2/9: Terrible MSNBC gaffe

Undertoad · 02-09-2002, 09:01 AM

In what must be one of the biggest gaffes in cable news history, MSNBC misspelled Mr. Niger Innis' name in their on-air graphics.

I should expect that somebody got fired over this one, which had MSNBC profusely apologizing of course. The fascinating aspect of this, to me, is that someone got a screen capture at all. People aren't exactly Tivo-ing 24-hour news channels. This capture was from a TV site that I enjoy, TV Barn, who in turn got it from a site that reports on local TV news.

02-09-2002, 09:15 AM

Man. That's good Saturday morning humor.

That is pretty bad though. They don't generally misspell any names, really. Just so happens that they fudge it when the dude's first name is Niger... wow.

Obviously the webmaster of Time Canada is now out of his second job in 2 months...

That Guy · 02-09-2002, 09:23 AM

Wasn't it Joe DiMaggio that they accidentally posted died a while back? (before he actually died, of course) I remember the crawler at the bottom of the screen came across and everyone was shocked, especially Joe (assuming it was him).
I'll see if I can dig up a link.

Nic Name · 02-09-2002, 01:15 PM

Let's presume that Niger has heard that one before. For all we know, he's got buddies that call him that all the time.

We all know that the hip hop culture has adopted the N word in a completely different context, often as a friendly term of endearment.

Harvard Law Professor, Randall Kennedy, has recently written a book on this subject.

Of course, it would be a major controversy if such a book were written by a white linguist. Even Randall Kennedy, a black author, is getting some criticism for use of the word. He's also getting some praise for writing this book.

His point, essentially, is that what's important is the meaning ascribed to the use of the word.

Language evolves. Right now, we are living in a time of transition of meaning of the word nigger.

Slight · 02-09-2002, 01:57 PM

Color me white but how do you pronouce out loud (as opposed to on the internet) the name Niger?

I guess it would be the same as the country.

I agree with Nic's summary of Kennedy's book. There is nothing intrinsically wrong with the word, only the meaning given to it. To me, all that nigger means is a person who has dark skin. And what's wrong with that. I personally don't use the word in everyday language because I theoretically don't believe that skin color makes any difference in life.

And if you accept what I say, then did the graphics guy screw up semantically? [let the flames begin, I don't care, it's only a word]

Nic Name · 02-09-2002, 02:08 PM

There is no nigger on the net.

Registrant:
NAACP (NIGGER4-DOM)
4805 MT. HOPE DRIVE
BALTIMORE, MD 21215
US

Domain Name: NIGGER.COM

Administrative Contact, Billing Contact:
Hawley, Tammy (TH1189)
NAACP
4805 Mt. Hope Drive
Baltimore, MD 21215-9167
410-486-9167

It's too bad for Randall Kennedy, that he didn't have that domain name for his book.

Registrant:
NAACP (NIGGER2-DOM)
4805 MT. HOPE DRIVE
BALTIMORE, MD 21215
US

Domain Name: NIGGER.NET

Administrative Contact, Billing Contact:
Hawley, Tammy (TH1189)
NAACP
4805 Mt. Hope Drive
Baltimore, MD 21215-9167
410-486-9167

Registrant:
NAACP (NIGGER3-DOM)
4805 MT. HOPE DRIVE
BALTIMORE, MD 21215
US

Domain Name: NIGGER.ORG

Administrative Contact, Billing Contact:
Hawley, Tammy (TH1189)
NAACP
4805 Mt. Hope Drive
Baltimore, MD 21215-9167
410-486-9167

www.niggerjoke.com

That Guy · 02-09-2002, 02:23 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Slight
Color me white but how do you pronouce out loud (as opposed to on the internet) the name Niger? I guess it would be the same as the country.

It's a long I and a J sound instead of G. Assuming that's how he likes to say it.

02-09-2002, 03:01 PM

Kinda like Nigel, but with an R on the end instead.

MaggieL · 02-09-2002, 07:29 PM

Nigeria used to be called "Niger"....

"There was a young lady from Niger
Who smiled as she rode on a tiger
They returned from the ride
With the lady inside
And the smile on the face of the tiger"

Of course, this stretches a bit on the "hard g"-"soft g" axis...

Nic Name · 02-09-2002, 08:36 PM

In 1967, 143 place names containing the word nigger were changed to Negro by order of the U.S. Board on Geographic Names.

Next to go ... Squaw Valley and Cripple Creek?

It may be better to change the import of words such as nigger, squaw, queer and heeb to align with changing norms.

Gay Pride has advanced to the level of acceptance that we have Queer as Folk on TV.

Will the influence of hip hop culture, BET, rap music lyrics and song titles lead to the acceptablity of nigger music groups and television shows in the future?

NIGGA Never Ignorant Getting Goals Accomplished (Tupac Shakur)

Recently, a jewish publisher in NYC launched Heeb magazine, The New Jew Review.

