MovieChat Forums > O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2001) Discussion > Why were the only characters to use the ...

Why were the only characters to use the "N-word" protagonists?

posted 10 years ago by thematrixhasyou1
12 replies | jump to latest

And all the bad characters only called blacks "colored" or "negroes"?

Seems a bit odd to have the "good guys" be the ones using the most "offensive" language.

[–] GreyHunter 10 years ago

Homer Stokes used it.

[–] thematrixhasyou1 10 years ago

can you give a timestamp for that? i don't think he did.

[–] bhilburn 10 years ago

During the KKK scene where they was going to hang Tommy, Homer Stokes referred to him as a "negra". I just watched that scene a minute ago. It's sort of an old term, used by country and small town folks mostly in the old days. Haven't heard it much as of late. I guess they figured that term was not as coarse and vulgar as the very un-PC term we refer to as "the N word" these days.

"check the imdb cast list before asking who portrayed who in movies please"

[–] Cocktailsfor2 10 years ago

I believe that it's just the pronunciation of the word "Negro" in that part of the country, rather than an attempt to "soften" the word.

______________________________________
"Leave the gun. Take the cannoli."

[–] rikkirat 9 years ago

If you listen to audio of LBJ talking back in the 60's... you'll also hear him slipping in the term "negra" from time to time. And he's the one who pushed for and signed the Civil Rights Bill. Threw me for a loop too the first time I heard him say it.

[–] almighty_cinder 10 years ago

The radio operator said it too.

................
"Fine. You want to eat? Let's see if you can eat... PIZZA!!!"

[–] Philip_90 9 years ago

If you watched the movie you know they weren't the only ones and Negro isn't the N-word. So much for Political Correctness nowadays. *smh*

[–] stevesonlineplace 9 years ago

This was my one complaint with the movie. There's no doubt KKK members and other casual racists would use *beep* instead of the PC term. It just took me out of the movie as it's so unrealistic.

[–] drunkbear 9 years ago

I felt the same way; I find it hard to believe that there's ever BEEN a KKK meeting where the word *beep* wasn't said.

"You may have come on no bicycle, but that does not say that you know everything."

[–] Skibidido 9 years ago

When did they use the n word?

[–] drunkbear 9 years ago

They didn't. All the characters in the movie - good, bad, or indifferent - were saying 'negro,' but with their accents, it came out as 'negra.' And, since they spoke with a kind of clipped cadence, 'negra' sounded quite a bit like *beep*

"You may have come on no bicycle, but that does not say that you know everything."

[–] NotASpeckOfCereal 9 years ago

I just read this thread and think y'all missed it. They didn't use the N (and I mean *the* N, not 'negra') word because they wanted a light-hearted comedy that didn't insult anyone. -- they weren't in this to make any kind of statement about the racial divides of the era. They also couldn't NOT acknowledge that there was something there (and of course a KKK lynch hanging of a 'negra' is front and center), so they picked a happy medium without distorting the past ... and if you want to call it political correctness, you can. But IMO, you would be wrong.

Contrast this to the comedy Blazing Saddles. There's no doubt that Mel Brooks very much intended to tackle that very subject and hard. But then, the film also worked hard at not being a very accurate representation of the era in many respects, what with the dime toll booth and Count Basie orchestra playing in the desert. If he had avoided the N word in THAT film, there definitely would have been some questions.

But in this film if they had used the N word, it would have got in the way, changed everything, and just made it a different film.

Be sure to proof your posts to see if you any words out