• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

We Need to Talk About Digital Blackface in Reaction GIFs

Status
Not open for further replies.
You said this.



And I agree and think it will get worse.

Ah. So what do you think can be done about it?
I think the democrats need a new charismatic figure that can reach everyone, like Obama.
I had hopes for Keith Ellison, but he wasn't liked by the democratic establishment.
I have hopes for Kamala Harris, but she isn't liked by the left wing of the Dems.

But what doesn't work is Clintons approach to call the right deplorables and refuse to engage with them, but for some reason many people seem to fancy this idea very much.


lol it's not like dems will run on the anti digital blackface platform. this is just some black people telling others, "hey we feel this way about this. can you hear our thoughts and possibly think before doing it? thanks." I'm pretty sure communities can engage with each other on smaller issues like this.

This makes sense to me. But I've seen this stuff being used against the left so many times, so I am concerned.
 

LotusHD

Banned
Why not "lol that guy talks funny"?

Or is it automatically color + funnything when it's black man who says something that sounds funny? Is it not even possible that this type of a thing would be just because of what is said instead of the color of the guy who says it?

I mean, there are lots of viral videos where stuff like that have been taken out of context and it has been made into a song. And lots of them have a non-black person saying something.

Now I haven't seen the actual video you mentioned so I don't know if it actually looks like it has been done solely because of that person is black and says the thing. It could have other racist remaks too. But in general I think if a black person "talks funny" the comedy is in the words themselves rather than in black person saying the words. Or then I'm just way too optimistic and naive. Nevertheless it would be interesting to have a longer discussion about this point of view too.

Meh...

Anyways, the answer is both. There are those that just think it is funny. But I've definitely seen it passed around in a way that suggests they're mocking black people who talk like that, or see comments where they feel that it reinforces their views of seeing black people as being ghetto and what not, why they praise us when we surprise them by managing to be "well-spoken", etc.

But yea, for viral videos like that, I'm always have my side-eye ready as I've gotten older.
 

eso76

Member
Let me get this straight:

You, apparently non-black person from the content of your post, has decided that it is your place to tell black woman who wrote article that her suggestion people think about the implications of using gifs that rely on black people being "extra" is not the right way to approach this issue you don't have a personal stake in?

Suggesting people think about the implications of..anything they do, really, can never not be the right approach obviously.

Me, non-black person, decided that it is my place to express *my own doubts* and nothing else.
My post had several honest question marks in it.
I'm not telling anyone how they should feel and I don't have answers.
I actually don't have a single black friend to talk to (small-ish town in Europe, basically no black people here) so I'm just here to hear other people's opinions and understand.

You're right, I don't have a personal stake in it. I'm Italian and I do come across casual racism and stereotyping (even on neogaf) but that's beyond the point. I'm just asking/wondering: does this help the cause or reinforce the sentiment that black people and white people are ultimately too 'different' and will never get along ?

It's a honest question, I'm looking for honest answers.
 
Meh...

Anyways, the answer is both. There are those that just think it is funny. But I've definitely seen it passed around in a way that suggests they're mocking black people who talk like that, or see comments where they feel that it reinforces their views of seeing black people as being ghetto and what not, why they praise us when we manage to be "well-spoken", etc.

But yea, for viral videos like that, I'm always have my side-eye ready as I've gotten older.

Every time I see that kind of thong shared jn earnest by people, even if I think it's cute, I always give the aide eye and think "y'all be on that 'We Wuz Kangs' shit when you think nobody of color is around to call you on it."
 
No, I would suggest talking about it in a different way.
This article reads as if it was targeted at people who already know what cultural appropriation is agree that its problematic, but those are not the people you want to reach, do you?

I mean, Teen Vogue is great, its pretty much the most surprising positive development in media in recent years. I'm a sucker for thing high politics.
And I don't want to take that away, my point is just that someone like Jon Steward might have been more successful in reaching the other side with his approach.
Someone who can reach across the party line is missing right now, and I think thats not only because the right is so far gone, but also because the left doesn't like when people try. They feel like it diminishes their cause if you even engage with them.
And I agree with that partially. Megyn Kelly interviewing Alex Jones was a stupid idea, but its not always that easy.

Why would Jon Stewart be better at writing an article for Teen Vogue about what black folks, and especially black women face?

