tom brokaw equated the 'w' word with the 'n' word in the brown/whitman debate

[spanone]

is he correct?

here are the definitions from merriam-webster online dictionary:

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whore
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nigger

Definition of WHORE

1
: a woman who engages in sexual acts for money : prostitute; also : a promiscuous or immoral woman
2
: a male who engages in sexual acts for money
3
: a venal or unscrupulous person
Examples of WHORE

<a historic district of the seaport that was once notorious for the whores who gathered there>
<a society in which men commonly regard women as either Madonnas or whores>
Origin of WHORE

Middle English hore, from Old English hōre; akin to Old Norse hōra whore, hōrr adulterer, Latin carus dear — more at charity
First Known Use: before 12th century

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Definition of NIGGER

1
usually offensive; see usage paragraph below : a black person
2
usually offensive; see usage paragraph below : a member of any dark-skinned race
3
: a member of a socially disadvantaged class of persons <it's time for somebody to lead all of America's niggers…all the people who feel left out of the political process — Ron Dellums>
Usage Discussion of NIGGER

Nigger in senses 1 and 2 can be found in the works of such writers of the past as Joseph Conrad, Mark Twain, and Charles Dickens, but it now ranks as perhaps the most offensive and inflammatory racial slur in English. Its use by and among blacks is not always intended or taken as offensive, but, except in sense 3, it is otherwise a word expressive of racial hatred and bigotry.
Origin of NIGGER

alteration of earlier neger, from Middle French negre, from Spanish or Portuguese negro, from negro black, from Latin niger
First Known Use: 1786

[lightningandsnow]

1. Whore is a gendered slur.

It is targeted specifically at women. It's misogynist. The only people I am okay with using that term are sex workers who choose to reclaim it.

I dislike Meg Whitman as much as the next person, but it's really disheartening to see DU defending the use of a gendered slur, even if the woman who is a target of it is a Republican.

[emulatorloo]

2. I've heard men called whores. n/t

[Greyhound]

13. I've heard white men called 'nigger', did you have a point? n/t

[emulatorloo]

16. That's a non-sequiter

Of course I had a point and it is obvious. The term whore applies to men and women, It isn't a "gendered slur".

Brown's staffer was wrong to use the term.

[Greyhound]

17. Never mind

[Liquorice]

28. Racists used to argue that the "n" word could be applied to white people as well. But

we all know it's racist language nonetheless. There's no difference between that argument and trying to argue that sexist language can be applied to men.

[emulatorloo]

30. Sorry, male prostitutes are called whores too.

[hedgehog]

3. See definition # 3 "a venal or unscrupulous person"

If the shoe fits.....

[RaleighNCDUer]

5. A gendered slur? What do you call a male prostitute? nt

[emulatorloo]

11. CNN.com - "Change a man-whore? Don't bet on it" By Audrey Irvine, CNN

http://articles.cnn.com/2010-02-18/living/rr.man.whore.glamorizing_1_man-ray-women?_s=PM:LIVING

Change a man-whore? Don't bet on it

February 18, 2010|By Audrey Irvine, CNN

Two television shows, "The Bachelor" and "For the Love of Ray J," have one thing in common: They both contribute to the glamorizing of the man-whore.

To understand where I'm going with this, let's first define man-whore.

According to Urban Dictionary.com, a man-whore is "someone who repeatedly sleeps with random women indiscriminately without regard to any consequences. Man-whores are mainly found at local pubs, bars, parties, although they can be found anywhere throughout the world."

>SNIP>

more at link

[TexasObserver]

23. No, it isn't. It's used for men all the time, especially in politics.

I've heard GOP politicians (who are mostly men) called "whores" for at least 40 years.

It's common term that doesn't retain its old, old, old meaning.

Words evolve, and the term "whore" in politics means one who sells their vote.

There is absolutely no comparison between the N word and whore, other than a tortured one.

[spanone]

25. i didn't defend it. i asked a question. the dictionary says it applies to women & men.

i don't see it as a gendered slur. i see the other word as a racial slur.

[OHdem10]

4. Leave it to Brokaw to stretch things for the the RW. When we use

the term Media Whore--which has been used as far back
as I can remember,---no one was twisting it around to
make some cry for feminism.

I am sure that whoever used it against Meg Whitman did
not mean she is a loose woman. It is the MONEY ISSUE.

This is why the MSM loses credibility. Tom Brokaw let
the Republicans twist this around and make it sound like
this was a great attack on Women. Give me a break.

[OHdem10]

7. Added: Even so there is no equating whore with N word.

Not all but many women of the night choose that path over
others.

[NYC Liberal]

6. "venal or unscrupulous person"

The term "media whore" or "corporate whore" is well used around here, with that meaning.

[kenny blankenship]

8. Tom Brokaw is a corporate Hoo-wuh himself

No wonder he gets all defensive about it.

Tom Brokaw Agrees With Tina Brown: Young People Should Just Move to India

When we ran into Daily Beast editrix Tina Brown at a book party for Harold Ford last month, she said her advice to young journalists was to "go work in India." Now fellow journalist Tom Brokaw is following suit, telling not just young journalists but young people, everywhere, to go to India if they want a job: "I wouldn't be looking just within our borders for opportunities," he told BlogTalkRadio, who asked his advice for job-seeking college grads. "I've talked to a number of senior American executives who need people willing to pack up. I'd be looking to see what the chances are of getting a job in the Middle East, for example. Or in India." If they all take this advice, New Delhi will be hopping with Duke grads and American bloggers, and the New York job market will open up once more.

He represents the views of the corporate elites to the masses. Just because he has been paid a lot of money for it over a long time doesn't mean he wasn't their hired mouthpiece. "Politicians, ugly buildings and whores all get respectable if they last long enough." Brokaw is an enduring monument, in that case, to the well groomed respectability that can be had by whoring for the elites.

[arcane1]

9. No, he is completely full of shit.

Everyone with a clue knows that the word "whore" describes a person who sells their principles for money, a behavioral trait, and is not gender or race specific.

I don't even need to bother explaining the other word.

Tom was full of shit.

Meg was full of shit to imply that the term was used to describe her as a sex-worker.

The audience knew better, and I'm sure every honest Californian did too.

[stopbush]

10. Asshole Brokaw proved in the moment that he was making a false equivalency,

because while he spoke the word "whore," he didn't speak the word "ni**er," using the term "the n-word" instead.

That alone proves that - at least to Tom Brokaw - the word "whore" is not as offensive as the n-word.

[mitchum]

21. Nice catch!

[Supersedeas]

26. Brokaw is not bright enough to be aware of his own self-deception

[Scurrilous]

29. ..

:thumbsup:

[Faryn Balyncd]

12. Brokaw is the definition of a whore.

[Greyhound]

14. Yes. n/t

[athenasatanjesus]

15. Whore is more like uncle Tom.

Whore is more of a specific insult,it doesn't mean every woman,just like uncle tom doesn't mean every black person.
It can be misused by some people who do use it for any woman that doesn't conform to supposed feminine archetypes,uncle tom can be misused to refer to any black person that doesn't conform to black stereotypes.
Whore is often used to refer to any person man or woman that sells themselves(or is perceived to sell themselves),uncle tom can be used on members of any race that sells out their own race(or is perceived to).

[Booster]

18. I think the obvious difference is that fact that ALL of the pundits

and newspeople feel free to say the word "whore", but you notice they DO NOT say the "n" word. I'd like to hear them exlain why.

[Gold Metal Flake]

19. Let me know when he learns how to pronounce 'L' words.

[mitchum]

22. I really did laugh out loud

nicely done!

[Gold Metal Flake]

24. ;-)

Jim Ward vs. Harry Shearer. Dueling Brokaws on Stephanie Miller. Epic!

[Yeshuah Ben Joseph]

20. I never heard anybody refer to Tom Brokaw

...as a "media ni**er".

[Liquorice]

27. Sexist language is widely accepted in our culture, whereas racist language isn't. nt