‘black-ish’ N-word episode gets positive vibe from viewers

ABC’s “black-ish� started out its second season with a bold stroke: taking on the controversial N-word in an episode that made even the creator of the show, Kenya Barris, a little nervous.

Barris and others wondered how viewers would react to a comedic spin on argubly the most volatile word in America. But those who tuned in to the ABC comedy Wednesday largely seemed to give the episode a big thumbs up.

Stephen Lovegrove (@drlovegrove) tweeted, “Last night, Blackish started a conversation about a sensitive topic (the N word) without polorizing/being offensive. So impressed #blackish.�

“Why didn’t anybody tell me how funny #Blackish is?!?� tweeted @Michaelinho. “This N-word episode has me in tears!�

Britni Danielle (@BritniDWrites) tweeted, “What show, beside #Blackish, is debating the n-word in such a smart way? I LOVE THIS SHOW!�

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In the episode, titled “THE Word,� 6-year-old Jack Johnson (Miles Brown), the youngest son of Andre “Dre� Johnson (Anthony Anderson) and Rainbow Johnson (Tracee Ellis Ross), faces expulsion from his private prep school after mimicking Kanye West’s “Gold Digger� during a talent show. In the infectious chorus, West raps, “I ain’t sayin’ she a gold digger, but she ain’t messin’ with no broke ...�

Even though the school has a zero tolerance policy against offensive language — a policy that Rainbow initiated — the parents publicly defend their son’s performance while privately examining their own differing and conflicted feelings about the word.

One viewer admitted approaching the episode with doubts. “I thought this N Word episode of #blackish was going to be terrible but I was wrong!� tweeted Maxine Shaw (@recogniZE_TAste). “Very funny.:

Robrigo Hernandez (@RodrigoToGo) was so taken by the episode that he said it should be submitted “for an Emmy.�

The installment had its detractors. Ken D (@HRGApollo) declared he was very “tired of ‘black sitcomes where all the jokes are “I’M BLACK.�

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