Why are memes of black people reacting so popular online? - The Guardian

[RedMercury]

https://www.theguardian.com/culture...es-of-black-people-reacting-so-popular-online

The online popularity of images of black people – particularly women and femme gay men – is a fact of internet life and, in recent months, an increasingly controversial one. Racist caricature and impersonation are widely accepted tools of white supremacy, but it's when minstrelsy's 19th-century traditional tools of boot polish and a wig are replaced with 21st-century equivalents that the confusion begins. Are gifs being used to disseminate racist stereotypes in cyberspace? Was the "black marching band dances to Fleetwood Mac" meme an example of "digital blackface", as suggested in a recent high-traffic Twitter thread? Is there something problematic about white people using brown-skinned emojis? And what about the Black Lives Matter Facebook fundraising page that was revealed to be run by two unaffiliated white men in Australia? Was this the latest iteration of digital blackface in action? Or just a run-of-the-mill money-making scam?

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It's significant that digital blackface's first boom period, around the turn of the decade, coincided with the Obamas moving into the White House. "They'll deny it now," says Hudson, "but seeing accomplished, attractive, stylish, and intelligent Michelle Obama on the global stage shook a lot of folks who didn't consider themselves racist to their cores. There was this desperate scramble to squeeze her into some semi-relevant stereotype of a black woman.

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The average internet user, on the other hand, seems far more prone to react defensively to any discussion of digital blackface. Typical responses include scornful scepticism regarding the very concept, accusing those who raise the issue of trivialising "real" racism, and railing against the injustice of "meme segregation" – this, despite the fact that Jackson and others have repeatedly said they're proposing nothing of the sort.

Of all the responses, though, there is one that Jackson finds particularly bemusing: "White people who have now sworn off gifs for ever more and [are] telling me all about it, when I never asked for that. It seems like people with that response are more interested in brownie points for being a Good White Person than doing the more rigorous ongoing work of checking their behaviour online."

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There's a ton more at the link, it's a long article, check it out!

I'm a white dude but I see this a fair bit on facebook from other white people that I know that maybe raises an eyebrow a bit, just one of those things like "hm, it's odd they chose that gif from a movie they'll never see or of an actor they will never know the name of".

 

[Sinfamy]

Digital blackface again?
First BBC and now The Guardian.
The UK really loves this topic.

They really seem to be selectively picking and grasping at straws here, completely discarding like two decades of memes and reaction images where no black people were present, if anything it's more inclusive.

I exclusively use anime reaction images.

 

[wizard]

I like Childish Gambino reaction gifs

 

[Einchy]

I'm a white dude but I see this a fair bit on facebook from other white people that I know that maybe raises an eyebrow a bit, just one of those things like "hm, it's odd they chose that gif from a movie they'll never see or of an actor they will never know the name of".

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[Dice]

i'm sorry, some of them are pretty great though.

 

[Gaga Dead Aunt]

The culture. I appreciate it.

 

[NinjaScooter]

blackguyblinking.gif

 

[Deleted member 4034]

 

[itwasTuesday]

White people who have now sworn off gifs for ever

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[icyflamez96]

Maybe we have the best reactions

 

[Liquid Snake]

What the fuck? It's a good gif, I use it. Who gives a shit what race the person is.

 

[Deleted member 14377]

Maybe we have the best reactions

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[Deleted member 4034]

What the fuck? It's a good gif, I use it. Who gives a shit what race the person is.

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"The average internet user, on the other hand, seems far more prone to react defensively to any discussion of digital blackface."

 

[Deleted member 11093]

I'm a white dude but I see this a fair bit on facebook from other white people that I know that maybe raises an eyebrow a bit, just one of those things like "hm, it's odd they chose that gif from a movie they'll never see or of an actor they will never know the name of".

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.....

 

[Harken Raiser]

The online popularity of images of black people – particularly women and femme gay men

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So if I stick gifs of masculine straight men, I'm in the clear, right?

 

[itwasTuesday]

 

[Sordid Plebeian]

 

[Sinfamy]

If this is the type of person that you are, and if this is the topic you wish to die on a hill for in 2018 when we have a Trump administration, police brutality and real racism, you are beyond lost in a world full of faux outrage.
And I realize that "why worry about this, when there is much worse out there" is a common fallacy, but it's like worrying about mold in your basement when your house is on fire.

