If you're not black do you say the 'N word'...

[McGruff]

When singing along to songs?

So many mainstream songs have it in now. I don't sing in public or anything but I will sing along with it in the shower, tidying up etc.

But what if its karaoke?

It's not a word I'm comfortable saying in any context out of my own mouth, ever. But when it's part of a song I love and I'm singing along. Should I censor myself?

I don’t say it

Absolutely not. Not even in the car alone. And I listen to a LOT of NWA.

Nope. I will if I'm quoting some horrible racist. I would if I was quoting lyrics too, but I don't think I've ever had the occasion to quote lyrics with it in.

No, I sing an alternative word that suits the song.
Baby, Fella, People etc

No.

No, not appropriate in this day and age along with a few others which I find offensive.

I don’t listen to music with racial slurs.

Christ, of course not.

No and when I was teaching and had to read Of Mice and Men I didn’t say it either. Obviously I discussed the context of the novel with the class and why that word is in there but I told them that ultimately I just didn’t feel comfortable saying that word or having it used in the classroom at all so we didn’t.

Nope, never.

No. Not even when alone in my car singing along (badly) to Lemonade.

No never

Yes (I'm white). Not when singing along to songs - because I don't - but if the word comes up in a book I'm reading to / discussing with my kids then yes.

I don't tend to sing songs with the N word in but if, for example, I was singing the Kanye West song Gold digger, Id use the word but only ever if I was alone. I would choose a karaoke song without the N word in it.

I love rap and hip hop. Of course I sing every word to those songs. Or do you really think when people sing a rap song in the confines of their own house they sing enthusiastically but leave the N word out even if they are completely alone, just because it’s rude? The ones who say they do are lying.

I must listen to the wrong (right?) kind of music, because I never have this problem.

DJMomo I can assure you I'm not lying.

I don’t say it in my personal life ever, it would stick in my throat when singing along even if no one heard it.

I occasionally have to say it at work - I do discrimination law and sometimes at tribunal it is necessary to read out racial abuse someone is alleging which includes that term.

I’ve gone through ‘Come and Praise’ from cover to cover and it’s not included in the edition I have.

I can assure you I don't even do it when I am alone in the house. Absolutely not.

No but I have colleagues that do and they are black and they take the mick out of me because I won’t.

The ones who say they do are lying.

ODFOD. It upsets me to think that people believe that I have different rules for myself alone than in company. The only time I would say that word is if I were quoting (for example in Court).

DS has read Huckleberry Finn, To Kill A Mockingbird, Of Mice & Men etc. He was horrified by the proliferation of the N word. His teachers said they could just say 'n' when reading aloud.

I don’t listen to music with racial slurs.

I don't think it is a slur when musicians are using the word in the way that it is used generally. I'm of the generation where rappers were just starting to reclaim the word. It was meant to shock, meant to cause discussion, meant to take some of the pain out of the word for the people who were doing it.

His teachers said they could just say 'n' when reading aloud.

Teachers aren't always right. As a child in a very diverse community I would have been extremely uncomfortable using this word.