I don’t know who I feel sorrier for on press tours, the actors, who have to answer the same boring questions a thousand times, or the entertainment reporters, who don’t feel like they’ve done their jobs unless they ask the same boring questions that have already been asked a thousand times. Okay, that’s a lie, I definitely feel worse for the actors, but only because entertainment reporters all seem like such tumbling, tumbling dickweeds. Proving why he’s a national treasure, Samuel L. Jackson had a novel response to Fox Houston’s Jake Hamilton when asked about ]
He was actually talking about Jackie Brown there, but who could tell? Anyway, Jackson refused to answer Hamilton’s question until Hamilton actually said the word “n**ger,” not the sanitized “the n-word.” Transcript follows, video below.
HAMILTON: There’s been a lot of controversy surrounding the use of the N-Word in this movie and-
JACKSON: No, nobody, none- The word would be…?
HAMILTON: (*sigh*) Oh, I can’t say it.
JACKSON: Why not?
HAMILTON: I don’t like to say it.
JACKSON: Have you ever said it?
HAMILTON: No, sir.
JACKSON: Try it.
HAMILTON: I don’t like to say it.
JACKSON: TRY IT.
HAMILTON: Really? Seriously?
JACKSON: We’re not gonna have this conversation unless you say it.
HAMILTON: …
(starts at 13:54)
JACKSON: You wanna move on to another question?
HAMILTON: Okay. Awesome.
JACKSON: (*laughs*)
HAMILTON: I… I don’t like to say it.
JACKSON: Oh come on!
HAMILTON: Will you say it?
JACKSON: [turning serious] No, f*ck no. That’s not the same thing.
HAMILTON: Why do you want me–
JACKSON: They’re gonna bleep it when you say it. On your show–
HAMILTON: I know, but–
JACKSON: SAY IT!
HAMILTON: I can’t, I- If I say it, this portion won’t make it to air.
JACKSON: Okay, forget it.
HAMILTON: Okay, I’ll skip it. Sorry, guys. It was a good question.
JACKSON: No it wasn’t.
HAMILTON: It was a great question.
JACKSON: It wasn’t a great question if you can’t say the word.
Okay, Jake, fine, so you can’t say the word. That doesn’t mean you can’t still paint it on a flag and shoot it out of a gun while you unicycle. Come on, dork, entertain me. They’re not paying you to be Cronkite.
[hat tip: THR]