The times they are a changin'.

We'll know that prejudice has been eliminated when you don't have to be black to say nigger, gay to say queer, and jewish to say heeb.

And that our minds are truly open when we can handle the really filthy words.

Nothing But Net · 02-09-2002, 11:43 PM

All I can think of is what this guy must have gone through as a kid with that name! I assume he was born in America. WTF were his parents thinking to lay that moniker on him?

- NBN

Nic Name · 02-09-2002, 11:49 PM

Actually, it may have been prophetic that his parents hung Niger with this epithet. He wears it well. I think he'll be able to handle this faux pas by MSNBC. He's even been a guest on Politically Incorrect.

Advice to The President of the United States on matters of Race

jeni · 02-10-2002, 12:26 AM

i never did have to be "gay to say queer."

because that's not what it means.

and i still don't have a problem saying it around homosexuals, because it still doesn't mean "homosexual." and if they ever have a problem with me saying it around them, they'll get bitched at.

Nic Name · 02-10-2002, 12:37 AM

My, that's a queer interpretation.

I find it really queer how a woman who's a bitch is considered to be spiteful or overbearing, whereas a man who's a bitch is considered to be weak or contemptible.

02-10-2002, 01:21 AM

Not really. It's slang, and it does not mean "homosexual" any more than "jewish" means "money squandering". Just because some people use it that way does not mean that its definition is "homosexual".

You know, a lot of people misuse the word "ignorant". They go "my, that's ignorant" or "Quit being ignorant". You've heard it, I'm sure. What does the word mean? Unaware. Uninformed. Not erudite. Yet people toss it around as an insult, not at all meaning "My, what an un-learned fellow."

That doesn't mean that the definition has changed - it means that the one who uses it improperly is, well, ignorant.

For the record, I don't appreciate the hijacking of words such as queer, gay, fag, etc. Homosexual females have "lesbian" - why do homosexual males get to steal regular words? Why do people continue to support the misuse of these words?

02-09-2002, 09:01 AM	#1
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	2/9: Terrible MSNBC gaffe In what must be one of the biggest gaffes in cable news history, MSNBC misspelled Mr. Niger Innis' name in their on-air graphics. I should expect that somebody got fired over this one, which had MSNBC profusely apologizing of course. The fascinating aspect of this, to me, is that someone got a screen capture at all. People aren't exactly Tivo-ing 24-hour news channels. This capture was from a TV site that I enjoy, TV Barn, who in turn got it from a site that reports on local TV news.

02-09-2002, 09:15 AM	#2
dave Guest Posts: n/a	Man. That's good Saturday morning humor. That is pretty bad though. They don't generally misspell any names, really. Just so happens that they fudge it when the dude's first name is Niger... wow. Obviously the webmaster of Time Canada is now out of his <b>second</b> job in 2 months...

02-09-2002, 09:23 AM	#3
That Guy He who reads, sometimes writes. Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: at the keyboard Posts: 791	Wasn't it Joe DiMaggio that they accidentally posted died a while back? (before he actually died, of course) I remember the crawler at the bottom of the screen came across and everyone was shocked, especially Joe (assuming it <i>was</i> him). I'll see if I can dig up a link.

02-09-2002, 01:15 PM	#4
Nic Name retired Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 1,930	The N word Let's presume that Niger has heard that one before. For all we know, he's got buddies that call him that all the time. We all know that the hip hop culture has adopted the N word in a completely different context, often as a friendly term of endearment. Harvard Law Professor, Randall Kennedy, has recently written a book on this subject. Of course, it would be a major controversy if such a book were written by a white linguist. Even Randall Kennedy, a black author, is getting some criticism for use of the word. He's also getting some praise for writing this book. His point, essentially, is that what's important is the meaning ascribed to the use of the word. Language evolves. Right now, we are living in a time of transition of meaning of the word nigger. Last edited by Nic Name; 02-09-2002 at 01:40 PM.

02-09-2002, 02:08 PM	#6
Nic Name retired Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 1,930	There is no nigger on the net. Registrant: NAACP (NIGGER4-DOM) 4805 MT. HOPE DRIVE BALTIMORE, MD 21215 US Domain Name: NIGGER.COM Administrative Contact, Billing Contact: Hawley, Tammy (TH1189) NAACP 4805 Mt. Hope Drive Baltimore, MD 21215-9167 410-486-9167 It's too bad for Randall Kennedy, that he didn't have that domain name for his book. Registrant: NAACP (NIGGER2-DOM) 4805 MT. HOPE DRIVE BALTIMORE, MD 21215 US Domain Name: NIGGER.NET Administrative Contact, Billing Contact: Hawley, Tammy (TH1189) NAACP 4805 Mt. Hope Drive Baltimore, MD 21215-9167 410-486-9167 Registrant: NAACP (NIGGER3-DOM) 4805 MT. HOPE DRIVE BALTIMORE, MD 21215 US Domain Name: NIGGER.ORG Administrative Contact, Billing Contact: Hawley, Tammy (TH1189) NAACP 4805 Mt. Hope Drive Baltimore, MD 21215-9167 410-486-9167 www.niggerjoke.com Last edited by Nic Name; 02-10-2002 at 01:02 AM.

