A Thug By Any Other Name

If you are one of those people who are often the last to hear about the latest addition to the list of politically-incorrect words, this blog is for you. I clearly count myself among your number. Not since I heard that "dutch treat" was considered a pejorative have I been so surprised at the inclusion of a seemingly innocuous term on the cultural no-no list.

I am speaking about the word "thug." It's possible that you have not yet heard that it is considered by some to be a racist term. I first learned this a couple of weeks ago while dining out with a group of friends. We were discussing the subject of Zimbabwe and the tyrannical rule of Robert Mugabe. A young African-American woman in the group, a prominent activist, said she was offended when whites referred to Mugabe as a "thug." "But why?" asked the other (Caucasian) diners. Because, she responded, "thug" is a racist term. After a rather stunned silence, there were protests offered all around. The word "thug," we insisted, referred to all sorts of nefarious bullies, from muggers to Mafioso. The dictionary (once considered the final arbiter) defines thug as a "cruel or vicious ruffian, robber or murderer." The young woman did not budge. "Racist," she insisted. And she kindly suggested that our insensitivity could be chalked up to a generation gap. This struck me as ageist, but not worth debating. Surely, I thought, this is one PC argument that will never go anywhere.

Wrong. A friend who attended that dinner with me has been sending me evidence that, in fact, the "thuggery" debate is taking hold. The first example she sent to me was from Rush Limbaugh's show. Apparently, Limbaugh had referred to Rahm Emanuel and Barack Obama as "Chicago thugs," and was immediately criticized by a listener because "the word 'thug' has racial connotations." Limbaugh was incensed. "You know," he responded, "I've been talking about union thugs for a long time... all of a sudden now 'thug' has racial connotations?" He also pointed out that Rahm Emanuel was not black. Even so, there it was -- the same politically-incorrect stigma attached to the word that we had first encountered at a small dinner party the week before. Worse, I found myself agreeing with Limbaugh, at least in principle if not in practice. While I most certainly don't think Emanuel or Obama qualify as thugs, I do think co-opting the word as a racist term is beyond the pale.

"Beyond the pale," of course, might just be the point. I remember, so many years ago, how shocked I was to learn that so many African-Americans believed O.J. Simpson had been framed. The chasm between white and black perceptions -- especially regarding the justice system -- was enormous. So I was willing to concede that perhaps I had some cultural blind spots regarding thuggery. More research (mostly from my vigilant friend who keeps sending me blogs on the subject) informed me that "thug" is often related to rap and hip-hop artists, as in the late Tupac Shakur's album, "Thug Life Vol. 1." But I was still confused; if rappers chose to identify as "thugs," then why was it racist to use the term in a broader context?

Apparently, others are wondering the same thing. One blogger, writing on Cyber Commorancy, stumbled onto the "thug" controversy when he heard a TV commentator berated for calling football player Michael Vick a thug. Vick has been in the media spotlight for illegal dog-fighting and, most recently, for being arrested at the Miami airport when he bullied a security screener and refused to hand over a water bottle he insisted on carrying onto the plane. In the words of the blogger, "it has ballooned now into a racial conversation, with many asserting that 'thug' is the new "N" word and is racist. NBA star Joe Johnson of the Hawks said, 'I do think it's definitely a race-based stereotype.'"

Now that I have been educated on the subject, at least in terms of the racial and cultural disparities in our understanding of the word "thug," I still maintain that this is one term that should be free of PC shackles. To rob the language of this excellent noun is tantamount to linguistic thuggery. This is a time-honored term that should remain available for identifying all those who qualify as "cruel or vicious ruffians." You know, like Al Capone and Robert Mugabe.

Comments

[Skepticat]

I didn't realize that thuggery was restricted to any particular group - seems very discriminatory. I always believed that every violent dysfunctional person regardless of race had an equal opportunity to be a thug. Where has this country gone so wrong?

[Balloonman]

Thug: Robber. Malefactor. Swindler. Cheat. Rogue. GWBUSH.

[Deborah64]

Conclusion:

"Bitch" has a denotative meaning: a female dog. The connotative meaning is something else, entirely. It can mean "an unpleasant woman" or a "lousy state of affairs" when used as a descriptive noun. It can mean "to complain" when used as a verb. It can be used as an adjective, and it can describe a mean man (as in "son of a bitch" - also a generic curse uttered by those who stub their toes).

