Disco Writer used the N word in the writers room.

Discussion in 'Star Trek: Discovery' started by Gingerbread Demon, Sep 7, 2019.

  1. Gingerbread Demon

    Gingerbread Demon I love Star Trek Discovery Premium Member

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    https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/wa...iters-room-after-n-word-complaint-1203326990/

    He was telling a story about his life and used the N word to describe a moment in his life and then got a call from HR and now has left the show.

    Not sure what to make of this but surely if you are talking about yourself in the first person why would anyone else take offense if you used a word to talk about yourself in a non derogatory way? He didn't seem to infer this on other people.
     
  2. Lord Garth

    Lord Garth Admiral Admiral

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    I think there's something more going on here. Speculation only, but I wonder if someone else on staff didn't like or didn't get along with him and tried to nab him on a technicality by complaining to HR?
     
  3. Ar-Pharazon

    Ar-Pharazon Admiral Premium Member

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    Hyper-sensitivity to every little thing is the hallmark of our society now.

    I refer to my late mom and her sister and brothers as Polacks, and myself as a half-Polack sometimes. I don't care who likes it.
     
    Last edited: Sep 7, 2019
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  4. David cgc

    David cgc Admiral Premium Member

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    This writers' room has sounded like a nightmare for years, it wouldn't surprise me if there was something like that behind that kind of bizarre tattle-tailing. The high turnover and constant accompanying series re-tools are not indications of a positive work environment, never mind the bullying reports last year.

    That's probably for the best, since the people who like it are probably not the kind of people you want to associate with, if only for your own safety.
     
  5. Gingerbread Demon

    Gingerbread Demon I love Star Trek Discovery Premium Member

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    I think you might be right but someone must have had some kind of axe to grind to run to HR and make a formal complaint. Toxic work environment indeed.
     
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  6. DEWLine

    DEWLine Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    That this is how we found out that Walter Mosley was involved with Star Trek at all disturbs me deeply.
     
  7. NCC-73515

    NCC-73515 Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Especially if that was the word that cop used back then. In that case, he was simply quoting an LA cop.
     
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  8. Guy Gardener

    Guy Gardener Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    1. Walter is black, and old as dirt.

    2. Walter quit, he wasn't fired.

    This is a story about an old black man who is told by white assholes that he is not allowed to use his word, so fuck them.
     
  9. Tuskin38

    Tuskin38 Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    We don’t know which writer complained
     
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  10. Casas9425

    Casas9425 Lieutenant Red Shirt

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    The writers room for this show seems like a nightmare.
     
  11. KennyB

    KennyB I have spoken............ Moderator

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    This is a corporate setting.....not hanging out with peers. Know the room. It sounds like he was given a warning and quit. He is a great writer and most likely not used being told what to do. There were other persons of color in the room as well. If brought to HR they have to do something.....he did not have to quit and write an OpEd that democracy was dying because he can't use racial slurs at work.
     
  12. Guy Gardener

    Guy Gardener Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    I'm hiding from the Harry Potter movies.

    Is there a point where Ron says to Hermione "Witch please"?
     
    Last edited: Sep 7, 2019
  13. F. King Daniel

    F. King Daniel Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    It's Star Trek. The most SJW show in the universe since 1966. Of course they don't want you using that word.
     
    Last edited: Sep 7, 2019
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  14. Beckerjr

    Beckerjr Lieutenant Commander Red Shirt

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    PC culture run a muck. Doesn't surprise me at all.
     
  15. KennyB

    KennyB I have spoken............ Moderator

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    HE QUIT. The only thing surprising is HR only gave him a phone call to explain that it wasn’t an acceptable word to use.
     
  16. Rahul

    Rahul Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Holy shit. The DIS' writers room is a toxic hellhole.

    And to everyone blaming "PC culture" or "SJWs": FUCK THAT.
    This is very much a rightwing thing to do: A white male telling a minority person to stop complaining, that "hey, racism is over. So stop talking about racism. Otherwise that makes us uncomfortable. Which makes you the real racist."

    The issue isn't a black person dropping the n-word here. The issue is a socially conservative environment shutting down minorities to talk about racism. On a Star Trek show. Fuck that. These people can go to hell.
     
    Last edited: Sep 7, 2019
  17. Gingerbread Demon

    Gingerbread Demon I love Star Trek Discovery Premium Member

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    I didn't think of this angle and it sums up the world today nicely.
     
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  18. serabine

    serabine Commander Red Shirt

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    Interesting take.

    He doesn't say that anyone complained because he was retelling his own experience of racism by a cop, but because in quoting the cop verbatim he was repeating a particularly ugly racial slur. For all we know it was one of the other African American writers in the writing room who complained about it, not "to shut him down" but because they might have their own ugly experiences with the slur. Or they belong to a subgroup you'll find in every minority group where discussions exist whether slurs can or should be "reclaimed", and fall on the side of thos who don't want these slurs around in any capacity. Compare that to current pushback from some members of the lgbtg community to the term "queer".

    As for the whole thing, I wonder if this strong reaction is a direct result of the upheaval around Berg and Harberts. They were verbally abusive to staff to the point that they had to be removed, so it makes sense that the production company might come down quickly on anything even remotely in the ballpark of "hostile" language if it gets reported in to HR. And it's sad that Mosley (who I have only read Devil in A Blue Dress from, since he was prominently featured in a course on crime fiction I once took) decided to leave over that. Especially because how he describes it he wasn't even in any real trouble with HR (as in an actual formal reprimand with documentation and such), and just got a call asking him politely to avoid using that term in the writer's room, which ... isn't a terrible request? People will know what you mean even if you just say "the n-word" and still understand the point of your story.
     
  19. Rahul

    Rahul Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Yeah, it DEFINITELY wasn't one of the other black writers complaining...

    They very much SAID - verbatim - the complaint was about that word making people "uncomfortable in a working environment". Not insulting. Uncomfortable. When an old black guy said it talking about the past. If you think that wording came from anyone else than a young, conservative white guy, I've got a whole ton of bridges to sell you.
     
    Last edited: Sep 7, 2019
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  20. C.E. Evans

    C.E. Evans Admiral Admiral

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    For the use of the P-word, you must now resign from Trekbbs.
    :rofl: