Bill Maher drops N-word to Larry King; nobody notices [poll]

Bill Maher dropped the N-word during an interview Larry King's show Tuesday, the same day he picked up his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

No, we didn't notice either.

The "Real Time With Bill Maher" host, who'd thanked George W. Bush, Sarah Palin and the pope for his star earlier in the day, said he couldn't wait to see the GOP debates before the 2012 presidential election.

"How are they going to out fire-breathe each other? I mean where this rhetoric has gone to at this point? It's only 2010. And we're having Newt Gingrich, as we were talking about before, calling [the president] an anti-colonial Luo tribesman. Luo tribesman," Maher said.

"That's the new Kenyan, Larry. And Kenyan, of course, was code for [the N-word]. But that's where they are. They can't say it out loud. But that's where this whole campaign is going to be."

According to the CNN transcript, King did not react specifically to Maher's choice of words.

Dr. Laura, are you listening?

-- Christie D'Zurilla

Photo: Bill Maher, left, with Larry King in Hollywood on Tuesday. Credit: Mark Ralston / AFP/Getty Images

Related dispatches from the Ministry of Gossip:

Bill Maher gets a star on Hollywood Walk of Fame, doesn't thank God

Dr. Laura tells audience what's hurt her the most [poll]

Comments

[dave]

It's okay with me because I'm not eleven years old.

[Tom Phillips]

I have no problem with it, just the double standard. See Dr. Laura.

[John Q]

Nobody noticed because no one watches Larry King or cares about what Maher says.

[Dude1]

It's ok because Maher is a liberal, right? I mean if someone like Dr. Laura said it, she'd get fired from her TV show.

[earl]

What is "the N-word". Nerd?

[gemjyor]

Bill Maher can get away with calling someone the n-word. But let him speak of jews in that context. They will have him in Israel kissing the ground for weeks, and offering an apology that will make your head spin. Wake up Black America,stop letting Obama push the snooze button

[pitung]

The N word is not insulting at all! Although this is prohibited, deep in the hearts of many people, it still exist. In order to minimize racism, the particular race has to improve their social status themselves, nobody can help. Racism is something that cannot be eliminated, it will always be there until the end of the world. Every race has its own strenght and weakneses and everybody is free to comment.

[Susie Que]

He was making a reference to other people's racism and how they cloak it in code words to mean something horribly derogatory. It was not an offensive use of the word the way he phrased it.

[Dave]

It's the context stupid. Grow up world.

[ANTONIO]

Bloggers are always smugly talking about double standards, pretending "liberals" have them, but "America", as they call it, is a level playing field. It's amazing what gigantic capacity such people have for self delusion! The United States of America was founded on inequality, slavery, Jim Crow, now 2 million people behind bars. This is one of the most unequal class-ridden societies on earth.

[Yogi]

In the context he used it, he could have said “black person”. He used it for shock value, which is exactly why vulgar people use it. It was not appropriate at all.

[Ruth]

Bil was just telling it as it is concerning the veiled racist venacular. That's why no one "noticed." Because of the context, he meant it as an ugly, racist word that was being implied. He said it honestly. Bill can always be counted on to say what he thinks, like it or not. I love him. Incidently, I'm a woman of color and am not the least bit offended by his usage of the word. What does offend me though is that people say, "Well, black people use it to describe themselves . . ."

No, not all black people do. Some do. And therefore it is not an acceptable word among blacks as a whole. So that excuse "if black people use it, we should be able to as well" should go out with the bathwater. Just my two cents.

[racerx]

double standars again if sean hannity or rush said the same thing the libs would want them fired or slianced for sure

[All Hallows Eve]

Bravo Douglas! Well said...with the exception of your last sentence, of course. ;-}

[Dennis]

So where are Sharpton, Jackson and all the other PC critics?

[No even justice here!!!]

We are growing tired of this B.S., let's discuss issues that are really important and stop trying to always fuel a false issue.

