Should derogatory terms from older eras be still used in media based on them Thread

For example: the N word from pre-Civil war America (sadly there are some people who still use it today but it's looked down upon a great deal more). Should it be used in media based on those time periods?

To be clear, I'm just curious to hear opinions. I myself think they should, but only in appropriate context.

For immersion most definitely, yes.

Metalspy wrote: For immersion most definitely, yes.

I think that's the fastest response I've ever gotten to a forum posting...

[Achievement Unlock: Speed of Light]

But yeah, it certainly can add immersion.

Edited by: TheUnabridgedGamer

I don't see why not -- portraying a time from the past isn't about making it nicer or more politically correct. It wouldn't be too realistic to set a story in Nazi Germany and completely avoid Nazi ideology, for example. Words are words, in the end of the day -- and you'll probably have to portray much worse than vile language if writing about war.

Reqieumthefallen wrote: I think that's the fastest response I've ever gotten to a forum posting...

Hehe yay for 1 sentence replies. Anyway, they indirectly taught me that it's OK to do so (use such terms etc.) to achieve immersion at school. They gave me the highest grade for a letter I wrote from a fictional southern states white guy which states that slavery is a good thing. Of course, the highest grade wasn't because of the actual content, but because apparently I did a good job writing down the thoughts of such a person.

Redtails has someone called nigger twice. Also a black guy said he prefers to be called "negro" vs "colored". I don't recall anyone getting any panties in a bind.

Edited by: TheHappyFriar

There was a TV show a while back, I forget the name (deadwood?) but it was a western. However, they filled the show with swears because the swears of the day, like nincompoop and tarnation, are extremely tame by todays standards. Then there is stuff like the Batman "boner" comic, made in a time when boner meant clumbsy. Twilight Zone has stuff like the word "fantastic!" to mean unbelievible. Plus there are cultural issues, like "Damn" and "Hell" not being a dirty word here.

So yeah, it has been done in the past, and will happen in the future as words change. So may as well go with it. Maybe one day fat jokes will be seen as offencive, but for now let's have Coach in L4D2 go on about chocolate and burgers.

It should be noted that you will take flak whatever you do. Pick whichever you feel more strongly about.

Yeah, I think we might lose part of what our history was if we censor it to be prettier round the edges.
In my secondary school english class we had to read of mice and men, I was about the only white guy in my class and at first had a hard time reading the word "nigger" outloud in my class, but soon I realised that they weren't really my words, if using them in context it's not necessarily a bad thing.

For instance the setting of 'Of Mice and Men' feels more realistic and authentic than a Doctor Who portrayal of 1920's southern America.

The only other word typically used in older time that is now offensive that I can think of is chink...
Although as an Irishman, we typically get a lot of insults during things set in old America.

Wasn't there a film Blazing Saddles that took the **** out of things like that?

Social justice nerds ran out of real things to complain about so now they're trying to whitewash the very history they use to justify censorship and "equality through inequality" in the first place.

Definitely a yes, if you want to create an authentic setting you need to have authentic language, even if it is offensive. Besides, there is a difference between using slurs to offend someone and using them to show how people used to offend someone.

Yup! To be honest, I'd say it's actually more offesive and insulting to gloss it over or make it more tame. By doing that, you're belittling the experiences of those that went through through and/or their relatives. Plus, you're also making light of the progress we've made to get past it. It's a very 'lest we forget' sort of thing.

Plus, it would ruin the authenticity, like the others are saying. An inaccurate representation is a job for Abstergo sorts