“Were they acting N-word-ish?” Radio hosts axed
Racism Score: 4.8
If you do not know, the n-word is arguably the most vile and disrespectful word in the English language. It is a supercharged vicious word that can make your skin crawl.
Rudimentary human decency protocols dictate that any utterance of the word calls for condemnation at the highest levels. Pretty simple concept everyone should live by, do not say it! Especially if you are not Black.
Two radio hosts in New York somehow missed the memo. NBC News reports Kimberly Ray and Barry Beck of the “Kimberly and Beck” radio show are now unemployed because of their shocking on-air conversation.
During a segment regarding looting and violence in Rochester, New York, Ray discussed a video of a group of Black men beating a couple with an object. Ray had a question. Without hesitation, Ray asked Beck the following question without using the racial slur.
“OK, let me ask you a question: Were they acting N-word-ish?” Beck replied “I think. They’re thugs.”
Wanting an answer to her question, Ray followed up, “Were they acting N-wordly?”
Again, not using the slur and saying “N-wordly” in place of the actual n-word. You cannot make this stuff up. Ray thought it would be appropriate to say “N-wordly” instead. In case you are wondering, that is still unacceptable.
The producer of the show, Pat McMahon interjected and responded, “You can’t say that. What are you doing?”
Ray insisted, “Where they acting that way?”
The producer offering a lifeline again advised, “You can’t say that”, while also advising “Stop saying thugs. That’s part of the problem.”
Beck objected and said, “No. It is not. They’re thugs. If you look like a thug and if you act like a thug, and you’ve got three on one and beating up a white woman with a two-by-four, by God, you’re a thug.”
Ray added the racial cherry on top, “And by the way, there are people in the black community who would say there are acting N-wordly.”
That last comment got us thinking, it is true that within races, there is a subset of the race each race thinks lowly of. As an example, Chris Rock sums it up from a Black person’s perspective (ONLY for Black people to say).
Review Chris Rock’s video for educational purposes.
Double standard be dammed, Beck and Ray both acknowledged the double standard and expressed their dissatisfaction with it.
Backlash for the exchange was quick, fast and in a hurry. iHeartMedia regional president, Robert Morgan made a statement regarding the termination of the two. Very simple lesson to everyone…stay away from the word!