Not of this has anything to do with this small article...
 

commedieu

Banned
Ah. So what do you think can be done about it?
I think the democrats need a new charismatic figure that can reach everyone, like Obama.
I had hopes for Keith Ellison, but he wasn't liked by the democratic establishment.
I have hopes for Kamala Harris, but she isn't liked by the left wing of the Dems.

But what doesn't work is Clintons approach to call the right deplorables and refuse to engage with them, but for some reason many people seem to fancy this idea very much.

They are deplorable. And barely won an election because decent human beings thought it was pointless to vote. You can't convince the dipshits. But you can convince others that their vote matters. For next time. Which the Democrats can easily do. Just need to really hit home how badly the gop (bigots) are for the nation. Which they are doing a great job illustrating for themselves.

Conservatives and Bigots can all stay the way they are. Won't matter as most are becoming jobless, addicted to opiates, and they are all voting for reduced healthcare. Others, without beyond ass backwards beliefs, will make up for it when they see their bottom line being affected.

You can't outreach to stupid. Their opinions dont work for democracy. Just have to work on getting people out to vote. They can all die in a coal fire. And absolutely nothing of any value would be lost.
 
They are deplorable. And barely won an election because decent human beings thought it was pointless to vote. You can't convince the dipshits. But you can convince others that their vote matters. For next time. Which the Democrats can easily do. Just need to really hit home how badly the gop (bigots) are for the nation. Which they are doing a great job illustrating for themselves.

I don't think pointing out how bad Republicans are is a platform democrats should run on.

Conservatives and Bigots can all stay the way they are. Won't matter as most are becoming jobless, addicted to opiates, and they are all voting for reduced healthcare. Others, without beyond ass backwards beliefs, will make up for it when they see their bottom line being affected.

You can't outreach to stupid. Their opinions dont work for democracy. Just have to work on getting people out to vote. They can all die in a coal fire. And absolutely nothing of any value would be lost.

Well, I disagree. If the US wants to have proper social systems you need functioning solidarity.
I don't see another way, the US is more than just blue states and cities.


But this is getting out of hand. I think we should avoid off topic. Sorry for starting it.
 

Media

Member
I am telling everyone who considers themselves decent that Trump was elected because they refused to engage with those they deem "not decent"(deplorables).

Mass incarceration and police brutality are exactly the issues which can be used to engage. Digital blackface not so much.

Is this really such an outlandish thought?

And they are being used to engage. BLM is too much, as is taking a knee at a football game. Talking about a minor thing on an internet forum in a calm and sometimes playful fashion is also too much.

What is just right?
 
And they are being used to engage. BLM is too much, as is taking a knee at a football game. Talking about a minor thing on an internet forum in a calm and sometimes playful fashion is also too much.

What is just right?

Just shutting the fuck up..😏
 
And they are being used to engage. BLM is too much, as is taking a knee at a football game. Talking about a minor thing on an internet forum in a calm and sometimes playful fashion is also too much.

What is just right?

I don't think so. I think these things can reach the right.
The problem is just that they are seeing this through the lens of right wing media, which does its best to frame it in a negative way.
All the more reason for the left to directly engage with the right.
 

Airola

Member
Anyways, the answer is both. There are those that just think it is funny. But I've definitely seen it passed around in a way that suggests they're mocking black people who talk like that, or see comments where they feel that it reinforces their views of seeing black people as being ghetto and what not, why they praise us when we surprise them by managing to be "well-spoken", etc.

Well that is a problem that has always existed and never goes away. Everything in this world is something that someone likes and someone doesn't like. There are people who love hate and hate love. There are people who hate spiders and love spiders. There are people who hate war and love war. There are people who hate death and love death. There are people who love waffles and hate waffles. There are people who love Finns and hate Finns. There are people who love a black man saying things with the rhythm and the are people who hate a black man saying things with the rhythm.

These people are hating on that type of speaking in the streets, in movies and in viral videos. If we should consider not making these videos because some asshole who would hate that no matter where it happened would pass that off as laughing material we couldn't make pretty much any videos. I mean, those assholes would find something to complain about even if the video had a black man doing anything.

I think the biggest issue with viral videos like that is that the persons in those videos become famous and they might not like that. Aside from bullies it can also be very frustrating and tiring and even depressing to see people just always noticing you wherever you go even if no-one would mean anything bad to them. And for the bullies it doesn't matter if the person is black or white. If someone says something funny in a viral video, at some point the bullies will target that person no matter who it is.

Which brings up the question of should we be encouraging the viral video culture at all? I mean, it's all about the clicks and each of our clicks adds one view to it and it becomes closer to be seen by others. And sometimes they can ruin lives even if the thing in the video isn't really even embarassing.
I just had a Youtube loop where I was stuck watching all kinds of people doing all kinds of things, sometimes failing, sometimes not. And I laughed a lot :/
 

Media

Member
I don't think so. I think these things can reach the right.
The problem is just that they are seeing this through the lens of right wing media, which does its best to frame it in a negative way.
All the more reason for the left to directly engage with the right.

And that would be how?

G8eU7.gif
 

commedieu

Banned
I don't think pointing out how bad Republicans are is a platform democrats should run on.



Well, I disagree. If the US wants to have proper social systems you need functioning solidarity.
I don't see another way, the US is more than just blue states and cities.


But this is getting out of hand. I think we should avoid off topic. Sorry for starting it.

You can't have solidarity with bigotry. Which is a heavy part of the gop platform. Regardless if republicans think they are voting for jobs, and just that. Their platform is a disease that needs to be extinguished. So voting is the answer. Not pandering to morons. There are more rational people than there are deplorable.

We can't have a functioning country with the Republican party. They literally can't even agree with their own bullshit. We need to let it die, and make room for a legitimate party that runs on their same platform minus the hate brigade. Which was trumps key message, hate.

Republicans point at themselves for being bad. And a lot are. They weren't hurt and voted for hate because of Hillary. Let's knock that idea on its head. I agree that it should be dropped, and make efforts to get people that didn't vote because they didn't think it mattered. But no effort is needed to convince people that sharia law isn't happening. That's a wasted effort.


And uh. Something about gifs...
 

Airola

Member
And did you look up your buzzfeed hosted gif of choice before or after you proceeded to read the actual article?

Which reminds me that this thread is another example of how certain types of headlines are not effective.

It's kinda like there is a person in the street saying some "clickbaity" line out loud and then expecting people would be interested enough to listen a long speech about that subject where the "clickbaitiness" is supposed to be changed into a more serious tone. Not that in this case the line doesn't sound serious, but it does have this "digital blackface" thing going on which probably would've been best to actually introduce in the actual text instead of bringing it up immediately making people able to spin and interpret it in their heads into whatever they want.

I mean, there should be some responsibility in the creation of the headlines too. Just as the person who would like to talk about this subject is not at first interested to put more effort in the title to remove the "clickbaitiness" and tell more about the actual subject, the listener also might not be interested to go any further with what they already heard. And for short headlines you might get a short quick reply.

It would be good if people would stop to listen, but people often don't. And then they will only react to what they heard.
 
And that would be how?

Talk to them. I recently messaged a far right wing shit bag who posted a video of muslims who threw a dog against a wall on Twitter and wrote something along the lines of "these are the degenerates the left wants to bring into our country".
He took the tweet down.
I followed this guy before, I knew he was jewish and compared his tweet to the antisemitic propaganda that was so rampant during a certain time.
http://i.imgur.com/iWRDl1I.png

That this worked is probably an exception, but if I had just called him a disgusting hateful racist(which I would've liked to do, since it would've been absolutely accurate) I would have only encouraged him further.
 
Talk to them. I recently messaged a far right wing shit bag who posted a video of muslims who threw a dog against a wall on Twitter and wrote something along the lines of "these are the degenerates the left wants to bring into our country".
He took the tweet down.
I followed this guy before, I knew he was jewish and compared his tweet to the antisemitic propaganda that was so rampant during a certain time.
http://i.imgur.com/iWRDl1I.png

That this worked is probably an exception, but if I had just called him a disgusting hateful racist(which I would've liked to do, since it would've been absolutely accurate) I would have only encouraged him further.
Who should the onus be put on to engage people this way though? I think taking an approach of trying to educate someone who I think has shitty views is a good thing too. I do it. But I am not on the receiving end of racism every day tho so I have a little more patience.
 
