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The 'OK' hand signal - no longer acceptable?

PoppaBK

PoppaBK

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,165
So today I learned that the 'OK' hand signal has been somehow co-opted and is a troll-y white power symbol. I just taught this symbol to my 5 year old and 7 year old the other day unaware of any alternative meaning. Seemingly it was started as a 'fake' symbol to troll people and has now become a genuine symbol of hate.
https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2018/09/18/ok-sign-white-power-symbol-or-just-right-wing-troll

Should I teach my kids not to make that sign, or are people smart enough to figure out that in the absence of any other indications it just means 'OK'?
 
Dreams-Visions

Dreams-Visions

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
41,368
Miami, FL
It's fine.

Context is everything. Just because cultural things get co-opted by scumlords doesn't mean they get to define its past, present and future.
 

Deleted member 9241

Oct 26, 2017
10,416
Teach your kids about context. It is an essential skill.
 
ElectricBlanketFire

ElectricBlanketFire

What year is this?
Member
Oct 25, 2017
31,800
Go with a thumbs up instead.

4Rdb.gif
 
Username1198

Username1198

The Fallen
Oct 27, 2017
8,110
Space, Man
It depends on context I guess.

A five year old doing it is probably innocent.

A republican alt right shitheel doing it has a racist meaning.
 
Masoyama

Masoyama

Attempted to circumvent a ban with an alt account
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
5,648
If you use it to mean OK its fine.

If you use it while surrounded by kids throwing the seig heil, then its not OK.
 
BocoDragon

BocoDragon

Banned
Oct 26, 2017
5,207
Only a fringe of the far-right used it to troll, and a fringe of the far-left conceded.

Most normal people won't have a clue in the world what you are talking about if you try to argue that it's a co-opted alt-right symbol.

I still see people using it in advertisements, it still suggests the symbol when I type "ok" on iPhone.... I say, ignore the trolls. Use the symbol anyway. It's ridiculous and seems like it's just letting them win with their troll to get worried about it.
 
SideMatt

SideMatt

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
874
I thought it was a sex thing or something now. Pretty sure it's not a meme because of white power at least.
 
TarpitCarnivore

TarpitCarnivore

Member
Oct 25, 2017
20,202
If you're using it in photos the way it keeps popping up then people are going to question you on it

If you're just playing the game, you'll be fine.
 
Masoyama

Masoyama

Attempted to circumvent a ban with an alt account
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
5,648
BocoDragon said:
Only a fringe of the far-right used it to troll, and a fringe of the far-left conceded.

Most normal people won't have a clue in the world what you are talking about if you try to argue that it's a co-opted alt-right symbol.

I still see people using it in advertisements, it still suggests the symbol when I type "ok" on iPhone.... I say, ignore the trolls. Use the symbol anyway. It's ridiculous and seems like it's just letting them win with their troll to get worried about it.
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I mean, I know ERA is full of ignorant people, but I still get kind of surprised by the level of ignorance.

The WP symbol is way older than the current Alt-right generation.
 
Rover

Rover

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,412
I've rarely seen people use it before it started popping up on photos with shitheads, and I'm not really sure what the fuss is in disowning it. Considering the more salient things these people are threatening, you could be concerned about a lot more than a hand sign.
 
hydrophilic attack

hydrophilic attack

Member
Oct 25, 2017
21,426
Sweden
saying it was a white power symbol started as an alt-right troll to make leftists/liberals look bad for reacting negatively to it, but they've still sort of ruined it for me, personally

welp, and all this is covered in the OP lol

folks, this is why you should read the OP before responding :/
 
DevilMayGuy

DevilMayGuy

Member
Oct 25, 2017
13,572
Texas
It's fine. Just don't use it the wrong way and it'll be hard to misconstrue. If you're in a sea of blue eyed blond students at a certain high school using the good ole nazi salute, perhaps refrain from using the gesture, lest you get falsely assumed to be a nazi.
 

JDSN

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
5,129
Its fine, but if you are doing nazi things or like nazi shit dont be surprised people people contextualize it into you being a nazi piece of shit.
 
Berordn

Berordn

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 26, 2017
9,725
NoVA
When the far left caught on to the connotation they were already using other symbols anyway.

As long as you're not using it the way they do, nobody will think it means anything but 'okay'.
 
Sunster

Sunster

The Fallen
Oct 5, 2018
10,003
using it as intended to say OK will 100% not be an issue. posing for a photo doing it might. but i mean, how many situations are there where you'd be doing that in a photo? lol this is a non issue. your kids will be fine.
 
Prinz Eugn

Prinz Eugn

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,393
I just make sure to ask "is this ok?" while I use the index finger on my other hand to point through the "o" a few times, to make sure people around me are clear with what the gesture is.
 
Masoyama

Masoyama

Attempted to circumvent a ban with an alt account
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
5,648
BocoDragon said:
Way older like... 2015? What are you talking about. If things are so obvious post a link or explain yourself.
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I remember the OK hand sign being thrown when I was growing up in Costa Rica, which was about a decade ago. Meaning is hard to translate but its an insult.
 
demondance

demondance

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,808
Going to add to the context chorus. They think they're being clever, but outside of broken social media/internet forum minds it's not particularly hard to gather context. When you see a bunch of known alt-right types do it, when you see people throw it up in weird circumstances with other suspect details, you know they're trying to wink at their crowd and trigger the libs or whatever. For the other 99% of the time it's still just the OK symbol.

It's a really low-tier troll attempt. These absolute dipshits really do think reality follows debate club and internet forum debate rules, as if you can't gather context and see straight through someone. Like... we can all see your imageboard conversations about this shit. We see the discord leaks. These dorks aren't anywhere close to playing the 12th dimensional chess game they think they are. Like... this is standard fascist playbook stuff. They co-opt symbols and words constantly. You'd think they'd catch on that maybe now that were on the better part of a century of this tactic that maybe people have caught on?
 
TheMan

TheMan

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
3,264
Dreams-Visions said:
It's fine.

Context is everything. Just because cultural things get co-opted by scumlords doesn't mean they get to define its past, present and future.
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Sure. Why don't you draw the old map symbol for a Buddhist temple on your forehead and see how that goes.

Actually I'd say that context can important for a while but eventually meaning do change in a widespread and permanent way. The ok sing is fine for now but check back in 20 years
 
Sheepinator

Sheepinator

Member
Jul 25, 2018
27,911
I didn't know what that hand gesture meant, I've never used it in my entire life and I've been informed today it's used by white power people. What if your kids start doing that white power gesture while in a restaurant with you or somewhere like that, how's that going to look for you? If you want to teach your kids a gesture, just do the thumbs up. It's simple, and everyone knows it.
 
BocoDragon

BocoDragon

Banned
Oct 26, 2017
5,207
Masoyama said:
I remember the OK hand sign being thrown when I was growing up in Costa Rica, which was about a decade ago. Meaning is hard to translate but its an insult.
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Well that's a local meaning then. Internationally that symbol has only meant "ok" for decades, and any connotations to white power are absolutely a recent alt-right troll development.

Also, you might want to be a little more shy to use the word "ignorant" in the future. You didn't exactly have the stunning fact that would back that word up.
 
demondance

demondance

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,808
Sheepinator said:
I didn't know what that hand gesture meant, and I've been informed today it's used by white power people. What if your kids start doing that white power gesture while in a restaurant with you or somewhere like that, how's that going to look for you? It seems to me if you want to teach your kids a gesture, just do the thumbs up. It's simple, and everyone knows it.
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Oh, come on. OK means OK. The whole reason they chose this symbol was to try to muddy the waters. There's no reason why you shouldn't, like, taste something good and make the OK sign or whatever. Nobody will look at that and be like "oh no he's on that white power steak eating shit!"

Now if you're a known shitlord with a twitter account packed with sus opinions and every time you pose for a picture you randomly throw out the OK symbol, we know what the fuck you're getting at. Because we have a whole part of our brains besides the stem.
 

Deleted member 24907

Banned
Oct 29, 2017
5,354
The whole point of co-opting an innocuous hand signal is to take ownership of it. Don't let them take ownership of it. I mean don't use it more than you did before, but if you were using it before don't be afraid of it.
 
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