channel...

[Fear The Chomp]

What kind of example are you setting for the youth in this country by using a hate word in your comedy shows or rap songs or amongst your family. I hate to use an age old saying but "Whats good for the goose is good for the gander"

[Eric Deggans]

I hate to sound like a broken record, but I have written before about how you can't always make direct comparisons the way you are doing.

It it obvious that there's a different resonance when someone's comment echo a classic prejudice. Women can say things about men that men can't say about women, because men have more power. Same with gay people and straight people.

I think it is disingenuous in the extreme to pretend this dynamic doesn't exist. In a weird way, it holds up things people of color say about white people to a higher standard than other groups. And that really makes no sense.

[Fear The Chomp]

Also if a writer for a major newspaper referred to a black member of a cast as the "Blackest Black Bread" on the cast they would be fired. DOUBLE STANDARD? HECK YEAH.

[Fear The Chomp]

HOW dare Sheri Sheppard say to Elizabeth don't tell her what she can or can't say when white people get fired for using the same word. Whoopi the other day whispered "White People" and shook her head. If any white person had said "Black People" and shook their head, they would of been called a racist. YES there are racist people out there, but what I see is more and more its coming from the Black Community more. And this goes to prove my point. I am a gay male and do not use the "F" word because its a hate word, and so is the "N" word. So stop using it amongst "yourselves". Or don't complain when a white person uses it.

[Gretchen]

I agree that there is a double standard when using the N word & rightfully so! Maybe blacks should not be using the word, but when it is used it carries a totally different meaning. There is only one meaning when a white person uses the term, no excuse.

[Concerned]

Eric, The hypocrisy and double standard that exists in today’s world goes beyond ridiculous. When a writer who considers himself an "expert" on race in the media(YOU)uses derogatory terms such as "white bread" to describe Caucasians he does not agree with, he loses all credibility.

No, it is not OK for anyone to use the N word, even black people, despite Whoopi's and Sheri's lame arguments.

If you want "white breads" to stop using the N word, I suggest you don't advocate anyone else using it either.

PS, stop calling white people names, it makes you sound ignorant.

[drinklime]

ohhhh man what a joke she is