"Bitch" has not been censored from our language. Although "bitch" is considered politically incorrect, it isn't taboo. "Bitch" is very actively employed in our language. And you know why? Because anybody with a lick of sense knows exactly when that word is being used to hurt someone else. On a related point, I notice that "bitch" in its connotative sense - and in all its forms - is alive and well in our language (just try to get through a typical day without saying or hearing it).

Unless you're willing to eradicate "bitch" from the language, shut up about the politically incorrect use of the word "thug." Frankly, it's hard for me to take the fight against "thug" seriously because it's a manufactured controversy created by a group of idiots.

So for those of you who are self-designated members of the Language Gestapo, stop projecting your bullshit and ignorance onto a perfectly good word, and start putting all that energy toward a legitimate fight against REAL crimes of racial hatred and prejudice.

[Deborah64]

Part II of ?

As a matter of fact, I'm going to toss out the argument that it is offensive and insensitive of you to attack me for my use of the word "thug" (in its denotative sense) as this is clearly an attack against people who have received a proper education (or passed a basic course in vocabulary building, at the very least). Are you not insulting me by calling me a racist when I use a word that refers to one who behaves in a lawless and violent way (no matter what their color, race, or national origin)? Are you not insulting me by calling me a racist when I refuse to accept an erroneous use of a word by a tiny, uneducated portion of society?

Yes, you are - on both counts.

I don't care how many rappers decide to identify with the word "thug" or choose to adopt it as a self-descriptive term. I don't care if every law enforcement agency in the land has chosen "thug" as secret code to replace the "n-word." Language belongs to everybody, and nobody should be allowed to steal a word and/or change it's connotative meaning and then foist it off on the rest of us - especially when the new meaning is obviously rooted in gross ignorance.

And if that's not a good enough reason for refusing to hop on the Ignorance Wagon, let's examine another "politically incorrect" word: "bitch."

See Part III for the conclusion.

[kensp]

Young black men who are involved in the gangster life style self identify as "thugs." Tupac Shakur certainly did in interviews before this death and if I am not mistaken he had the word thug tattooed somewhere on his body. In season 3 of Weeds, Marvin tells Nancy "you're cool, but I will hurt you..I'm a thug, that's what I do."

Therefore to use the word thug to describe any black male whether he was involved in the gangster lifestyle or not or to compare anyone to a black gangster would be considered racist . I am guessing this is how the word developed a racial connotation.

[eilish]

I'm almost afraid to talk to a person of any obvious race other than my own because I am so afraid of offending them - so I wind up making them think I'm a racist. Sigh.

[IndyProd]

There are so many racist terms on the news we hear every day. It is disgusting.
My Jewish friends know that when people use words like "money," "clan," or "banker," they are being anti-Semitic.
My Asian friends naturally get angry when they hear words like "eyes," "driver," or "immigration" used on the news.
My Italian friends rightfully bristle when they hear "mafia" or the color "red." The latter clearly refers to Dago Red. When a news commentator says the name "Madoff," they know it is a substitute for "Ponzi," " obviously an anti-Italian slur.
My Mid-Eastern friends object to words like "camel," "sand," and "carpet," because those are code words for Muslim.

Out of respect for the diversity of our culture, I suggest that the FCC immediately ban the use of these words in any broadcast medium.

[UnclePhuc]

As an Asian American, I will err on the side of caution with regard to the word thug. I've had many conversations with white people over the word "oriental," (when used to describe people) which is absolutely offensive, but more than half of the whites I've discussed it with will deny it vehemently and find all sorts of excuses to defend its use.

If a black person tells me that "thug" is offensive, and I don't think that they're playing a joke on me, I'll take them at their word and stop using it.

Political Correctness is not frivolous, though conservatives would like to make the world think that it is. It's about people who have been treated as subhuman for generations asking politely to have just a teeeeeeny bit more respect. ...and white people who support them in that search.

[cobraxus]

the term "oriental" can only be used in conjunction with the term "supervillian" and only then in a 1930's film seriel i.e. Oriental Supervillian THE MERCILESS WANG!

[realpolitic]

Many blacks were insulted by the media and others referring to the victims of Hurricane Katrina as "refugees." Refugees refers usually to a group of diplaced persons and not necessarily those crossing any national borders. I was surprised at the response to the term and I hope this sort of PC correctness does not divert us from the real problems of society such as real racism and economic inequalities.

[AmbivalentGuy]

This is an atypical formation of a pejorative.

We recognize the "slur": consider any racial slur.
When used by someone outside the target group,
it is an external slur, and generally pejorative.

Many groups co-opt the slur for internal use,
thus forming an internal slur, dis-empowering the
word, and eventually "owning" the word.

The word "thug" is not an external slur. It is a
term used in a sub-culture. It does have a different
meaning in that sub-culture, but to call some one
racist because they aren't hip to the latest slang is
ridiculous.

Several other points to be made.
1) The etymology of "thug" does show a racist tinge, but
it is a slur against Hindus by association. Of course, it
generalized to the meaning encountered.

2) Words will ALWAYS mean different things to different people.

Is "greaser" a racist term, or a descriptor somebody likely to have a spare
Lucky Strike .

[realpolitic]

I do not think orginally the term "thug" was a slur against Hindus. But it referred to a cult within India who used to set upon travelers in isolated places to rob and murder them. I believe the term developed from there.

[pdxsteve]

I find this whole discussion quite interesting. The reason I feel that this term is not racist has to do with the origins of the term. Unlike the N-Word, which was a racial epithet from the beginning, the term thug actually originated in 19th century India. It was used to describe a group of cult-like robbers/murders, who I believe were called the Thuggee cult. However, this is not to say that Thug cannot be used in a racist way. Just like the terms "boy", or "you people", I feel thug could have racial connotations in a given situation, but is not a racist term in and of itself. And while the term thug may have been co-opted by a relatively small group of rappers/ talk radio hosts, I feel that the hundreds of years of linguistic history, not to mention the fact that the vast majority of people worldwide do not associate it the term with race, would counsel us against considering the term "thug" to be inherently racist in nature. But, ultimately these issues are decided by the individual being spoken to, so know your audience!

[RoloTomassi]

The racial slur assertion is absurd; use the link below to see an excellent explanation of the origins of the word:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thuggee

[DRPike]

So if rappers start calling themselves "the prettiest girl at the ball" toay does that beome prajorative and racist tomorrow?

Absurdity knows no bounds in modern American culture.

[bigbingtheory]

Good point. Ususally a word is negative and a group co-opts it as in the "n" word. In this case, they co-opted an existing word that had nothing to do with them in its origins and somehow now it's racist. I have a feeling this won't stick. Perhaps this is an attempt by some in the black community to try and distance themselves from that imagery of "thug-life" but it's pretty ridiculous to consider it racist.

[Law35]

You also make a good point. I could choose to be offended that you said "they co-opted an existing word that had nothing to do with them" which could mean all African Americans feel that way. However I am not offended because I think the argument whether thug is racist or not is stupid. I don't even know how you get from thug to racist. I think, more than anything else, this should show us, there are ignorant people in all cultures, but hey, like the poster above stated...freedom is messy.

[bigbingtheory]

freedom is messy

[Law35]

well said!

[truestarr]

Words have become minefields of swastikas.

Context and who chooses to appropriate a word now determines nuance and meaning.

Are we going out of our way to dumb down our language?

[Aramingo]

From Wikipedia:

Thuggee (or tuggee, ठग्ग�) (from Hindi ṭhag "thief", from Sanskrit sthaga "scoundrel", from sthagati "he conceals") is the term for a particular format for the murder and robbery of travellers in India.

The modern word "thug" derives from this term. It is one of many words of Indian origin that passed into common English.

This reminds of the 'niggardly" kerfuffle from a decade ago.

PC is bullshit. Free speech means you WILL be offended, you WILL have your feelings hurt.

[bigbingtheory]

I will agree that this example is absurd on its face but PC is merely an attempt at being civil towards others. It's not always easy but face it, you're lazy. You don't want to care about what your words might do to others. PC is just good manners, it's a shame it's too much of an effort for some.

