Roger Ebert Gets Fired Up Over 'Huck Finn' Censorship, Then Apologizes

By Jett Wells Posted Jan 6th 2011 03:31PM

Almost 101 years after Mark Twain died, one of his most famous works is causing controversy once again, only this time on Twitter. After news broke Tuesday that publisher NewSouth will release a new edition of 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn' with all 219 N-words excluded, movie critic Roger Ebert reacted with a controversial tweet. He quickly apologized after receiving harsh criticism.

Ebert responded to the 'Huck Finn' announcement on Wednesday by tweeting to his 300,000-plus followers, "I'd rather be called a N***** than a Slave."

The tweet set off a storm of heated feedback toward the influential critic, describing him as "disrespectful" and "ignorant."

"Fair point, from some1 who's likely to be called neither," @urbanbohemian said.

Others accused Ebert of believing he's allowed to take liberties with the word because his wife, Charlie "Chaz" Hammel-Smith, is black.

"R U OUT OF UR freakin head? jus cos ya wife is black dont give u the right to throw tht word around like its nothing. A*******" @iamichelle said.

Ebert retracted his statement Thursday by conceding that, as people like @urbanbohemian pointed out, he would never be called either word.

"You know, this is very true. I'll never be called a N***** *or* a Slave, so I should have shut the **** up," Ebert tweeted.

The new edition, 'Mark Twain's Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn: The NewSouth Edition,' is set for release in February.

Did Roger Ebert cross the line?

Tags: Mark Twain, Roger Ebert, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Comments

(573)

Thursday 06 January

By wesuck

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If people are so sensitive to the "n-gger" then they shouldn't be remaking Twain's work. People claim disrespect while at the same time are disrespecting the author. 110 years ago that word wasn't so bad.

By Karen

So true. It is high time to start celebrating non-hispanic caucasion month.

By american

If people (blacks) are so sensitive to the word then why do blacks use it all the time? Why is it that they call each other that constantly but get offended if a white person does it? Because there always has to be a reason to call whitey (racist itself) a racist.

By megan

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What are you talking about 100 years ago that word wasnt so bad? It was even worse then because of the context of how the word was actually used. It was a word that white slave masters used while they beat, whipped, tortured and verbally attacked slaves who were caring for the white slave master's babies and their homes. It was bad THEN and is bad NOW!

By LilAngl44777

wesuck, and how many n-ggers were you called? So it wasn't so bad to whom?

By Burt

The more people hear about it in the media and talk about it, the more it fuels the fire. The sad truth is that if you research a lot of this, it is white people who are offended by the reality of history, not Blacks or Hispanics. It's usually some White celebrity that's offended in most cases and I could really care less what anyone thinks, celebrity or not. The fact that we are all forced to live together and work together doesn't help the situation at all. No race of people is created the same. Different white folks and different black. I know White, Black and Hispanic folks that I wouldn't pee on if they were on fire. I know excellent folks of all 3 at the same time.

By gary

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STILL DON'T THINK IT'S THAT BAD!!!

By mattmchugh

This is NOT about censorship. It's about profiteering. English professor Alan Gribben and publisher NewSouth Books (both of whom SHOULD know better) are trying to make money selling an expurgated version to grade schools wary introducing offensive words to young kids. The teachers' caution is understandable; Gribben and NewSouth's attempt to capitalize on it is deplorable.

Join the Facebook Protest Group: Boycott Gribben / NewSouth Books' Huck Finn

By GOD

IF THESE MORONS WANT TO RE WRITE AND MAKE BOOKS AND HISTORY NON OFFENSIVE...JUST STOP TEACHING IT...YOU CAN'T LEARN ANYTHING FROM HISTORY, IF IT ISN'T FACTUAL!
NOTE TO MORONS: This is not yelling...this is the way people use to write to highlight words of phrases...there was actually written word before the internet..and it didn't include stupid abbreviations,acronyms (without explanations)and misspelled words!
Evidently, English, grammar, writing and spelling are no longer taught in school!

By Hank

What's next? Catcher in the Rye?

Friday 07 January

By L

Publisher and author should hang their heads in shame for violating the genius of Twain

By HotRod

Next on the censorship list is Alex Haley's "Roots", since the N-bomb shows up in there a lot. I'm sure it will be okay with Alex Haley just as it is with Mark Twain. Revisionist history at it's best.

By johnson

Its ok for Alex Haley to use the N-word. He is black and the word has more sensitivity to his writing! Its like its ok if a white person refers a Jew in negative terms but not Rick Sanchez or Jessie Jackson!

By ld360

You can't rewrite history. No matter how offensive that word is now- it was used back then. This is just censorship!!

You cant rewrite history NO but you can revise it!

By valady42

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We revise history so much that what really happened gets lost in it and we are doomed to repeat it.

By Adavis

"You can't rewrite history but you can revise it"???????? What the heck does that mean? Do you honestly think that Americans are so stupid that they do not know these two ideas are really and actually the same thing? This is the problem with liberal guiltism. they can lie to you and have not guilt in doing that. This makes these people untrustable.

By Joel E.

wesuck, the word was just as bad 110 years ago!!

By Evil Jack

When I was a kid in High School - I thought the premise of the book - "Fahrenheit 451" in which 'firemen' went out to burn books becasue they could offend someone - was a little far fetched - Boy was I wrong - first step is edit/change it - then ban it - then burn it.

By Dave-o

Well, I'll be a monkey's uncle. (Wait a minute? Should that be censored?)

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