Who should the onus be put on to engage people this way though? I think taking an approach of trying to educate someone who I think has shitty views is a good thing too. I do it. But I am not on the receiving end of racism every day tho so I have a little more patience.

Whoever wants to do it.
I get when people don't want anything to do with people who despise them for their skin color/religion/sexual orientation.

But I am certain we(the left/liberals/progressives whatever) have the better idea, we have the facts, we are right. So we might as well act like it and take the high road.

The Teen Vogue article actually did that. Its an inclusive and good argument. So when its being taken out of context by the right, expose them. Maybe it'll work. Its worth a try.
 
Whoever wants to do it.
I get when people don't want anything to do with people who despise them for their skin color/religion/sexual orientation.

But I am certain we(the left/liberals/progressives whatever) have the better idea, we have the facts, we are right. So we might as well act like it and take the high road.

The Teen Vogue article actually did that. Its an inclusive and good argument. So when its being taken out of context by the right, expose them. Maybe it'll work. Its worth a try.
For sure. But try and understand that for some people (POC) it must get tiresome. I realize that I am in no position to suggest how someone who has to live through the shit on a daily handles things like racism. I think its on me to do things as I see fit. I keep my opinions on how to deal with the shit reserved for my white friends.

Edit: I dont think its as much of a left/right thing as it is a black/white thing. When the subject is race anyway.
 
You are giving them ammunition...
What do you think scared away the people who voted for Obama twice?
Just saying that they have been racists all along is not a constructive way to go about that.

What do you want to achieve?

Damn libruls taking over the country is literally amoung the biggest fears of Trump voters.

I am not saying you shouldnt talk about it. I just think it should be weighed differently.

With who? This is how you preach to the choir.
You won't reach anyone from the other side...

Or their reactions could be celebrated by these communities on the internet. I'm a straight male, but I've seen PLENTY of gifs of gay men that are amazing! And if I was a gif responding type person, I'd use them every day.

I've seen plenty of gifs using different cross dressing males and/or trans-women on Ru Paul's show that are certified Rotten Tomatoes level great. If I were to use any of them, it would be out of deference, not ridicule.

No, I would suggest talking about it in a different way.
This article reads as if it was targeted at people who already know what cultural appropriation is agree that its problematic, but those are not the people you want to reach, do you?

I mean, Teen Vogue is great, its pretty much the most surprising positive development in media in recent years. I'm a sucker for thing high politics.
And I don't want to take that away, my point is just that someone like Jon Steward might have been more successful in reaching the other side with his approach.
Someone who can reach across the party line is missing right now, and I think thats not only because the right is so far gone, but also because the left doesn't like when people try. They feel like it diminishes their cause if you even engage with them.
And I agree with that partially. Megyn Kelly interviewing Alex Jones was a stupid idea, but its not always that easy.

I'm just gonna address all this at once.

First, you're making BIG assumptions about the target audience here. Do you really think Jackson sat down and said, damn, with this short op/ed, I'm gonna teach people about cultural appropriation and racism and I'm gonna do it through gif usage? Nah. She made a nuanced argument simply asking people who read Teen Vogue to stop and think about a thing for a second. The assumptions you can make about her target audience, then, is that many are already probably primed to read something short like this and say oh, yeah, maybe so. So your bolded portion? Is correct. Until you start adding shit on to it.

It's not meant to heal the nation's divide. It's not why Trump won. It's a small thing for people who use gifs a lot to consider - and ALL IT IS DOING IS ASKING FOR CONSIDERATION, FULL STOP, DON'T MAKE IT BIGGER, DON'T MAKE IT 'STOP USING GIFS.' One small thing. It's not meant to reach your But-I'm-Not-Racist-I-Just-Think-Obummer-Is-Muslim-Terr'ist Uncle. There are other ways to attempt to do that, whether or not they will be successful. But no one should not make these arguments because some right wing asshole is gonna send it to Alex Jones or Breitbart. There's not anything to be done about that in the short term and we shouldn't stop trying to make the willing a little more considerate because the unwilling are becoming more confrontational every day.

Why not "lol that guy talks funny"?

Or is it automatically color + funnything when it's black man who says something that sounds funny? Is it not even possible that this type of a thing would be just because of what is said instead of the color of the guy who says it?

