Handle Your Scandal: Gawker Writer Who Slandered Kanye West’s Mother’s Name Using The “N-Word” Is Fired
When will writers learn that using the “n-word” is highly inappropriate? Just weeks after Jackie Magazine called Rihanna a “n*ggabitch” then apologized and retracted it, here we are again. A writer at Gawker attempted to pick fun at Kanye West‘s twitter rant about his new company Wednesday night by using the “n-word” again. The writer, Seth Abramovitch, turned Kanye West’s company, DONDA, into an acronym, saying it stood for “Dis Original Nigga Dresses Aight.” Not only is it infuriating that he used the N-Word in his humorless joke, but Donda is Kanye’s late mother’s name. How dare he slander it that way.
Here’s the full passage:
You think Tom Ford is full of himself? Kanye West shits Tom Fords for breakfast. Then he irons out the shits into cutting-edge fabrics, and frantically cuts, sews, and laces that fabric through the night and into the morning, until he has produced the most unbelievable clothes — nay, FASHION + ART = FARTSHION! — in the universe. And he calls these clothes DONDA. But he calls all that other stuff DONDA, too! DONDA will be your everything. Just you wait and see. And what is DONDA? It’s an acronym for Dis Original Nigga Dresses Aight.
And much like Jackie Magazine‘s team, Abramovitch followed up with a half-hearted apology:
DONDA is actually the name of Kanye’s deceased mother, not the acronym above, which was meant to be the kind of thing Kanye would make up in a late-night creative writing fit, but has offended many people. So sorry, to everyone who was offended, and for the confusion. Sorries all around!
After Abramovitch breezily tried to explain the joke and apologized only to “everyone who was offended,” Gawker stepped up and fired him from the company. Gawker.com editor A.J. Daulerio confirmed to The Observer: “Yes, he was fired.”
We hope both Gawker’s and Jackie Magazine’s use of the “N-Word” in regard to black entertainers is a lesson to other writers: stop using it. It’s not funny. It’s a racial slur that’s disrespectful and highly offensive, period.
What do you think of the recent upswing of writers using the “N-Word”? Are you offended by it? Do you believe the fact that several black artists (including Rihanna and Kanye West, ironically) use the “N-Word” makes non-black writers think it’s okay to use it? Discuss.
Kisses,
Glamazon Jessica
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We as a people keep this going. I remember being young and saying Ns are dogs. Ns and flies i do despise. Then hip hop brought it out of the closet and into mainstream America. I hope Kanye and this generation realizes that our casual use of the n word helped to spawn this new attitude that it is OK to use the n word in certain contexts ie jokes and parody. Our boys and men use it signifying Brotherhood??? Really??? It is time for us to lay the N word down. Let it go and be considered dead like Latin. A dead language to be learned by some who understand it but never have reason to use it.
1. Until our rappers, ballers and others besides our kids stop using the words, many will think it is alright to use. I especially am surprised at a Jewish person using this term, especially with their background of racisism that was directed towards them throughout their history that they would direct this towards another race.
2. This may be a form of freedom of speech, however if you misuse this freedom then you should lose this freedom. Any freedom that is misused should be lost.
I'm not offended by it. This is just a byproduct of the our people constantly using the "N" word. As many of my friends know, I don't tolerate the use of this word on any occasion. In fact, I'm more offended when our own people use it, than other cultures. I just think…"How can you refer to yourself or people you care about as an "N." To me this is a very teachable moment for our people, as to how the constant use of the "N" word gives other cultures the impression that this word is O.K. to use. Please remember that our words and impressions are being received all over the world.
agreed
people losing their "journalism" jobs over freedom of speech…who would have thought.
freedom of speech does not give one the right to insult or degrade another. he deserved to lose his job.
Actually freedom of speech DOES give you the right to say whatever you want regardless of it being insulting, degrading, abusive, etc. But when you are a representative of a larger entity than yourself and your own opinions (Gawker) THEN GAWKER has a right to fire that person.
you're right it is freedom of speech, but had he been writing for himself, and not representing a company like gawker he could have been slandered personally, but of course no company will tolorate that regardless if it's freedom of speech. At some point, there is still a line that can be crossed when expressing yourself.
It's a rough economy out there so I'm usually not a fan of people loosing their jobs. BUT… make an example out of it. It's not okay. Period. And it has GOT to stop. UGH!
“Keeps spreading until it separates everyone…”: meaning until it separates all colours making them different types of ignorant towards other colours.
I want you to keep in mind that I am a black teen and this is just going to be my point of view (not a way to express anger or to attack anyone).
When someone uses the n-word I get offended in the sense that I find it disrespectful. I don’t take it personally, but I know it’s ridiculous that someone would feel the need to use the term for lack of a better word or to express whatsoever. The person who uses it probably doesn’t think of it’s history (slavery, etc) but instead just sees it as a way to trigger anger, sadness or in some cases laughter. I disagree with every use of the word, especially if it goes out into the media, because I know that once this word is heard/read it brings out a reaction that only continues to seperate black people from others and it keeps spreading until it seperates everyone (isolating us and making us all ignorant to different levels each).