Twitter Has Mixed Feelings About The N-Word Use On American Crime Story

The People v. O.J. Simpson dropped the "Race Card" episode this week. And despite the fact that the usage of the racial slur draws its inspiration from the actual trial (though dramatized, obviously) the Twitterverse is torn about whether or not the word should have shown up at all.

Outrage aside, the fact is that Nathan Lane's lines — along with the use of the expletive in this intense scene — were drawn from life. In the video below, you can hear attorney F. Lee Bailey's actual examination of police detective Mark Fuhrman. (The footage in question begins approximately 5 hours and 55 minutes in.)

But just because the word was used in the trial, does that necessarily mean it needed to show up — particularly in such heavy rotation — on ACS? That question seems to be central to the controversy surrounding its usage in the episode. But at least one person thinks that the series' writers made the right move: Cuba Gooding, Jr., who plays O.J. Simpson. The actor defended the decision to use the slur during an interview with People, saying that he thought it was "important" that they said it — and that people hear it. "Our job as artists is to reflect the ills of society sometimes and to find a truth in that," he said, "and I think you can't start the healing process until you recognize the truth and all of its ugly warts and all." The ugly wart has surfaced. And we already know what comes next in this story.