Ugh! Using "Brotha" in a lede....

[Brain of J]

From Michael Smith on ESPN.com

"So just how big a deal is it that a brotha (two as it turned out) finally led a team to the Super Bowl? Put it this way: a big enough deal to make black folk in Baltimore root for the hated Colts."

brotha? How does that NOT get sliced by a copy editor?

I understand Michael Smith is black, but brotha? You know a white writer couldn't pull that off without getting his ass chewed and rightfully so.
What would be the equivalent if a white guy wrote the same thing about a white coach
"honkey"?

 

[writing irish]

It would be a historic achievement for People of Pallor.

 

[Norman Stansfield]

I thought it was "Bruh" now.

Brotha is so 1997...

 

[Brain of J]

I understand what he's going for, the audience he's trying to reach, but it just misses me.
It's not a big deal, he can use whatever word he wants. It just bothers me when I see "Brotha" or "Bra" or "Bro-ham" in a story.

 

[Norman Stansfield]

I understand what he's going for, the audience he's trying to reach, but it just misses me.
It's not a big deal, he can use whatever word he wants. It just bothers me when I see "Brotha" or "Bra" or "Bro-ham" in a story.

Broham? Are we speaking of Cadillacs?

 

[beefncheddar]

May I humbly offer up "cracka" for all whitey references?

 

[vin1284]

you guys take things too literally, there's nothing wrong with brotha. Its journalism, was it wrong or does it just make some of you uncomfortable?

 

[Ellis Redding]

you guys take things too literally, there's nothing wrong with brotha. Its journalism, was it wrong or does it just make some of you uncomfortable?

Thanks for stopping by, Michael Smith!

 

[Fenian_Bastard]

It would be a historic achievement for People of Pallor.

I think People of Pallor is my new favorite phrase.

 

[Norman Stansfield]

It would be a historic achievement for People of Pallor.

I think People of Pallor is my new favorite phrase.

That is right on point.

And I prefer to be called either Nquence Ocha (White Devil for all seven Ace Ventura 2 fans).

 

[Claws for Concern]

It's no Hulk Hogan or Superfly Snuka calling everyone Bruddah

 

[vin1284]

you guys take things too literally, there's nothing wrong with brotha. Its journalism, was it wrong or does it just make some of you uncomfortable?

Thanks for stopping by, Michael Smith!

Not Michael Smith, just a brotha trying to make sense of some nonsense being spewed on this board

 

[Boobie Miles]

So Scoop Jackson is going by Michael Smith now?

Scoop has a story on Arenas on the website right now. I hadn't read him for a while -- and only ever do for a laugh -- this guy is great. He ends the story with the line from the Adidas commercial "You're not a fool are you?" Umm yes Scoop actually I am, for actually making it through one of your entire columns.

 

[Write-brained]

I'm so white I'm opaque. But that's not going to stop me from using it in one of my stories this week. I'm bringing Brotha back.

 

[Brain of J]

Bruddah. hehe. I would've enjoyed that far more than "Brotha"
People of Pallor is excellent too.

 

[Oz]

you guys take things too literally, there's nothing wrong with brotha. Its journalism, was it wrong or does it just make some of you uncomfortable?

Just wrong. It's a reporter's job to clean up quotes. Say "brother" because there's no dictionary entry for "brotha."

 

[zeke12]

How do we feel about "Homeslice"?

 

[writing irish]

That's so 1987. :)

 

[zeke12]

What's current usage?

Homeskllet?

Homefry?

Enlighten me.

 

[writing irish]

What it is, Drew!

Lord have mercy, I'd like to be down in her hood.