I mean, there are lots of viral videos where stuff like that have been taken out of context and it has been made into a song. And lots of them have a non-black person saying something.

Now I haven't seen the actual video you mentioned so I don't know if it actually looks like it has been done solely because of that person is black and says the thing. It could have other racist remaks too. But in general I think if a black person "talks funny" the comedy is in the words themselves rather than in black person saying the words. Or then I'm just way too optimistic and naive. Nevertheless it would be interesting to have a longer discussion about this point of view too.

At this point, you're kinda talking out of your ass here, you know? "I haven't seen the thing so I don't know if it's racist, but I'm just gonna assume it's not for reasons that make my flimsy argument sound better!"

Do better.

Suggesting people think about the implications of..anything they do, really, can never not be the right approach obviously.

Me, non-black person, decided that it is my place to express *my own doubts* and nothing else.
My post had several honest question marks in it.
I'm not telling anyone how they should feel and I don't have answers.
I actually don't have a single black friend to talk to (small-ish town in Europe, basically no black people here) so I'm just here to hear other people's opinions and understand.

You're right, I don't have a personal stake in it. I'm Italian and I do come across casual racism and stereotyping (even on neogaf) but that's beyond the point. I'm just asking/wondering: does this help the cause or reinforce the sentiment that black people and white people are ultimately too 'different' and will never get along ?

It's a honest question, I'm looking for honest answers.

Except "expressing your own doubts" looks awfully like trying to shut down discussion. Because honestly, how is your point here, which is essentially "but if we talk about race it's racism" helping any dialogue? Also an honest question. edit to clarify: when we do this whole "but that's also racism" (first, it's not), it makes it really easy for white people to just look away and not get involved because now the whole thing looks problematic and hard and it's just easier to avoid rather than to take a step back and consider the perspectives of those who are actually affected and how your behavior might be affecting them, you know?

Someone earlier made the point that there was a different in responding/disagreeing and shutting down, and that's a good one, I think.
 
My friend who visited India for a few weeks said they glorify light skinned people as well in advertisements, on television, and in public. You won't see many light skinned people on the streets but they are over represented in Indian media because thats what is seen as ideal.
Well in those countries: pale= not working outside= rich
It's not really linked to an idéalisation of leucordermal people.
 
Wait, what does that have to do with being black?

Because it sounds like there's this stereotype that black people speak mostly in slang or have poor use of grammar -- or otherwise don't articulate themselves like "normal people".

I'm sure that outside of what watching television will have you think, people just speak like those around them regardless of race.
To your first point, that's not my phrasing. I was offering context to widen what the poster should have meant which is more in line with your second point.

People just pick up on things from people they interact with and I notice certain vocal tones and cadences shared by band members and the terms they use.

But yes, stereotypes do exist and I remember that Paul Walker "cuh" thing being a "thing".
 

Oppo

Member
hey_monkey said:
ALL IT IS DOING IS ASKING FOR CONSIDERATION, FULL STOP, DON'T MAKE IT BIGGER, DON'T MAKE IT 'STOP USING GIFS

minor point overall but - the title is a long way from this sentiment. it's the school marm sitting you down and carefully explaining how you've fucked up. there's not a lot of wiggle room for dialog when you start from there. OP confirmed as much in the way they signed off.

i do think people should read it. i did, and rejected the premise, myself. the author want badly to coin a term. will probably work too.
 
minor point overall but - the title is a long way from this sentiment. it's the school marm sitting you down and carefully explaining how you've fucked up. there's not a lot of wiggle room for dialog when you start from there. OP confirmed as much in the way they signed off.

i do think people should read it. i did, and rejected the premise, myself. the author want badly to coin a term. will probably work too.

"When someone tries to educate me about race, I feel like a schoolchild who doesn't want to listen so I close my ears and stomp my feet until they stop."
 

Lesath

Member
Well, my initial thought was defensive: "huh, that's stupid, don't make me change my obviously-not-racist ways because I am not a racist."

But when I mulled it over some more, I can't say with absolute certainty that my enjoyment of some of these gifs (e.g. dis gun be good) are coming from an entirely innocuous place.

Anyway, thanks OP. I've got some reflecting to do.
 

Airola

Member
At this point, you're kinda talking out of your ass here, you know? "I haven't seen the thing so I don't know if it's racist, but I'm just gonna assume it's not for reasons that make my flimsy argument sound better!"

