This will be a short diary. I decided to watch "Killing Lincoln" tonight on the National Geographic channel. I missed the disclaimer prior to the start of the dramatic documentary, which says:
"This program contains strong language including racial slurs in historical context. Viewer discretion is advised."
I was then amazed by the use of the "N-word" on 4 occasions (that I caught) during the course of the program. Even without having seen the disclaimer, my reaction each time was "What?! They didn't need to use that word there". Note, I caught the disclaimer when the program re-aired immediately after the premiere.
This is a program which premiered at 7:00 PM Central Time during Black History Month on the National Geographic Channel (which is included as part of the Basic Cable package here). The only strong language in the program that I noticed were the racial slurs which could have easily been avoided.
I know that Rupert Murdock owns NatGeo. Bill O'Reilly wrote the book, so we're not talking about literature like Huckleberry Finn here. I was honestly surprised to see Tom Hanks (yes of Forrest Gump fame) serve as narrator. I am sure that a profitable time was had by all, but the insensitivity to not use less incendiary language boggles the mind - the use of the that word was simply gratuitous. I used to be a fan of The National Geographic Channel - but no longer. This was a step too far.