Emily oh Emily...

Posted by Helen Jennings

So, it’s only taken seven days for something newsworthy to happen in the BB8 house – and it’s not nice.

As widely reported, Emily was dancing with Charley last night when she used the N word. Big Brother bosses removed Emily from the house in the early hours of this morning and made a statement that racist comments are unacceptable.

Did Channel 4 make the right decision? Well, yes, I suppose. Although the dour indie princess was most likely just trying to jive talk rather than be evil to Charley - making her language more cringe-worthy than racially motivated - she should have had more sense, given January's Celebrity Big Brother scandal. Unlike contestants in early series of BB, today’s fame-hungry housemates know what they’re letting themselves in for - and are correspondingly desperate for the limelight. Emily must reap what she sows.

On the other hand however, you’ve got to wonder if Charley’s reaction was more savvy than it at first appears. She seemed genuinely shocked by Emily’s slip but I think she was also hamming it up as a game play to make sure the incident didn’t go unnoticed. As one of her rivals, Charley instantly knew she could use Emily’s moment of madness to her own advantage. Exhibit A: When Emily said she was only joking, she replied with “Do you know how many viewers would watch that?”.

As it turns out no one was watching as E4 censored the live feed but BB fans have already read the transcript, ensuring the whole world is up in arms about the racist slur. Granted Emily ain’t no Jay-Z so she should have watched her P's and Q's - and N's. But by chucking her out, aren't BB risking turning this into Shilpagate mark II?

Comments

[christinaxx]

i dont think she ment it but still it was wrong of her to say it

[debbie]

ithink that emily did not know what she was saying and ment it in a harmless way. charley was okay but she had to make everything about her. i think chrley was only trying to grt her point across but done it in a way that wasn`t veary nice.

[hannah turner]

i think they should get emily back after all it was only a mistake we all make mistakes.and charley can be so annoying just to get wat she wants

[grimbritain]

i react to white people who have never being slaves WRONG we are slaves today working our arses off and getting ship loads of extorted taxes out of us wheres the taxes go immigrants and theres a ship load of them in the country so if any ones a slave then its the working class and 75% of them are white HA!

[Teenar]

When the full thing was shown on TV it gave us a chance to see the whole situation rather than just snippets. The girls clearly weren't dancing but having a bit of friendly banter. What I dont understand is, fair enough, Emily used the N word but after that, so did Charley. She stated "yeah, I am a nigga". She didn't get penalised for this so why should Emily?

Initially Charley didn't even seem that bothered but then the cogs in her mind started to turn and she knew what she could turn it into. She knew that she could make "racism" better for herself. That is what made it what it is. Otherwise Emily would've been taken straight out rather than waiting till 3am after Charley's constant "tears" and panic about the whole situation... And for someone who didn't want anyone to know she did a good job of telling the whole house!

The whole thing was blown out of proportion because of Charley's thoughtful reaction. Anyone who watched it could clearly see that she wasn't initially bothered but after time she knew she could use it. I think it was disgusting for BB to remove her from the house in the middle of the night... And with no underwear on! I feel it was completely unjust. There. Rant over!

[jery atric]

I think it's crap, the programme the pubicity, and the morons that think this is entertainment. I'm 59 and we were brought up on words like GAY meaning happy, GOLLIWOG meaning toy or jam. Now we can't say either because we have allowed so many Foreigners into this country we are not allowed to say British anymore. If people don't like being called names then go home. I have freinds of various nationalities and colour and they are sick to death of being type cast and having fingers pointed at them.They don't mind being called N***** or blacks or anything else if it is in context. I call a coloured freind of mine a BLack B****** and he calls me a white H**** we don't take offence. Maybe i'm racist but I want BRITISH people to stand up and say WE HAVE HAD ENOUGH we like our country as it was, AND WANT IT BACK. Holland has as many nationalities as we have and they still have golliwogs helping St Nick at their Christmas and they are in all the shops nobody bats an eyelid at them and you don't get the little jumped up runts trying to get on tv or in the paper going Boo Hoo this is wrong you can't do that (but take my best side for the photo). Get a life >

[jay]

like a lamb to slaughter asked of people who have used 'the word'. When I was at school we read many poems and sung many songs with 'the word' in. Even in Fawlty Towers,
daytime viewing, mentioned it a couple of times recently.
I always thought 'the word' was short for Nigerian & never knew it was wrong to say. It just seems that trouble makers like Charley & Big Brother like to make something of it for publicity.
I think most black people are kind & understanding, unlike some white people like BB who threw a kind girl with a big heart out into the night with no underwear on. There is no word bad enough to call HIM.

