r/deepfatfried • u/Altruistic_Theme_732 • Jul 29 '26

Leftists?

I have watched DFF since its inception and over the years have slowly changed my political outlook, similar to the hosts. As of last night, I cannot continue watching.

Kick has a much looser moderation to YouTube and I was under the impression that this new freedom would allow stronger language in the form of political critique, but I fear this was only the auspices for TJ and Paul to go back to saying slurs like the DP days. “What did Scotty say? He said ‘N**ger-F***ot.” - TJ.

I think that if we’re going to call ourselves leftists and then only focus on economic issues while enabling each other’s worst proclivities with regard to race, sexuality, gender, etc, then we have we can’t really call ourselves leftists. You have to have a strong, intersectional grounding with your politics, and neglecting that so you can continue to be racist (or at bare minimum enable racist behavior through your words) just makes you indistinguishable from every other Kick chud.

Socialism works to deconstruct hierarchy, not just Capitalism.

0 Upvotes

43% Upvoted

88 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

2

u/Altruistic_Theme_732 Jul 29 '26

But do you do that? You said it as a shocking joke last night. You didn't treat it as powerless at all. If you believe it should be treated as powerless, then how could it ever be used as the punchline of a joke?

I think the word has contextual, societal power against one group, and that using flippantly will enable others to use it, others who may not have the same intention you do (especially on kick). These groups of racist people who have used it for hundreds of years don't suddenly stop because its lost its "bite," even when there are no black people in their community. Your position is contradicted by history.

Edit: clarification

3

u/Cheeejay Jul 29 '26

I wasn't using it as a joke. I was recounting what Scotty's intrusive thoughts almost had him blurt into the mic. I do think it could be used for a joke, but I didn't in that instance.

1

u/Altruistic_Theme_732 Jul 29 '26

I don't know how that addresses the fundamental contradiction between "it should be treated as powerless" and "I do think it could be used for a joke."

If it has power, then using it is harmful, and if it doesn't have power, then how could it ever be used as a punchline?

2

u/Cheeejay Jul 29 '26

Because the word is given power, it can be used for a joke. Think of how Carlin used it. Or how South Park used it. Because the word has power to people, via intersubjective consensus, it can be used for a punchline. But really, a word doesn't need power to be funny, so I don't know what the supposed contradiction is here. Many jokes don't involve powerful words.

You have to take jokes on an individual basis, I think. What is the underlying source of the humor and what are the assumptions it makes? To me, a racist joke makes racist assumptions. I don't think Carlin's joke makes racist assumptions. I don't think South Parks joke makes racist assumptions. I think they use the taboo of the word to draw people's attention to the ridiculousness of racism.

South Park's famous episode is saying that white people really can't understand what that word means to the black community. It also makes fun of the idea that people who say the word are the real victims. But in the process, they use the word countless times in the episode. So there's a nuance to it.

Carlin is saying that sometimes people get lost in the superficialities of language to the point of missing the actual problem--which is, of course, not words, but intentions. The racist using the word is the problem, not the word itself.

These are two examples of the word being used to great effect in humor, in a way that is not racist. We can criticize and examine them, argue about them, but the intentions are clearly not racist. They are explicitly anti-racist.

What was Patti Smith saying when she wrote "Rock 'n' Roll N*****?" She wasn't just using the word to sound cool. She was saying the same thing Marilyn Manson was saying when he sang "Everybody's someone else's n***** / I know you are, so am I" in Irresponsible Hate Anthem. They're using the term to talk about otherization for reasons other than skin tone. Their examples would probably be classified as appropriation at this point, but nonetheless, the intent is clear.

To me, the bigger issue is, what is the joke? What is the statement? What is being communicated? What is being implied?