[ALPINE MAN]

According to the votes, more than twice the pollsters agree with the use of the N-word. I happen to be one of the majority. Pardon my whiteness.

On a personal basis, what makes it OK for a black man to use the N-word indiscriminately and wrong for a person of any other race to use the word? It just goes to show you the mentality of the issue. I could get into a freedom of speech thing but the N-words wouldn't like it, or any other issue related to their color.

I'm glad I wasn't born Black and I happen to love the Rebel flag! I like Motown and I love New Orleans. Does that mean anything? Maybe, maybe not.

When you figure it all out, let me know. Why is Harlem predominately Black and Queens predominantly White? Maybe because that's the way it's supposed to be.

I used to hang out at TGI Friday's in Marina Del Rey, California. That business had to fold because of the pressures brought on by a bunch of Black racists that tried (and succeeded) to take over the place. The nail in the coffin happened when people were injured by drive-by shootings. TGI Friday's! Actors and athletes of both colors used to hang out there and we all had a good time until the riff-raff moved in.

We were just common folks having a good time on a Saturday afternoon. Now it's a sushi restaurant! Shame on the gangs.

Too bad because it's all in the name of racism. There's 2 sides of the coin bro'. Learn to live with it. White people have feelings too. Call me racist but maybe I am for a reason.

Gotta go for now..............Joe H.

[thecanimalshusband]

Only certain African Americans are allowed to use the "n" word as it is racist for anyone else to utter it.

[L]

Its not about black or white. Rep or Demo. Its about the haves and have nots.

Bill used the word in context to explain how that politician used a code word and the history for the "N" word. And how said white slander is more common, really?? Its interesting how ppl do that towards black ppl.
Educate yourself. 1st females call themselves B's and h*es and sluts but its Misogyny for men to use it. Both blacks, women or anyone who are apart of a oppressed/past oppressed demographic attempt to take away the degrading nature of some words by using them among themselves its said but its true.
BTw its not like minorities of ANY KIND have faced oppression for centuries or nothing like that LOL Love not Hate.

@ Eve: love you

[Diogenes]

Works for me.

[cdz from the ministry]

Hey all, Christie D'Zurilla here from the blog with an FYI -- if you wish death on anyone, I'm not publishing the comment. Also please no slurs/profanity.

Thanks!

:)

//cdz

[Emile Zola]

There shouldn't be any ban on the usage of any word, regardless of how offensive they could be. Even four letter words, in some instances, should even be protected. We can't look for racism under every rock, nor virtues behind an apparent good deed. When a race, organization puts a veto on a word, that is the slippery slope that journalism shouldn't walk. Didn't the supreme farce stroke down the Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake fine? And in another case, I believe, they stroke down the fines impossed by the FCC? There is nothing better to kill the 800 LBS gorilla in the room that bringing him into the midst, rather than ignoring him. And nobody should be fired, ever, for telling ethnic jokes, specially whne blacks treat each other over and over again with the same words without any reprisals. Why should they be exempted. And why, of all people, republicans can denigrate blacks and nothing happens to them. America is not necessarily an oasis of civism and getting along with others, ergo, making a tempest in a tea pot is not the best way for America to get along. Language is not the root of racism or every thing that is evil in America, people are and language shouldn't have to suffer because people establish taboos to fit their selfish agendas.

[Jason]

It's pretty obvious the context in which the word was used. In using the word rather than the code words the tea party types use, he was emphasizing the ugliness of it.

[AZlib62]

Once again the debate avoids any meaningful discourse, focusing on the utterance of one word. Maher's point was Gingrich refers to Obama as a "Luo tribesman" which is meant to derogatory if not racist. So why is the conversation not debating whether a potential presidential candidate is racist. Gingrich is going around the country saying we need to restore values. Now *that* is funny.

[frank carter]

I'm amaze as to what people see on this man call Maher...up to me I run him and his dogs out of town, a one way ticket and take his slow wit buddy with him Larry King.....