[me]

thank god emily is out i hated her! she was selfish and needed booting out!!! the way she acted when chanelle wanted to use the hair straighteners OMG EMILY GET A LIFE.

[Grenadian]

Just read your blog Rich dated 09 June at 17.08.Its good to see positive things being said by Black people & not pushing the blame on others.Its the easiest way out of an argument & very cowardly.People must take more responsibilities for their words & actions.If we continue to use this word in the Black Community then i'm afraid it will never be regarded as a nasty word.It will be used as something 'hip'.So everyone who posts on here the question is - "Have you ever used this word & if so in what context?"

[like a lamb to slaughter]

no one would have even heard about emillys n word if it hadnt been for charley. what a snake she is, she carefully tried to keep it to her self???. by telling everone and sundry carless wispers then standing back and watching the the pirranas go into a frenzy surley im not the only one how saw straight through her despicable plan. she is out to win at all cost just a pity the public no the differance between her and shilpa shetty . even big mouth shaban is better than her get her voted out now

[jon]

I was told, when I was a child, that sticks & stones could break my bones, but names will never hurt me.
Bearing this in mind, I have never taken offence by any silly name calling or remarks, racial or not. I don't understand why one word is so bad that a wonderful, caring person like Emily is treated like a serial killer.
Just smile & turn the other cheek & reply with another silly word.
Life is fun with people like Emily in it, so please stop taking it so serious.

[5nare]

Lol to the colour does not equal race comment... Bravo, that is exactly what distinguishing marks represent.

Anyway, my main point is this... Words don't repress people, actions do. If I want to insult someone with ginger hair I could call them a 'ginner', thats not ofensive as a word but what makes it offensive the persons reaction to it. Say that ginger kid shrugged his shoulders and came back with 'it's strawberry blonde actually' and a sly grin, the offensiveness has been neutralised. But he could also get upset in which case he has made the word offensive.

What I'm getting at is to stop this offensive language is as simple as not being offended by it. The words lose their proverbial 'power' then.

[lyn]

i was so suprised to hear that word was used at all let alone the music industry after charley said all the papers will have my photo in i felt sick she is exploiting racism for her own ego

[Rich]

Thanks Lea, I agree with your comments too, there is no excuse for anyone using derogatory names toward each other as a laugh or serious. At the moment the rappers are feeding us the ‘N’ word but it’s up to us as people to say NICE sounds, LOVE the beats, but we’re NOT buying into lyrics that set us back. A lot of us are psychologically damaged by these song lyrics and a gullible few think it’s acceptable to address each other as ‘Yo N’ Charlie even said to Emily “I’m a Ngr’, both ridiculous and confusing. Fair play to you for not carrying forward your dad’s shoulder chips, life is hard enough. I was just scanning the other messages when I spotted the post by Grenadian | 08 June 2007 at 14:15. We’re saying the same thing but he’s far more eloquent. Like you say it’s time to “move on”. Leave the word in the history books it has no positive business in today’s language unless we’re in the middle of a history dissertation.

[LEA]

Well said Rich.....

[Lea]

MOVE ON!!
SLAVERY WAS AND IS A TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE CRIME, AS IS USING THE N WORD.
BUT TO SAY WHITE PEOPLE SHOULDN'T USE IT AS THEY STARTED IT AS A DEROGATORY WORD!!!
PEOPLE'S ATTITUDE'S MUST CHANGE- HISTORY IS JUST THAT...INSTEAD OF HARPING ON ABOUT IT MAKE THINGS BETTER, CHANGE OPINIONS AROUND. LOSE THE HUGE CHIPS! OTHERWISE WE WILL ALWAYS HAVE HUGE RACE PROBLEMS...NO ONE...AND I MEAN NO ONE SHOULD USE DEROGATORY NAMES TOWARDS ANOTHER.