02-09-2002, 01:57 PM	#5
Slight Semi-Evil Genius Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Boulder CO Posts: 195	Color me white but how do you pronouce out loud (as opposed to on the internet) the name Niger? I guess it would be the same as the country. I agree with Nic's summary of Kennedy's book. There is nothing intrinsically wrong with the word, only the meaning given to it. To me, all that nigger means is a person who has dark skin. And what's wrong with that. I personally don't use the word in everyday language because I theoretically don't believe that skin color makes any difference in life. And if you accept what I say, then did the graphics guy screw up semantically? [let the flames begin, I don't care, it's only a word]

02-09-2002, 03:01 PM	#8
dave Guest Posts: n/a	Kinda like Nigel, but with an R on the end instead.

02-09-2002, 07:29 PM	#9
MaggieL in the Hour of Scampering Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Jeffersonville PA (15 mi NW of Philadelphia) Posts: 4,060	Nigeria used to be called "Niger".... "There was a young lady from Niger Who smiled as she rode on a tiger They returned from the ride With the lady inside And the smile on the face of the tiger" Of course, this stretches a bit on the "hard g"-"soft g" axis... __________________ "Neither can his Mind be thought to be in Tune,whose words do jarre; nor his reason In frame, whose sentence is preposterous..." Last edited by MaggieL; 02-09-2002 at 07:35 PM.

02-09-2002, 08:36 PM	#10
Nic Name retired Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 1,930	Is political correctness rewriting history and geography? In 1967, 143 place names containing the word nigger were changed to Negro by order of the U.S. Board on Geographic Names. Next to go ... Squaw Valley and Cripple Creek? It may be better to change the import of words such as nigger, squaw, queer and heeb to align with changing norms. Gay Pride has advanced to the level of acceptance that we have Queer as Folk on TV. Will the influence of hip hop culture, BET, rap music lyrics and song titles lead to the acceptablity of nigger music groups and television shows in the future? NIGGA Never Ignorant Getting Goals Accomplished (Tupac Shakur) Recently, a jewish publisher in NYC launched Heeb magazine, The New Jew Review. The times they are a changin'. We'll know that prejudice has been eliminated when you don't have to be black to say nigger, gay to say queer, and jewish to say heeb. And that our minds are truly open when we can handle the really filthy words. Last edited by Nic Name; 02-09-2002 at 08:51 PM.

02-09-2002, 11:43 PM	#11
Nothing But Net Professor Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Spring, Texas Posts: 1,481	All I can think of is what this guy must have gone through as a kid with that name! I assume he was born in America. WTF were his parents thinking to lay that moniker on him? - NBN

02-09-2002, 11:49 PM	#12
Nic Name retired Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 1,930	Actually, it may have been prophetic that his parents hung Niger with this epithet. He wears it well. I think he'll be able to handle this faux pas by MSNBC. He's even been a guest on Politically Incorrect. Advice to The President of the United States on matters of Race Last edited by Nic Name; 02-10-2002 at 01:14 PM.

02-10-2002, 12:26 AM	#13
jeni is stuck on altair-4 Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: santa cruz, california Posts: 514	i never did have to be "gay to say queer." because that's not what it means. and i still don't have a problem saying it around homosexuals, because it still doesn't mean "homosexual." and if they ever have a problem with me saying it around them, they'll get bitched at.

02-10-2002, 12:37 AM	#14
Nic Name retired Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 1,930	My, that's a queer interpretation. I find it really queer how a woman who's a bitch is considered to be spiteful or overbearing, whereas a man who's a bitch is considered to be weak or contemptible. Last edited by Nic Name; 02-10-2002 at 01:12 AM.

02-10-2002, 01:21 AM	#15
dave Guest Posts: n/a	Not really. It's slang, and it does not mean "homosexual" any more than "jewish" means "money squandering". Just because some people use it that way does not mean that its definition is "homosexual". You know, a lot of people misuse the word "ignorant". They go "my, that's ignorant" or "Quit being ignorant". You've heard it, I'm sure. What does the word mean? Unaware. Uninformed. Not erudite. Yet people toss it around as an insult, not at all meaning "My, what an un-learned fellow." That doesn't mean that the definition has changed - it means that the one who uses it improperly is, well, <b>ignorant</b>. For the record, I don't appreciate the hijacking of words such as queer, gay, fag, etc. Homosexual females have "lesbian" - why do homosexual males get to steal regular words? Why do people continue to support the misuse of these words?

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