Is it really that unreasonable to be cognizant about the way that white culture has a tendency to appropriate black culture?

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Absolutely not in this context what so ever.
People reacting to things is also not culture.

 

[Advance_Alarm]

 

[MattB]

There's a ton more at the link, it's a long article, check it out!

I'm a white dude but I see this a fair bit on facebook from other white people that I know that maybe raises an eyebrow a bit, just one of those things like "hm, it's odd they chose that gif from a movie they'll never see or of an actor they will never know the name of".

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I haven't seen most of the stuff I post gifs of. Doesn't matter if the person is white black, anime, or a cartoon if the reaction is funny I post it.

 

[SugarNoodles]

Digital blackface again?
First BBC and now The Guardian.
The UK really loves this topic.

They really seem to be selectively picking and grasping at straws here, completely discarding like two decades of memes and reaction images where no black people were present, if anything it's more inclusive.

I exclusively use anime reaction images.

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Is it really that unreasonable to be cognizant about the way that white culture has a tendency to appropriate black culture?

 

[Deleted member 4034]

I haven't seen most of the stuff I post gifs of. Doesn't matter if the person is white black, anime, or a cartoon if the reaction is funny I post it.

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"I don't see race, I see humor."

 

[Takyon]

 

[RedMercury]

.....

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What's weird about that? It's people with a pattern of lie going out of their way to do it in a way where it's like a caricature, they could pick gifs that represent what they wanna say from media they are familiar with, but they deliberately will choose a black gif and yeah, I mean I think it's weird. They will never have a clue where it came from or anything, and these are people who never interact with black people, like ever. You don't think that's kind of weird? Did you read the article because it goes into a lot of depth. Like, I don't know, it's just a feeling I get, I'm open to being wrong ya know

....."It's superfun to 'play black' when you know that you can instantly step back into being non-black, avoiding the stigma, danger and burdens of reduced social capital that real black people often endure," says Hudson. "So while it may not be the stated intention of the folks who participate in digital blackface, it is anti-black racism that makes it possible for them."

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[SugarNoodles]

If this is the type of person that you are, and if this is the topic you wish to die on a hill for in 2018 when we have a Trump administration, police brutality and real racism, you are beyond lost in a world full of faux outrage.

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This is just blatant gaslighting. The fact that there are terrible things happening doesnt mean that people cant talk about the subject in the article.

 

[Einchy]

me when I realize anyone posting Soraya Montenegro from now on is appropriating my culture

 

[wizard]

 

[DigitalOp]

 

[Aaron Stack]

If this is the type of person that you are, and if this is the topic you wish to die on a hill for in 2018 when we have a Trump administration, police brutality and real racism, you are beyond lost in a world full of faux outrage.
And I realize that "why worry about this, when there is much worse out there" is a common fallacy, but it's like worrying about mold in your basement when your house is on fire.

Absolutely not in this context what so ever.
People reacting to things is also not culture.

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That picture is dumb, the two gifs represent two entirely different moods that may not be relatable.

 

[passepied joe]

Y'all better stop appropriating our "why not both" gif because that's digital brownface

 

[ryutaro's mama]

But YASSS QUEEN is my favorite non-Black person gif.

 

[Deleted member 11093]

What's weird about that? It's people with a pattern of lie going out of their way to do it in a way where it's like a caricature, they could pick gifs that represent what they wanna say from media they are familiar with, but they deliberately will choose a black gif and yeah, I mean I think it's weird. They will never have a clue where it came from or anything, and these are people who never interact with black people, like ever. You don't think that's kind of weird? Did you read the article because it goes into a lot of depth. Like, I don't know, it's just a feeling I get, I'm open to being wrong ya know

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[Einchy]

What's weird about that? It's people with a pattern of lie going out of their way to do it in a way where it's like a caricature, they could pick gifs that represent what they wanna say from media they are familiar with, but they deliberately will choose a black gif and yeah, I mean I think it's weird. They will never have a clue where it came from or anything, and these are people who never interact with black people, like ever. You don't think that's kind of weird? Did you read the article because it goes into a lot of depth.

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You're strawmanning like a motherfucker to right now.