I AM MIXED RACE- MY DAD ALWAYS WENT ON ABOUT SLAVERY AND IF I DID NOT EDUCATE MYSELF, AND NOT HOLD ONTO WORTHLESS GRUDGES- I MAY HAVE HAD THE SAME CHIPS HE DOES TODAY AGAINST WHITES. IT WAS THEIR ANCESTORS....NOT THE PEOPLE LIVING TODAY.
THERE ARE RACISTS IN ALL GROUPS- BLACKS, ASIANS, CHINESE, WHITES... IGNORANCE IN ALL WALKS OF LIFE, WORKING, MIDDLE AND UPPER CLASSES.
RISE ABOVE IT.....

[Rich]

The bottom line is.. Thank you C4 for coming down hard on the use of the ‘N’ word. C4’s motives are not my concern but the actions were correct. As a ‘Black Brit’ I’m disgusted with the use of the ‘N’ word, regardless of it’s context. I love Americans but it’s a shame we following the Americans like shoaling fish. Bad news & controversy sells and the use of the ‘N’ word in music is marketable. We’re being sold rubbish that sounds good. I have a fair size circle of friends of all nationalities but mostly black and no one uses the ‘N’ word to greet each other or in general conversation. The ‘N’ word is a negative word. No one gains credibility by using this oppressive word, black or any other nation. We should not be claiming this word as ‘our word’ it’s rubbish. Once we claim to own rubbish that’s what we attract and become surrounded by and are known for. Sorry to Emily, it’s us Black people who are sending you mixed messages, there’s nothing hip about the word it just brings grief. Bin in from our vocabulary.

[paul]

i say well done to bb for blowing this out of perpotion and blowing there earnings even higher gone is the freedom of speach, so wot would have happend if nikki would have said it to charly would that of been racial, and the word was not aimed racially, ive myself have heard a black man call hes m8 yo n----r in the street so wot does that come under cos im confused ?

[Kary]

Yes, it is annoying when stuff like this happens. She may not have meant to say it in a bad way, but she still should no have said it. No offence, but white people really have no RIGHT to say it. If they're the ones who gave the name in a disrespectful way, why should they then say it, even in a jokey way? They shouldn't. There are rather mixed messages, but you'll just have to deal with it! White people can't, black people and mixed race people can - its just the way it seems to go - sorry! I'd also like to state that, no she shouldn't have been removed. Maybe unjustly punished, but not removed. C4 can neverseem to get it right. They're told to take the racist people out - with Shilpa Shetty, But are now being told to keep Emily in. Oh well, BB & CBB is very boring. They haven't even chosen interesting people this year.

[will]

Big Brother contestant Lesley Brain has quit the reality show through boredom, a spokeswoman said.
The same reason we have quit watching it, since Emily was wrongly sent out.

[John]

I read that 94% of complaints to Channel 4 were upset by Emily's removal, not because of a word she used that is now supposed to be naughty to say.
What happened to Democracy????
I suppose someone will let slip Taffy, or do I have to say 'T' word, to Laura (a very nice girl, by the way) & will be sent out next.
How more trivial can it get???

[Nige]

I think Channel 4 have used this incident to boost the ratings due to the crap that went on in the celebrity version earlier this year. Emily was just a silly young girl trying to be hip and street cool and meant no offence by her comment. Yes she used a word that is extremely insulting to black people but not to Charley personally. The key point about this is DISCRIMINATION against people, what about the other comments in BB (and everyday life) that discriminate against people due to their age, sexuality & body size? Will BB evict a person who insults Laura for being fat or Leslie for being old? I doubt it !!!!

[emmcw]

it's okay for black people and mixed race to openly use racist remarks to white folk !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Charly already made a racist comment in her arguement with Charlene!!!!!!!!!!!
But hey, it's all our fault that there was a slave trade!!!!!

[emmcw]

it's okay for black people and mixed race to openly use racist remarks to white folk !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Charly already made a racist comment in her arguement with Charlene!!!!!!!!!!!
But hey, it's all our fault that there was a slave trade!!!!!

[pernod]

i hate emily sooo much ....she is like a little baby .i;e when she could not do her hair .....OMG ....im gald she has gone ....now charlie needs to get out ahhhh she is such and attention seaker .