Sure, different countries have different meanings for the same words. But this one's pretty universal. A popular Dutch magazine has blatantly referred to black women such as Rihanna as a "N*GGAB*TCH." And the black community in the netherlands--mainly the younger generation--is on an uproar.
Oh, and it's not the first time. Deets inside...
Eva Hoeke, editor of Jackie Magazine which boasts thousands of readers in its circulation and has been around for at least 3 years, decided to use the term "N*ggab*tch" as an article title in the most recent issue in relation to Rihanna and other black women. And had the audacity to use it as though it was a term of endearment.
Eva replied to the hellraising of the black community in the Netherlands on Twitter saying that it wasn't her intention to hurt anyone and that people are being too sensitive.
We asked our Dutch reader who sent the article over to translate what it says exactly in the image above. And here's what we got:
They’ve got street cred, they’ve got a ghetto ass, and they can sing well. Rihanna, the good girl gone bad, is the ultimate niggabitch and loves to carry herself as such which in her case means; dressing half-naked. Unfortunately, Dutch winters are nothing like Jamaican winters (who said Rihanna is from Jamaica?) so choose a style that will allow you to withstand the harsh weather conditions. No oversized sunglasses and porn heels but leopard print, pink ‘’shizzle’’ and everything else that shines.
To be fair, we also asked the reader if this was a term normally used and if it possibly means something else to them (and it would still be wrong nonetheless). Her response:
The term means exactly what it means in English. The problem with Dutch people is that often they know exactly what they are saying but as soon as someone confronts them about it we are being to sensitive and wasnt meant to be offensive. This comes from the same people who celebrate Sinterklaas annually in December. A party that includes characters in blackface called Zwarte Piet. The editor in chief @evajackie responded this morning saying it was a joke and that people are being too sensitive but that she apologizes nevertheless. Later she tweeted that in next month's issue she will issue an official apology. This is not a ''fashionsta'' term, we say bitch here as well and it means exactly the same as in English, as well as ''nigga.'' No different meaning whatsoever.
I am happy that the younger Dutch generation is finally speaking up against the blatant racism in this country. White people here really think they can do and say anything and have this attitude of ''if you don't like it, go back to your own country.''
This is the type of racism we as black people in the Netherlands have to deal with on a constant basis because the Whites in this country feel that you should leave their country if you don't like what they say or do. I hope you can post this on your blog just to let this woman know that it isn't us that are being sensitive but that she crossed the line.
Kroes posted the following apology on her Facebook page today saying this was meant as a joke (REALLY?!):
Dear readers,
First: thanks for all your responses. We are of course very fed up over this and especially very
shocked. However I’m glad that we’re engaging in a dialogue on this page — not everybody does
that. Thanks for this. Other than that I can be brief about this: this should have never happened.
Period. While the author meant no harm — the title of the article was intended as a joke — it was a bad joke, to say the least. And that slipped through my, the editor-in-chief’s, fingers. Stupid, painful and sucks for all concerned. The author has been addressed on it, and now I can only ensure that these terms will no longer end up in the magazine. Furthermore I hope that you all believe there was absolutely no racist motive behind the choice of words. It was stupid, it was naive to think that this was an acceptable form of slang — you hear it all the time on tv and radio, then your idea of what is normal apparently shifts — but it was especially misguided: there was no malice behind it. We make our magazine with love, energy and enthusiasm, and it can sometimes happen that someone is out of line. And then you can only do one thing: apologize. And hope that others wish to accept it.From the bottom of my heart I say it again: we never intended to offend anyone. And I mean that.
Regards,
Eva Hoeke
Thoughts?
BONUS: Rihanna actually had her own in-person racist encounter this weekend with a hotel guest in Portugal. She tweeted:
'I just met the most racist c**t EVER!!! This man said the craziest s**t about black women - called us dogs, sl**s, we don't look like s**t, we don't belong in the same hotels.
'Needless to say, the #N**** in me came out! Bajan accent and all! Lol! Turns out the hotel manager's black.
'Oh and he had the NERVE to diss black people in his tighty whitey's!!!! SMH...and tbh a lil' black wouldn't hurt him.'
Goodness!
Source: http://theybf.com/2011/12/19/wow-popular-dutch-magazine-calls-black-girls-like-rihanna-a-niggabtch
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