What happened to Barbie Bassett? Shizzle my Nizzle meaning and racial comments explored as WLBT anchor is reportedly fired

Barbie Bassett, a longtime WLBT anchor and meteorologist, has been absent from the channel since March 8, 2023, prompting speculation that she has reportedly been fired from the network. Clarion Ledger reported that the journalist is no longer listed as a member of WLBT’s news team on social media.

The publication also noted that Bassett’s bio was reportedly removed from the WLBT website. Reports suggest that the anchor also maintained silence on social media following her absence from the network.

Bassett’s disappearance from WLBT comes after she found herself in the middle of a controversy for saying a racially inappropriate phrase on-air. The comments were made in reference to a segment that focused on a new variety of wine from Snoop Dogg’s Snoop Cali Blanc wine collection.

Following the coverage, Barbie Bassett, who is Caucasian, engaged in a crosstalk and responded to a colleague using the popular Snoop Dogg slang, “Fo' shizzle, my nizzle.” As per Clarion Ledger, the last part of the phrase is “the racial epithet referred to an epithet” for African-Americans.

It is not known if Bassett’s comments led to her removal from the network. WLBT Vice President and General Manager Ted Fortenberry took to social media to address the channel’s silence on the situation and said:

“As I am sure you can understand, WLBT is unable to comment on personnel matters.”

The Vicksburg Daily News claimed that a highly placed source at WLBT confirmed to the publication that Bassett is no longer employed at the station. However, no official announcements have been made so far.

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A look into the meaning of “Fo' Shizzle my Nizzle”

The term “Fo' Shizzle my Nizzle” is reportedly a slang expression. It is often used to describe the phrase “for sure, my friend” in an informal way. According to Dictionary.com, the term was popularized as a catchphrase by rapper Snoop Dogg and is used to express affirmation in a playful way.

The phrase is reportedly expresses the slang “for sure, my n***a” and is associated with hip-hop music. The term “for sure” is an idiom that means “certainly, surely,” and slang “my nizzle” translates to “my n***a.”

Dictionary.com reports that the practice of using “-izzle” to end certain words was popularized by Northern California rappers in the 1990s. The American rapper E-40, who is known as “The King of Slang,” is often credited with starting the -izzle suffix.

During the performance of his 1996 song Rapper’s Ball, E-40 reportedly used “fo’ shizzle” interchangeably with the phrase “fo’ sheezy,” with the R dropped as a feature of African American Vernacular English.

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A look into Barbie Bassett’s previous racially offensive remarks

Prior to her latest usage of a racial slur on-air, Barbie Bassett landed in hot waters last October after using the racially offensive term “grandmammy” on TV. She made the comment while arguing with an African-American reporter on-air.

According to Definitions, slave children reportedly called their mother “mammy” and addressed their grandmother as “grandmammy.” The Distractify reported that “mammy” was a racially-charged stereotype that originated in the South and was used to refer to African-American women who cared for Caucasian children before and after the Civil War.

At the time, Barbie Bassett apologized for her comments and admitted that the statement was “insensitive and hurtful”:

“Last Friday on our newscast Today at 11, I used a term that was offensive to many in our audience and to my coworkers here at WLBT. Though not intentional, I now understand how my comment was both insensitive and hurtful. I have apologized to Carmen Poe.”

She also asked for forgiveness and apologized to everyone who was offended:

“I will learn from this and participate in training so I can better understand our history and our people. I can’t mend the hurt my comment caused. I pray you’ll forgive me and that you’ll extend grace through this awful mistake.”

Unfortunately, Barbie Bassett ended up in another similar controversy after using a racial slur on-air. Although she returned to her position on WLBT after the first issue, the reporter remained missing from the channel in the wake of the recent situation.