Rihanna Called the “N” Word by Dutch Fashion Magazine

A Dutch fashion magazine has released an apology after calling international R&B sensation Rihanna the N word.

The Dutch fashion magazine in question is called Jackie. Jackie magazine featured an article about the singer under the headline De N----B----. Parlour magazine translated the piece. Fashionista discovered the flagrant racism and publicized it in a recent posting. Parlour magazine's Web site features a photo of the editorial page.

She has street cred, she has a ghetto a-- and she has a golden throat. Rihanna, the good girl gone bad, is the ultimate n----b---- and displays that gladly, and for her that means: what's on can come off. If that means she'll be on stage half naked, then so be it. But Dutch winters aren't like Jamaican ones [Ed. note: Rihanna is not Jamaican], so pick a clothing style in which your daughter can resist minus ten. No to the big sunglasses and the pornheels, and yes to the tiger print, pink shizzle and everything that glitters. Now let's hope she won't beat anybody up at daycare.

TheYBF asked its readers if the N word has a different meaning in the Netherlands. Alas, it does not. The term means exactly what it means in English. The problem with Dutch people is that often they know exactly what they are saying but as soon as someone confronts them about it we are being to sensitive and wasnt [sic] meant to be offensive. This comes from the same people who celebrate Sinterklaas annually in December. A party that includes characters in black-face called Zwarte Piet, responded the Dutch reader who translated the original article for TheYBF.

This is not a 'fashionsta' term, we say bitch here as well and it means exactly the same as in English, as well as 'n----.' No different meaning whatsoever.

I am happy that the younger Dutch generation is finally speaking up against the blatant racism in this country. White people here really think they can do and say anything and have this attitude of 'if you don't like it, go back to your own country,' she concluded.

Jackie magazine's editor in chief Eva Hoeke offered an apology on the magazine's Facebook page, however many have deemed this just as insulting.

First: thanks for all your responses. We are of course very fed up over this and especially very shocked. However I'm glad that we're engaging in a dialogue on this page - not everybody does that. Thanks for this. Other than that I can be brief about this: this should have never happened. Period. While the author meant no harm - the title of the article was intended as a joke - it was a bad joke, to say the least, wrote Hoeke.

And that slipped through my, the editor-in-chief's, fingers. Stupid, painful and sucks for all concerned. The author has been addressed on it, and now I can only ensure that these terms will no longer end up in the magazine. Furthermore I hope that you all believe there was absolutely no racist motive behind the choice of words. It was stupid, it was naive to think that this was an acceptable form of slang - you hear it all the time on tv and radio, then your idea of what is normal apparently shifts - but it was especially misguided: there was no malice behind it.

We make our magazine with love, energy and enthusiasm, and it can sometimes happen that someone is out of line. And then you can only do one thing: apologize. And hope that others wish to accept it.

From the bottom of my heart I say it again: we never intended to offend anyone. And I mean that, she concluded.

Fashionista did not consider this an appropriate, or sincere, apology; nor did Jezebel. Hoeke's apology kind of misses the point, though. As Parlour points out, Rihanna isn't Jamaican. And if tossing around racial slurs is the Jackie staff's idea of what is normal, they might want to look into some new hires, wrote Jezebel contributor Anna North.

In condemnation of this editorial feature, many have cited a common Dutch tradition as further evidence of racism in the region. In Holland, Santa, otherwise known as Sinterklaas, does not have elves, he has slaves. This slave is named Zwarte Piet, or literally Black Pete. Each year, on Dec. 5, adults wear black face and dress in Zwarte Piet costumes.

Slate magazine featured an entire report on how these caricatures are disturbing and frustrating. Many artists and activists have spoken out against this troubling facet of Dutch life.

One man in particular, Quinsy Gario, was pepper sprayed and arrested by police for demonstrating at the Sinterklaas event in Dordrecht. Gario is a published poet, an artist and a Master's student in women's studies at the University of Utrecht. He made T-shirts emblazoned with the phrase Piet is Racism after his mother's boss called her their own Zwarte Piet.

I tell people, 'I'm not angry. I just find it sad that you don't know what it means and I'm here to tell you,' he said.

What do you think of Jackie magazine's use of the word? Do you think this is a pervasive problem in the region? Leave your feedback in the comments section below.