PAUL MOONEY, COMEDIAN: If a white person calls me that, it doesn't bother me. And you can ask me why. Say why.
LIN: Why?
MOONEY: Because I like a little salt on my cracker.
LIN: Salt. You know, the woman who is working to abolish the "N" word says that every time it is uttered, it's like a lynching.
MOONEY: No.
LIN: It's like another lynching.
MOONEY: No, she's under the illusion of inclusion.
LIN: What do you mean?
MOONEY: She's under the illusion. She thinks she's included. She thinks that she's a real American.
LIN: Well, what is so funny about the "N" word? You use it in comedy routines. You...
MOONEY: Yes, it's funny...
LIN: What's funny about it?
MOONEY: It's funny because it conjures up demons. That's why I like it.
LIN: But it is a demon.
MOONEY: Yes, but it comes...
LIN: It is something that was used in slavery...
MOONEY: Right.
LIN: ...that the white man...
MOONEY: Oh, yes. The white man...
LIN: ...used to denigrate the slaves.
MOONEY: Yes, the white man created it. That's why -- yes.
LIN: So why is it funny?
MOONEY: That's why it's payback. Because it's pay back. Because it's funny because it has to be to get through it. Because humor is powerful.
Because if you don't use humor -- listen, I've been called it enough to say it whenever I feel like it. I'm from Louisiana. I'm from the South. I've been called the "N" word enough to be able to use it. I own it.
And there was nobody around when the word -- it doesn't mean anything now. When it really meant something, there were no brave black people. There were no brave anybody. Everybody kept their mouths shut. They had places down South where it said don't let your black -- let the sun go down on it here. You couldn't be there overnight. OK? Or they would lynch you and screen it out. Nobody said a word because everybody was terrified.
And you have to take the word...
LIN: And now it's part of a comedy routine?
MOONEY: Yes. Now you have to take the word so you can take the power from it. It's much to do about nothing. It's just a word. It's much to do about nothing.
LIN: It's more than a word. I mean, Damon Wayans wants to copyright it. I mean, he wants to use it as a trademark. Is that appropriate?
MOONEY: Well, I'm sure. Well, he's a comedian. I'm sure that he does. He may change his name to Mr. -- I don't know, but the point is that -- listen, I don't if you -- in the streets if you see prostitutes, they will call each other whore. OK? All right?
LIN: Yes. But is it OK for you to call them a whore?
MOONEY: If you say whore, they'll beat you up.
LIN: So what's the difference here?
MOONEY: It's honor among thieves. The difference is it's you don't own it.
LIN: Because I'm Asian?
MOONEY: Yes, you don't it.
LIN: Or someone else is white?
MOONEY: You don't own it.
LIN: All right...
MOONEY: Right, you don't own it.
LIN: So in this case...
MOONEY: You've had no experience with it. You have no experience. And it's also used in the black society. And it's used as a passionate word. It's used sexually. You're my -- be my -- you know, it's used in a lot of words.
LIN: All right, so...
MOONEY: It has a lot of different, you know...
LIN: I cannot see it as a word of passion. But let me ask you this, in this criminal trial of this white man who is accused of beating up a black man and using the "N" word in the act, the prosecutors are trying to say that it's a hate crime.
The defense attorneys say hey, this white kid listened to rap, listened to hip hop. He just thought it was just another word of slang. Is that acceptable to you?
MOONEY: No, not really, because it could be a hate crime. It all depends on if they knew each other and they had a relationship. It has a lot of other meanings to it. And you can't judge a book by its cover because you don't know.
And the whole thing is this, too. This word is very American. OK? It's very much a part of America and the slavery. And there's no getting away from it. And white and blacks, they don't get along and they call each other names because of slavery, because of the mixing, because we're family. And nobody hates like family.
LIN: Why?
MOONEY: Because I like a little salt on my cracker.
LIN: Salt. You know, the woman who is working to abolish the "N" word says that every time it is uttered, it's like a lynching.
MOONEY: No.
LIN: It's like another lynching.
MOONEY: No, she's under the illusion of inclusion.
LIN: What do you mean?
MOONEY: She's under the illusion. She thinks she's included. She thinks that she's a real American.
LIN: Well, what is so funny about the "N" word? You use it in comedy routines. You...
MOONEY: Yes, it's funny...
LIN: What's funny about it?
MOONEY: It's funny because it conjures up demons. That's why I like it.
LIN: But it is a demon.
MOONEY: Yes, but it comes...
LIN: It is something that was used in slavery...
MOONEY: Right.
LIN: ...that the white man...
MOONEY: Oh, yes. The white man...
LIN: ...used to denigrate the slaves.
MOONEY: Yes, the white man created it. That's why -- yes.
LIN: So why is it funny?
MOONEY: That's why it's payback. Because it's pay back. Because it's funny because it has to be to get through it. Because humor is powerful.
Because if you don't use humor -- listen, I've been called it enough to say it whenever I feel like it. I'm from Louisiana. I'm from the South. I've been called the "N" word enough to be able to use it. I own it.
And there was nobody around when the word -- it doesn't mean anything now. When it really meant something, there were no brave black people. There were no brave anybody. Everybody kept their mouths shut. They had places down South where it said don't let your black -- let the sun go down on it here. You couldn't be there overnight. OK? Or they would lynch you and screen it out. Nobody said a word because everybody was terrified.
And you have to take the word...
LIN: And now it's part of a comedy routine?
MOONEY: Yes. Now you have to take the word so you can take the power from it. It's much to do about nothing. It's just a word. It's much to do about nothing.
LIN: It's more than a word. I mean, Damon Wayans wants to copyright it. I mean, he wants to use it as a trademark. Is that appropriate?
MOONEY: Well, I'm sure. Well, he's a comedian. I'm sure that he does. He may change his name to Mr. -- I don't know, but the point is that -- listen, I don't if you -- in the streets if you see prostitutes, they will call each other whore. OK? All right?
LIN: Yes. But is it OK for you to call them a whore?
MOONEY: If you say whore, they'll beat you up.
LIN: So what's the difference here?
MOONEY: It's honor among thieves. The difference is it's you don't own it.
LIN: Because I'm Asian?
MOONEY: Yes, you don't it.
LIN: Or someone else is white?
MOONEY: You don't own it.
LIN: All right...
MOONEY: Right, you don't own it.
LIN: So in this case...
MOONEY: You've had no experience with it. You have no experience. And it's also used in the black society. And it's used as a passionate word. It's used sexually. You're my -- be my -- you know, it's used in a lot of words.
LIN: All right, so...
MOONEY: It has a lot of different, you know...
LIN: I cannot see it as a word of passion. But let me ask you this, in this criminal trial of this white man who is accused of beating up a black man and using the "N" word in the act, the prosecutors are trying to say that it's a hate crime.
The defense attorneys say hey, this white kid listened to rap, listened to hip hop. He just thought it was just another word of slang. Is that acceptable to you?
MOONEY: No, not really, because it could be a hate crime. It all depends on if they knew each other and they had a relationship. It has a lot of other meanings to it. And you can't judge a book by its cover because you don't know.
And the whole thing is this, too. This word is very American. OK? It's very much a part of America and the slavery. And there's no getting away from it. And white and blacks, they don't get along and they call each other names because of slavery, because of the mixing, because we're family. And nobody hates like family.