Do better.

Yeah, not the first time I'm talking out of my ass.

Now that I watched it though I think I was right with my initial impression of it however shaky grounds that impression might've been on.

I can't see anything that's "how black men talk" type of joking but something that could've been done no matter who was saying that. It was surprisingly well made too. Felt like the guy was actually performing the song there :O The whole thing was autotuned into something completely different that I can't see where anyone could even get the impression that it's about laughing how a black man talks.

In fact I don't even see the joke being about someone talking funny at all. It seems that it was all about using whatever video was popular as something to make a song out of and have clicks come with it. They even used the newswoman and other people to be part of the song.

Unless this is a wrong video, that is.
(this one has nearly 140 million views though so I'd think it's the correct one).
 

D i Z

Member
The only thing I've learned from this thread is not to comment on Gordon's tig old biddys if you don't want to get domed.
 

eso76

Member
Except "expressing your own doubts" looks awfully like trying to shut down discussion. Because honestly, how is your point here, which is essentially "but if we talk about race it's racism" helping any dialogue? Also an honest question. edit to clarify: when we do this whole "but that's also racism" (first, it's not), it makes it really easy for white people to just look away and not get involved because now the whole thing looks problematic and hard and it's just easier to avoid rather than to take a step back and consider the perspectives of those who are actually affected and how your behavior might be affecting them, you know?

Someone earlier made the point that there was a different in responding/disagreeing and shutting down, and that's a good one, I think.

Shutting down what ?
How is a question supposed to shut down a discussion ?

Look, I don't come into minefield threads like this to try and shut down discussions.
I am here to understand and share opinions.
You know, like "what do you think about this" "you're wrong, because.."/"well you have a point, but there's this thing you haven't considered...".
I thought that's the definition of discussion.

I had questions about blackface before, ignorant questions maybe (it has never been brought to people's attention over here and Wikipedia can only teach you so much) but someone here eventually was patient enough to explain me. And I learned something, I understood, and the things I struggled to understand I am now able to explain to my friends. I'm not one to ask questions if I think the answers I get won't affect me.

Anyway, this shouldn't go on ITT I think, so I'm out.
 
Re: the thread sideline: I am not usually a fan of pulling out old tweets because people change, but your boy Robbie Tripp and his wife Sarah are going on a deleting binge on Twitter, though she left the one about how her husband wishes he was 6'9" and black so he could play basketball better.

iMx7BGI.png


tyQDn7f.png


so cool, yeah, totes positive icons or whatever, not at all calculated to win them Internet Fame Points
 

Trojita

Rapid Response Threadmaker
Re: the thread sideline: I am not usually a fan of pulling out old tweets because people change, but your boy Robbie Tripp and his wife Sarah are going on a deleting binge on Twitter, though she left the one about how her husband wishes he was 6'9" and black so he could play basketball better.

iMx7BGI.png


tyQDn7f.png


so cool, yeah, totes positive icons or whatever, not at all calculated to win them Internet Fame Points

That's some serious douchebaggery.
 
Re: the thread sideline: I am not usually a fan of pulling out old tweets because people change, but your boy Robbie Tripp and his wife Sarah are going on a deleting binge on Twitter, though she left the one about how her husband wishes he was 6'9" and black so he could play basketball better.

iMx7BGI.png


tyQDn7f.png


so cool, yeah, totes positive icons or whatever, not at all calculated to win them Internet Fame Points

sarah_tripp_racist_by_digi_matrix-dbixckx.png


Yikes.
 
Re: the thread sideline: I am not usually a fan of pulling out old tweets because people change, but your boy Robbie Tripp and his wife Sarah are going on a deleting binge on Twitter, though she left the one about how her husband wishes he was 6'9" and black so he could play basketball better.

iMx7BGI.png


tyQDn7f.png


so cool, yeah, totes positive icons or whatever, not at all calculated to win them Internet Fame Points



wellthereitis.gif
 

dafortune

Member
I kinda get what the author is talking about. I've witnessed the phenomenon they're describing and the issues behind it. But I think the criticism of this kind of thing is best done on a case by case basis instead of an article like this which many people with (rightfully) interpret as a demand to never use a reaction gif with a black person in it. The term digital blackface is a bit much too, I think it's more like some white people 'trying to be down.'
 
