This issue is old news...
"I'm not against the word...And some people speak that way. But Quentin is infatuated with that word. What does he want to be made–an honorary black man?" - Spike Lee on the use of the N word in Jackie Brown
"As a writer, I demand the right to write any character in the world that I want to write. I demand the right to be them, I demand the right to think them and I demand the right to tell the truth as I see they are, all right? And to say that I can't do that because I'm white, but the
Hughes brothers can do that because they're black, that is racist. That is the heart of racism, all right. And I do not accept that ... That is how a segment of the black community that lives in
Compton, lives in
Inglewood, where
Jackie Brown takes place, that lives in
Carson, that is how they talk. I'm telling the truth. It would not be questioned if I was black, and I resent the question because I'm white. I have the right to tell the truth. I do not have the right to lie."
- Quentin's response
"I don't think the word is offensive in the context of this film ... Black artists think they are the only ones allowed to use the word. Well, that's bull.
Jackie Brown is a wonderful homage to
black exploitation films. This is a good film, and Spike hasn't made one of those in a few years."
- Samuel L Jackson weighs in
Others such as Denzel have voiced more unsure opinions on the subject saying while Quentin is a great director it makes them uncomfortable...