#aliiziot

[writingwithcolor]

“Edgy” poetry by white person that includes slurs

@aliiziot asked:

a (white) friend asked this in our friend server: "I'm writing poetry, this particular poem is very violent and loud, I'm writing in to shake the reader, make them feel yelled at. How okay is it to use the n word in an artistic setting such as this? Its my belief that its okay to use in this context but I want to get a more general consensus." i find thatd be disrespectful and dehumanizing, like its just using the oppression of black people as a prop and i dont think its okay but im not sure how to convey that well?? the only other people who have responded so far are white and one person even said that people are too hypersensitive now and ?? ugh.a bit of help would be appreciated. ;; also i am one of the few POC in the friend group (im nonblack though) and this feels gross and i want to make sure i can speak up where i can :<

Yikes.

It seems like this friend is just asking for controversy and thrives on negative attention. Either that of they’re very ignorant, insensitive, gross, racist...all of the adjectives. This is extremely disrespectful of them. They have no connection to these slurs and are just using them for shock value. You can add depth and send a message without littering the writing with slurs that have nothing to do with you as a white person / someone outside of the marginalized group.

If anyone even bothers to read the poem, they will earn all of the backlash for this willfully ignorant idea.  

~Mod Colette

Commentary (see the replies for more)

@mathieubellamont said:

It reminds me of using real child actors for the Cuties documentary or whatever it was called, just in the way of like..... There are many ways to communicate how bad something is without hurting the people involved. Casually involving these vulnerable (irt the subject matter) groups and putting them in the firing line to make a point is just carelessly neglectful at best and actively malicious at worst

You don't need to make a point about stranger danger by pulling out a knife and threatening someone with it, even if you're acting and stop before it "goes too far". You've already gone too far. Likewise, you don't need to make a point about pain by pulling out something that hurts people, even if you "don't mean it in a racist way, just to make a point" type thing...... Its too far

Not to reply three times lmfao but I'm thinking. Pains probably not the right word here to focus on, but you know. The intersection of slurs and being shaken and upset tends to be pain so that's why I say it

justalurkr said:

You can shake first-time readers without being a hateful shitheel.

@rebellum said:

It's not their place to use that word to shock people

kermitheechalamet said:

what would even be the point in using an anti black slur in a poem that, as near as i can tell, has nothing to do with anti black racism?

@dannyburke said:

there is literally no artistry in using a slur for shock value if you aren't a person targeted by it and making a statement about it?!? especially if the goal of the writing is to make the reader feel yelled at and targeted, literally all that would accomplish is making the piece specifically targeted at people who are *actually targeted by that slur* and why the hell would you want to do that

@pinkieloveheartpastel said:

*orange is the new black intensifies*

deepmocha said:

"...and one person even said that people are too hypersensitive now." You can add gaslighting onto this blatant ignorance of wanting to use the "n" word to add flavor or whatever it is they are trying to do with this distasteful poem. What OP said is right and conveys exactly what needs to be said to that wannabe poet and whomever agrees with them.

Op, please show this post to your friend and make sure they read the commentary as well!

#aliiziot #yikes on bikes #and rollerskates #racism #white writers #white authors #wwc replies #n word #slurs #racial slurs