I kinda get what the author is talking about. I've witnessed the phenomenon they're describing and the issues behind it. But I think the criticism of this kind of thing is best done on a case by case basis instead of an article like this which many people with (rightfully) interpret as a demand to never use a reaction gif with a black person in it. The term digital blackface is a bit much too, I think it's more like some white people 'trying to be down.'

But the author is literally not saying to never use a gif with a black person in it.

You can't rightfully interpret something that is the exact opposite of what she's saying
 
Pop gaf is extremely egregious with this mess

the yasss queen BS needs to stop from yall

wellthereitis.gif

Everyone wants to be a nigga these days

but no one wants to be a nigga.


Ah. So what do you think can be done about it?
I think the democrats need a new charismatic figure that can reach everyone, like Obama.
I had hopes for Keith Ellison, but he wasn't liked by the democratic establishment.
I have hopes for Kamala Harris, but she isn't liked by the left wing of the Dems.

But what doesn't work is Clintons approach to call the right deplorables and refuse to engage with them, but for some reason many people seem to fancy this idea very much.




This makes sense to me. But I've seen this stuff being used against the left so many times, so I am concerned.

Okay let me put it to you in words you should understand.

WE DO NOT NEGOTIATE WITH TERRORISTS.

Man

I only have 1 gif with a soul brother in it, and it's not even cool. It's fuckin dorky:

giphy.gif

tf that is lit fam

It's an interesting premise, although I feel like it falls into the same trap a lot of such discussions have -- the assumption that there is a singular "black" identity. You cannot suppose that any form of internet expression using images/memes involving people of high melanin content might be co-opting "black" identity without first making a pretty big assumption yourself about what that "black" identity is.

I've never in my life met two consecutive black people that were even remotely 'cut from the same cloth'. Everything from their musical interests to their taste in cars, clothing, and food as been as varied in my experience as that of any other race or national origin. To assign one identity to them as a whole and then try to build some sort of high-minded intellectual discourse over how we may or may not be using their identity/culture as a disparagement seems absurd just on its initial premise.

Now if someone is reposting ACTUAL blackface or has a pattern of only using black imagery andnonly in conjunction with emotional extremes, then by all means call them out on it. But asking the average user to self-censor for fear of being labelled said type of person just seems to me to be looking for a tempest in a teapot, sort o speak.

As always the fear and anxiety that comes with being labeled are on the individual being labeled.


The following is exactly what im talking about : see below


I think the article is reaching, frankly, and is borderline ridiculous. Using reaction GIFs doesn't equate to adopting nor presenting a persona, let alone focusing on the race of the people within the GIFs. Typically, they're selected more for entertainment and comedic purposes, then to present an honest recount of a person's exact reaction and/or emotional state to whatever-thing. Unless you think literally thousands of people are attempting to convince the world that Weebay's shock and revelation is somehow a universal truth, common only to the human condition?

Let's get specific. I have a selection of Denzel Washington GIFs in my reaction list. I think we can all agree that Denzel Washington is black. As it so happens, I am not black. Why do I have these specific GIFs of Denzel Washington? Because I think the man is one of the greatest actors of any era, I love basically every film he's ever done, and damn it, I enjoy showing off his range any chance I get. He's iconic, talented, and worth any scrap of praise I can offer. I am not racist, nor am I donning blackface, by using GIFs featuring Denzel Washington. And, frankly, insinuations to contrary get under my skin.

giphy.gif

Case in point. It begs the question, why are you being so defensive, bro?


tumblr_omxgfpTyHq1vrpazoo2_500.gif


It was intentional given the context(Irony), if I'm going too far please let me know and I'll remove it.

I love how well parodied american idol is on black mirror

I mean black people are funny and people think we have funny reactions to things.

I understand the argument that sometimes it feels like caricature.

People, just because someone brings up the potential problematic racial implications of something you enjoy doesn't mean you need to automatically assume that person is calling anyone racist or trying to take away the thing that you enjoy

IMO its about as problematic as stereotyping because its usually about being EXTRA with your response.
 

ModBot

Not a mod, just a bot.
Nah, we don't need to bump a month-old contentious thread because some youtuber is covering the same topic.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom