Dutch Mag Calls Rihanna the ‘Ultimate N****b****’

December 19th, 2011 - By Brande Victorian

The words Dutch magazine Jackie used to describe Rihanna in their latest issue make the pop star’s racist altercation in Portugal this weekend almost seem harmless.

In a very crass description of the singer’s image, the author of the article writes:

She has street cred, she has a ghetto a** and she has a golden throat. Rihanna, the good girl gone bad, is the ultimate n****b**** and displays that gladly, and for her that means: what’s on can come off. If that means she’ll be on stage half naked, then so be it. But Dutch winters aren’t like Jamaican ones, so pick a clothing style in which your daughter can resist minus ten. No to the big sunglasses and the pornheels, and yes to the tiger print, pink shizzle and everything that glitters. Now let’s hope she won’t beat anybody up at daycare.

Thankfully, readers were not shy about their disapproval of the article’s racial slur, and their reactions prompted the magazine’s editor-in-chief to issue an apology, writing on Facebook:

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

What a convenient slip. Regardless of what you think about Rihanna and her wild-child image, this article is beyond her. It speaks volumes to people’s attitudes about black women and their obliviousness to the inappropriateness of offensive language directed at us. The slang most likely slipped through the editor-in-chief’s fingers because it’s a term she has no problem applying to black women herself.

The article also exemplifies the reason black women police one another’s women’s images so much. Rihanna is not at fault for the racial slurs directed at her, but it’s a reminder of how black women are not allowed to be overly sexual or have a “bad girl” image without being racially and sexually targeted.

What do you think about the magazine publishing these words and backtracking? Do you think the editor-in-chief’s apology is sincere? Do you think this term is specific to Rihanna or perceptions of black women in general?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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  • Caribbean in the house

    f**** dr.king

  • Rain206

    It amazes me that whites hear what they hear (coming from black folks) and think that even though it is “slang” it’s okat to repeat it back in normal conversation. I hear some white refer to themselves in particular names or what i would consider sterotypical  but i would never write it down in a national publication. It’s just odd to me

  • Daseiyup

    The apology did not seem like a real apology. It seem to me it was only given to save face. It is sad that people do not respect one another. Hopefully nothing like this will happen again with this magazine. I feel, as a black woman, that if blacks demand respect and show respect to our own race then others will do the same. People before us fought hard for the respect we deserve and some not all is flushing their efforts down the toilet. We know what we are and Rihanna handled the issue a good way. I believe.

  • Rmh3m

    CARIBBEAN, you rEally ought to Hush. You are appearing about as Foolish as the author of the referenced article. Go find you a gossip blog site to shun others on or pay a visit to Wendy Williams. Lol i’m sure she’ll love to have you ;)

  • lisa smith

    My first problem with this article is:
     
    1.       Rihanna is not Jamaican, (As a small Island we are global for many things, our Reggae – credited to Bob Marley, track and field – credited to the likes of Usain Bolt and others before him, our SUN, SEA AND SAND), our people( reputation is good but also very bad at times.) Rihanna cant keep clothes on for the most part (that is her business) but to identify her with us (Jamaicans in a bad light..not to my liking).
     
    2.       How convenient the article with such distasteful words slipped through the editor’s fingers….She may be many things but those words were brutal. Of course many black women especially those in American would take offence to the “N” word.
     
    3.       I have been taught if someone apologises and they mean it accept it, I don’t even know if the apology is sincere….because I fail to see how it slipped through the editor’s hands to be published.
     
    4.       Viewers worldwide should not expect any change in Rhi’s performance no time soon…so people have the option to see her or not…she will change if she wants to in due time.

  • Tashi723

    Why wasn’t the author fired? It’s because the article was about a Black woman. Let the article be about a Jewish woman and the author would have been terminated! We need to stick together as a people so we can push harder for things to be done! This article and fake apology was unexceptable period.

  • http://twitter.com/EtotheVtotheE eve

    LOL. You’ve fallen into the trap of thinking Black Americans are a monolith. How would you feel if others judged you by the worse of your people? Millions of us aren’t like this yet the entertainment industry chooses to export these images and there will always be an Uncle Tom available to offer such images to them. Nevertheless, your argument is as bad as if I were to say African men constantly cheat. I only know one couple that includes a faithful African man. But, no, I won’t judge all African men based on a few. You should take this as a lesson.

  • http://twitter.com/EtotheVtotheE eve

    LOL. Looks like Willie Lynch has won. Diasporans should stick together but alas, your remark shows Mr. Lynch’s antics actually worked! LOL.

  • http://twitter.com/EtotheVtotheE eve

    It’s our own fault that we insist on exporting our worst. The whole world should know without a doubt that the n-word is unacceptable. But they don’t because unparented, ignorant, historically unconscious “rappers” and others put it in their lyrics for all the world to recite. What did we expect?

