THESIS MORE THAN A NIGGER: HOW NIGGER/A CONSTITUTES MASCULINITY Submitted by Garrett Hayes Department of Communication Studies In partial fulfillment of the requirements For the Degree of Master of Arts Colorado State University Fort Collins, Colorado Summer 2015 Master’s Committee: Advisor: Karrin Vasby Anderson Julia Khrebtan-Hoerhager Malcolm Scott Copyright by Garrett Hayes 2015 All Rights Reserved ABSTRACT MORE THAN A NIGGER: HOW NIGGER/A CONSTITUTES MASCULINITY Words maintain a particular power over us constituting personalities, beliefs, actions, and reactions. We are a reflection of the words we both use to subject others and by which are subjected. These words often reinforce ideologies that create a consciousness for social interactions. “Nigger” and “nigga,” words derived from an abhorrent history, are consequential to the reality, perceptions, and experiences of those who deploy the word and those who are subjected by the word. This thesis examines the ways in which “nigger/a” constitutes masculinity for both the addresser and the addressed when deployed by individuals who identify as Black and individuals who do not identify as Black in film, stand-up comedy, and hip-hop. Analysis of these three discursive genres illustrates how “nigger/a” is a fragmented text with the capacity to constitute masculinity in diverse and sometimes competing ways. Through this thesis I hope to expand on the preceding research and understandings of the term and promote a responsible deployment of the word and the acknowledgment of both its history and its capacity. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This has been a long and challenging journey for me, as it should have been, and I have grown immensely from it. However, my accomplishments would not have been possible without the vast support system that I have had since day one. I am beyond blessed for my committee members. Dr. Anderson, you have been my advisor since undergrad, but in these past years you have pushed me to become the best academic and intellectual I could be, even when it was hard for me to see that initially. Dr. Khrebtan, your thoughtfulness and beautiful mind made me consider ideals in a vastly different light. Dr. Scott, you have always been an inspiration for me and I have always admired your insight. In addition to my committee I would like to thank a number of other individuals. Jessie and Marsha Hayes who are by far and above my biggest supporters and implanted values of education and integrity into my siblings and I. Chenoa, Brian, Maya, and Lucien you are all both an inspiration and the reason why I strive to be better each day. Bridgette Johnson, Duan Ruff, and Marcus Elliot, you are all, and have always been, major influences and inspirations to me and I hope to one day change lives the way each of you do each day. The Key Communities and CASA (Jessica Klingsmith, Jess Burge, Tae Nosaka, Amy Robertson, Barb Musslewhite), I probably would have dropped out of undergrad had it not been for all of you and what you do. Gloria Blumanhourst, words cannot express my appreciation for you and everything you have done to help me through these years. Victor Pae, I know I can always count on you to be there when I need you. Dante Bills, you kept me sane during this whole process and I cannot express how grateful I am to have you in my life. Perez Ansah-Mensah, you are a huge inspiration for me and I appreciate how you constantly challenge me to be better, whether you know you are iii challenging me or not. Keenan Bender, your insight on life has helped me to alter my perspective on the world and others and I thank you for being in my life. Omar Nunez, I have never met a more loving and generous soul and you definitely keep me balanced. Derek Nettingham, I really believe God keeps you in my life. You have been around for a long time despite wherever life has taken us and I am glad that I have you in my corner. Desarie and Dom Wheeler, I am grateful to have you both in my life. Stephaun Gaddis, you are like a little brother to me, and I am blessed to have met you and I know you are destined for greatness. Kacey Bull, I’m not sure you know how blessed I am to have met you. Had it not been for you Kacey, I would have probably given up long ago. Ileana Sierra, thank you for reminding me to get back to what I know and who I am. I am beyond blessed for the people in my life and I could probably write another hundred plus pages on them all. I would also like to thank the members of my cohort, the Communication Studies Department, United Men of Color, and Dr. Ray Black (another huge inspiration). I would also like to thank everyone who came to my defense and everyone who is reading this thesis. If I left anyone out, please forgive me because I did do so intentionally. Know that you hold a special place in my heart. Above all else I want to especially give thanks to God, who makes everything possible. iv DEDICATION I dedicate this thesis to my grandfather, Jessie Hayes Sr., and to the Black community. v TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ...................................................................................................................................ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS............................................................................................................iii DEDICATION................................................................................................................................v 1. CHAPTER 1- RHYMES WITH DIGGER..................................................................................1 1.1 LITERATURE REVIEW..............................................................................................3 1.2 CRITICAL METHOD.................................................................................................16 1.3 OVERVIEW OF CHAPTERS.....................................................................................22 2. CHAPTER 2 – INCOHERENT TRUTHS …….......................................................................23 2.1 WHITENESS...............................................................................................................25 2.2 ENSLAVING “NIGGER/A” ......................................................................................27 2.3 CHAPTER 2 CONCLUSION.....................................................................................42 3. CHAPTER 3..............................................................................................................................44 3.1 THE AUTHOR, THE SPECTATOR, AND THE TEXT............................................47 3.2 DJANGO RECHAINED.............................................................................................51 3.3 LAUGHING WITH OR LAUGHING AT..................................................................60 3.4 KEEPIN’ IT REAL—“ANOTHER WILD NIGGER FROM THE BRONX” ..........69 3.5 CHAPTER 3 CONCLUSION.....................................................................................78 4. CHAPTER 4..............................................................................................................................80 4.1 BLACK MASCULINITY...........................................................................................82 4.2 TRAINING GAZE.......................................................................................................84 4.3 ROCK SOLID REINFORCEMENT...........................................................................90 4.4 REAL NIGGAS...........................................................................................................97 5. CHAPTER5- CONCLUSION.................................................................................................108 6. END NOTES...........................................................................................................................120 vi Chapter One: Rhymes With “Digger”1 “You cool nigga?” I think the exchange of the “er” for an “a” made this stranger think that it was okay to say when he approached me one night, as if the replacement might remove a bit of the sting associated with it. To my knowledge, the 6’3” male didn’t identify as Black, and I’m not sure it would have justified what he said and how he said it if he did identify as Black. It was clear the way the word dripped down his tongue that this was not the first time he had used the word. As someone who is very proud of my heritage, culture, and race—and knowing the history of the word—I felt the need to speak up. “Don’t use that word around me, and you need to back up.” “What word?” as if he didn’t know, “Nigga?” “Yes, that word. Don’t say that around me.” “I’ll say nigga if I [expletive] want to nigga.” Just as he said that his friend intervened, also bringing his face in close proximity to mine as he asked the same question. The situation got worse before it got better. Less than 20 minutes later—after leaving the situation and thinking that it was a rare occasion of someone calling me a derogatory word—I was once again greeted by the egregious epithet as a truck stopped at a red light. The driver yelled out before it changed to green, “What you doin’ here nigger?” The “er” was very apparent this time, but it didn’t matter if a pink bow was tied on the end of it; in both instances the venom from the word was both debilitating and provocative. Words are constantly being analyzed by scholars, especially in conjunction with their impact on individuals and society. “Nigger/a” is a term with a complex and convoluted history, 1 and its uses have been discussed