So these people
1. Go out of there way to caricature Black people
2. You know for a fact they've never seen the thing they're giffing
3. Never interact with Black people

I think it's weird you assume so much about people just because they post gifs.

 

[Plywood]

me when I realize anyone posting Soraya Montenegro from now on is appropriating my culture

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[Lotus]

Maybe we have the best reactions

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[Conciliator]

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The history of art and civilization is justified b/c this exists.

 

[KrigareN-]

Good thing I am inclusive!

 

[Einchy]

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[RedMercury]

You're strawmanning like a motherfucker to right now.

So these people
1. Go out of there way to caricature Black people
2. You know for a fact they've never seen the thing they're giffing
3. Never interact with Black people

I think it's weird you assume so much about people just because they post gifs.

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I mean these are people I know personally so I'm not really assuming much but okay, I don't know why you're getting offended on behalf of people you don't even know and will more than likely never meet. Maybe number 1 is questionable but with a couple people yeah it's kind of the impression I get I guess, and if you read the article you'll see it talks about people who arent even intending to do that.

 

[texhnolyze]

How about Asian? Or Latino?

Believe me, I always try to find Asian reaction gifs but they're so hard to come across compared to White/Black ones. Am I playing white or black if I use them instead?

 

[DukeBlue]

I remember an article like this being posted a while back, and I stilm think that most people don't really notice care about the race of the reaction gif. They also aren't trying to "play black" by posting a gif with a black person. I'm sure there are racist fuckheads that would do that but assuming the general non-black person does this is reallly just grasping at straws

 

[SugarNoodles]

How about Asian? Or Latino?

Believe me, I always try to find Asian reaction gifs but they're so hard to come across compared to White/Black ones. Am I playing white or black if I use them instead?

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This isnt about you. It's about an overarching cultural trend and some baggage behind it.

I remember an article like this being posted a while back, and I stilm think that most people don't really notice care about the race of the reaction gif. They also aren't trying to "play black" by posting a gif with a black person. I'm sure there are racist fuckheads that would do that but assuming the general non-black person does this is reallly just grasping at straws

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This sounds like "colorblind" logic. Race is always noticed.

 

[Booki]

UK folk better use their Drake gifs before he switches up again.

 

[Einchy]

I mean these are people I know personally so I'm not really assuming much but okay, I don't know why you're getting offended on behalf of people you don't even know and will more than likely never meet

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Ironic.

 

[BossAttack]

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I came in this thread just for this one.

 

[Lwyn]

Articles like this one are made for non-informed clicks.

I imagine not a lot of black people get angry when a person of different colour uses a gif of a black person reacting. Many of us have different and more important things to worry about, you know?

 

[RedMercury]

Ironic.

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Mind telling me what your problem with me is exactly? I found an interesting article (or an article I find interesting at least) that lays out some shit I've experienced and offers an explanation for it and every comment you've made in the thread has just been dickish and focused on me personally. Do you have anything to say about the article at all?

Articles like this one are made for non-informed clicks.

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I don't think that's the case if you read it, it's long and well-written. Maybe the title is but there is substance there.

 

[BossAttack]

Mind telling me what your problem with me is exactly? I found an interesting article (or an article I find interesting at least) that lays out some shit I've experienced and offers an explanation for it and every comment you've made in the thread has just been dickish and focused on me personally

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Are you black?

Cuz the shit don't bother the most of us, it sure don't bother me. We got some of the best memes and reaction gifs, of course people are going to use them. Racists co-opting our gifs don't mean shit because they co-opt everything, that don't mean that stuff is bad or regular people should stop enjoying them.

We got bigger problems than gifs.

 

[Einchy]

Mind telling me what your problem with me is exactly? I found an interesting article (or an article I find interesting at least) that lays out some shit I've experienced and offers an explanation for it and every comment you've made in the thread has just been dickish and focused on me personally. Do you have anything to say about the article at all?

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I don't know who you are so I don't have a problem with you.

This digital black face thing was ridiculous months ago and it still is and I found your opening statement to be ridiculous as well, like others in this thread. I already explained why above.

Like, this whole thing is such a goofy shit to get mad about. You practically have to jump through hoops to try and find an angle where maybe, sorta, kinda, it might be an issue.

 

[overcast]

I see shit tons of meme reactions of all kinds. This doesn't feel nearly as concerning as the article is making it out to be.