  • lisa smith

    My first problem with this article is:
     
    1.       Rihanna is not Jamaican, (As a small Island we are global for many things, our Reggae – credited to Bob Marley, track and field – credited to the likes of Usain Bolt and others before him, our SUN, SEA AND SAND), our people( reputation is good but also very bad at times.) Rihanna cant keep clothes on for the most part (that is her business) but to identify her with us (Jamaicans in a bad light..not to my liking).
     
    2.       How convenient the article with such distasteful words slipped through the editor’s fingers….She may be many things but those words were brutal. Of course many black women especially those in American would take offence to the “N” word.
     
    3.       I have been taught if someone apologises and they mean it accept it, I don’t even know if the apology is sincere….because I fail to see how it slipped through the editor’s hands to be published.
     
    4.       Viewers worldwide should not expect any change in Rhi’s performance no time soon…so people have the option to see her or not…she will change if she wants to in due time.

  • ANON

    I think some white women (not all of them) hate to see a beautiful black woman being successful, and doing better than them.  Black women we have to stick together…..for reals!

  • Lorenzo

    Stepping out under the guise of art and entertainment has diluted dignity and self respect in seeking  fame and fortune in many cases throughout the pop culture. The end justifies the means. Grandmas hand use to…… I know this is “ole school” but dignity and respect for one self has no shelf life. In many situations degradation is solicited by actions brought on by our unabashed declaration to be free of what we perceive to be constrictions. The brothers comments/points regarding the various terms used to describe black women in my opinion is correct. I am all for the rise and fall of the black woman (believe me you are going to have a share of both). The point is how you choose to go about your various quest for success. There are those that will use the natural resources that they have, I am all for that and may you live long and prosper. Unfortunately if you choose the path that is littered with degrading references to your character that are not flattering, accept that and move on, the historical data is there for you to have garnered that this would happen. Those of you that come to the defense of the indefenseable under the “black women or black men are treated unfairly of scorned” when they do something that your grandmother would turn her back,even if you presented her with a prize she never expected to have in her lifetime. Meanwhile , you have robbed her of something she thought would remain with her until she crossed over, her pride and dignity in self in which she maintained through perseverance during a time  of which you cannot imagine. Thus as you were sitting on her knee with that innocent twinkle, she paused and turned to your mother and commented on how special you were, while beaming with pride.

  • Guest

    It’s also sad that Rihanna projects this type of image.  She’s a poor example of black women and I can’t stand her.  The picture says it all.  Why is she grabbing her crotch?  She isn’t respected because she doesn’t respect herself.  She is just seen as a sex symbol.  If you act in a classless manner that panders to stereotypes then you shouldn’t be surprised when people don’t respect you. Ignorant people not exposed to black people will assume we are all that way.

    • Btweenus2001

      One word….ENTERTAINMENT

      • Guest

        Racist people are entertained by black people embarrassing themselves.  Sadly so are some black people.  Black people shouldn’t buy music that promotes such trash.  Sadly though, white people will continue to buy it.  In fact they are the largest consumers.  Rihanna should be ashamed to promote such trash and act like she does. Sadly she gets paid to do such and therefore doesn’t care.

  • Darkman

    What do we expect??? When European people hear us in every song treated women as b*** or us as n****, see black girls in video shaking their azz, dressed like hookers, they assume that it’s representative of black women so it’s ok, it’s cool to call them n*** B***. They don’t know that it’s a “private joke” between black people, and (almost) no white people in USA will dare say or write that.
    WE are doing that to our ladies, and don’t tell me it’s art (BS)… and they’re complaining for a while.
    How many time do you hear white people call women b*** in their songs (rock, hard rock, punk)? Very rare.

    Lesson learned
    Stop buying rap songs that degrade black women and it will go away.

    • Btweenus2001

      Smartest response here…

    • Jessica Williams

      that is something to really think about. even in the harshest heavy or death metal, you never hear white dudes calling their women out like that, only the brothas, and this so-called hip hop of today (when i was growing up i never heard Kurtis Blow refer to women as such). but these boys in today’s hip hop have no such respect. then you have these girls standing in line to do videos with a shoe lace up their butts disguised as underwear. 

  • Lorenzo

    Specific to RiRi. If it walks, quacks, swims it must be a pig (ha). Surely it is a slur to toward black women. In this case I think to pick up the black women mantra is reaching. This attack is strictly for RiRI. I would like to hear her sing a few songs without the physcial trappings that often times mask the talent. We have to be careful where and when we play the race card. If every instance is an emergency then the alarm becomes diluted.In the confines of our own home we may utter similar sentiments while passing the TV during a RiRi is performance.(why?) Where on earth did that come from? Was there something about her wardrobe, hip gyration, lyrics and styling of her latest rendition of pop offering. Think hard, and to thy own self be true.

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