The faux Republican frontrunner even offered Wilmore a spot as his running mate and cracked, “You used the N-word on Obama – I mean, c’mon, so bold, so courageous, such a terrific choice”.
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“He was seeking to be provocative, but I think any reading of his comments makes clear that he was not using the president of butt of his joke”. Wilmore described ending the speech by showing his feelings about President Obama and his being the first black president. Bernie Sanders, who was in attendance, when he said: “Bernie, you look like a million bucks”. “‘N***a” is a term of endearment some black people use between each other to take back its power”. The next time I heard it after the playground was in high school, when my boss a the local oil company called me a lazy n-er under his breath after I refused to clean the bathroom right after he’d used it. Ooof. It didn’t help that he had to follow Obama, but Wilmore didn’t do himself any real favors, either.
Wilmore said the president was “very kind and very warm” to him and the White House said Monday that Obama wasn’t offended by use of the phrase.
Wilmore, pivoting sharply, took a moment to acknowledge the seriousness of the N-word, but also clarified that there was a difference between “n*gga” and “n*gger” as Piers proclaimed he had said. There were a lot of groans, a lot of cringes, and at one point, even Don Lemon flipped him off. “To say it in front of the president of the United States in front of the top people in the media was at best in poor taste”.
Critics argued Wilmore’s use of the word demeans the presidency because of the word’s charged racial history. That’s awful! I would never do that.
Obama and members of the press at the 2016 White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Following the footsteps of the Lakers’ legend, Obama kissed his two fingers and said “Obama out” before dropping the microphone to cap the speech filled with jokes.
The sponsoring White House Correspondents’ Association saluted Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian, who was jailed by Iranian authorities for 18 months until his release in January.
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It’s one thing for comedians or other performers to use the word in their stage acts, or for musicians to keep mining it as a form of social rebellion and self-validation.