[Aramingo]

Actually, the people who know me used to like to point out that I was PC before it was called PC. However, just because I conduct myself in a given way doesn't mean it's correct or the way everyone should. It's just my way of doing business. Part of it does not include lecturing others on how to behave, which is how PC comes off most of the time.

[RicardoMalocchio]

I don't buy the author's purported innocence about the usage of the term "Thug".

Consider the word "boy". A word generally without a racial component, but one that also possesses negative racial connotations in specific contexts well understood by anyone barely fluent in the culture.

Likewise, "thug". A racial connotation exists that can easily be traced to hip-hop culture in general, and Tupac Shakur in particular. A term that celebrates hardness and criminality, signifying the most self-destructive, self-hating elements in African-American culture, it's a ready-made personification of white America's collective dread over the scary, sexually aggressive, criminally-inclined black male.

"Thug" was adopted by white conservatives as easily employed code-speak to scare white America. And not just by Rush Limbaugh. Michael Barone's extended dogwhistle in the last weeks of the election catchily titled "The Coming Obama Thugocracy" was published in such luminous publications of the retrograde right as the Washington Times, NRO and Townhall.com. http://washingtontimes.com/news/2008/oct/13/the-coming-thugocracy/

A standard-issue rightwing anti-PC rant of the paranoid variety inveighing against the usual bogeymen -- campus speech codes, liberal journalists, labor unions, big city politics -- it's a piece that's been written and rewritten and written yet again. But here it was all neatly wrapped in a the persona of a particular black candidate utilizing a term that had suddenly found extraordinary currency on the right.

Are you really so culturally dense as to have missed all this?

[pdxsteve]

I strongly agree with your sentiment that one must be sensitive to the context in which certain words are being used. However, I think you are giving an unfairly small group of individuals, namely rappers and talk radio hosts, the ability to completely redefine a word in a way that is contrary to pretty much how the rest of the world defines the term. Individuals can give words meaning in any way they choose. For instance, some members of the Latino community find the term "Hispanic" offensive. However, by and large, the term Hispanic still serves as simple ethnic description such as "Caucasian", "African-American", or "Pacific-Islander". So while some people might find the term thug to have racial connotations, the fact of the matter is that they do not have the sole ability to redefine the word "thug". Language is a group of sounds and symbols that have been agreed upon to have certain meanings. Language really is a sort of "majority rules" construct, since a word gets its meaning from the way most people choose to use it. As long as the vast majority of English speakers give thug a race-neutral connotation, then it will continue to have such a connotation until the English linguistic community has determined otherwise.

[Sonny50]

We must realize that some people have beliefs and are sensitive to some words due to a culture that teachs them to distrust, be suspicious of, and possibly dislike people not of their culture.

We see this in the Middle-Eastern radical Madrasahs today.

[RoloTomassi]

Are YOU so culturally specialized and personally infringed upon that you must take this kind of nonsense seriously? Jeez...Oop! There I go again; my sincere apologies if my use of "jeez" has any chance of offending your potential christian sensibilities....

[overcat]

Your opinion is absurd. Though PC revisionists like you would love to socially engineer the minds of otherwise intelligent people with your co-option of the term "thug" to cleanse our language of any reference of any racial minority, regardless of context or intent, of any pejorative reference, you'll never succeed. The term "thug" can be applied to any individual as a descriptor of one who uses force, violence, or bullying to achieve their ends without regard to race or whatever. One can judge an individual negatively without regard to race, culture, creed, etc etc. Some people behave like thugs and should be called out on it - skin color is no defense. The woman referred to in the article as being offended by the term was expressing her narcissistic self-righteousness and trying to pull a power play on people by waving her race card. Pathetic.

[ahuffreader]

I am so culturally dense that before I read Ricardo Malocchio's post, I had never heard of Tupac Shakur or Michael Barone. I had heard of Rush Limbaugh before, but I have never read a word he has written. And I live in a large city in California where everyone except me has already heard of everything.

[kissmygrits]

Ridiculous. There is nothing racial about thug. From Rethuglicans to Vick to Italian mobsters to Irish union heavies, thug is a term used for people of all races. That young woman you know is seeing things.