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Take Two

'Blackish' premiere cues conversations about the 'N-word'

By Take Two Staff
Published Sep 24, 2015
Anthony Anderson, from left, Marcus Scribner, Marsai Martin, Yara Shahidi, Miles Brown, and Tracee Ellis Ross pose in the press room with the award for outstanding comedy series for "Black-ish" at the 46th NAACP Image Awards at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium on Friday, Feb. 6, 2015, in Pasadena, Calif. (Photo by Arnold Turner/Invision/AP)
Anthony Anderson, from left, Marcus Scribner, Marsai Martin, Yara Shahidi, Miles Brown, and Tracee Ellis Ross pose in the press room with the award for outstanding comedy series for "Black-ish" at the 46th NAACP Image Awards at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium on Friday, Feb. 6, 2015, in Pasadena, Calif. (Photo by Arnold Turner/Invision/AP)
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Arnold Turner/Arnold Turner/Invision/AP
)

Take Two translates the day’s headlines for Southern California, making sense of the news and cultural events that affect our lives. Produced by Southern California Public Radio and broadcast from October 2012 – June 2021. Hosted by A Martinez.

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'Blackish' premiere cues conversations about the 'N-word'

Wednesday night's season premiere of the ABC sitcom "Blackish" opened with a bang.

The episode is called "The Word," and that word begins with N. It's also part of the lyrics of  Kanye West's mega-hit "Gold Digger," that a young Jack Johnson, played by Miles Brown, performs at a talent show.

After he uses the word in his performance, the school wants to expel him. Most of the rest of the episode is dedicated to a hilarious and frank debate over who is allowed to say this word. 

We talk about the episode, and its take on the use of the N word with NPR's television critic  

.