"Whitey" is a derogatory term for a white person.[1] The level of contempt implied by the term varies, although it is most often used as an insult.

In Saturday Night Live's notorious 1975 "Racist Word Association Interview" skit, Richard Pryor's character uses "whitey" as his response to Chevy Chase's character's prompt of "negro".[2]

During Barack Obama's 2008 US presidential campaign, a hoax was promoted that his wife Michelle Obama had been recorded "railing against 'whitey'", which she denied, saying, "That’s something that George Jefferson would say."[3][4]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Whitey". oxforddictionaries.com. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
  2. ^ "Saturday Night Live, Richard Pryor/Gil Scott-Heron, Quotes". IMDb. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
  3. ^ Michael Powell and Jodi Kantor (2008-06-18). "Michelle Obama Looks for a New Introduction". New York Times. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
  4. ^ "Man behind Michelle Obama and John Kerry hoaxes at centre of GCHQ row". The Independent. 2017-03-20. Retrieved 2021-07-08.