Ernest Owens, in a piece for the Huffington Post, encourages those who are upset about the singer's controversial Instagram post to take a look at their own online lives.
Oh no, this is not to excuse Rihanna from saying a word that is unacceptable and derogatory, but as we all liked her marijuana smoke blowing images and nearly naked teases … did we ever care much to check our own Twitter feeds?
So I did and I fell into disappointment. The n-word is overused, misused and socially abused on sites like Facebook and Twitter all the time. It is used as a noun in one statement and oddly used as a verb in another. And while we act as if Rihanna has done something extraordinarily taboo, I challenge you to check the Instagram accounts and tweets of many other hip-hop artists and friends.
Oh, but you don't even have to cyber stalk them; just go straight to their music. Haven't we forgotten…the n-word is used in the lyrics to many of our favorite songs. And while a great number of us excused Jay-Z and Kanye West for "N***as in Paris," can we all really be that harsh to Rihanna?
Sure, because as one fan on the celebrity's controversial Instagram picture said: "The word is derogatory. If some cultures aren't allowed to say it, no-one should." Oh really? Who would have imagined? Did this picture just make you realize that or you hadn't had the time to realize how offensive it was?
Read Ernest Owens' entire piece at the Huffington Post.
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