Uncomfortable topics: Let's talk about race

[Reginald Ret]

I've just realized, on my floor at least, I'm an ethnic minority now.

There's really nothing like posting a racist gif to kill an otherwise reasonable conversation about race.

I don't get it.
Both why the picture is supposed to be funny (is it?) or why it's racist.
The black adult of uncertain gender on the left looks to be bleeding from a headwound. Though if his head goes up that far it's HUGE! Is that the joke?

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

It's racist because of the transgressive context of taking a studio portrait of a black family and making it into a .gif in which all members of the family are doing a stereotypical  head wag that is heavily associated with black women from US ghettoes. In fact, the whole reason it's an internet meme is because of the internet social more that "nothing is sacred"; it is therefore funny because it is transgressive.

Badbeast was showing off his irreverence by posting it in a thread about race which apparently he had decided wasn't funny, edgy, or badass enough.

[BadBeast]

It's racist because of the transgressive context of taking a studio portrait of a black family and making it into a .gif in which all members of the family are doing a stereotypical  head wag that is heavily associated with black women from US ghettoes. In fact, the whole reason it's an internet meme is because of the internet social more that "nothing is sacred"; it is therefore funny because it is transgressive.

Badbeast was showing off his irreverence by posting it in a thread about race which apparently he had decided wasn't funny, edgy, or badass enough.

I don't see how it's racist either. And to be perfectly honest, " transgressive context of taking a studio portrait of a black family and making it into a .gif in which all members of the family are doing a stereotypical  head wag that is heavily associated with black women from US ghettoes" means less than fuck all to me.
I posted it because I thought it was funny, not because*I* decided the thread wasn't edgy, or badass enough.
I can live with the fact Nigel doesn't think it was funny. But to blame me for "killing the thread?" That's not true.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

It's racist because of the transgressive context of taking a studio portrait of a black family and making it into a .gif in which all members of the family are doing a stereotypical  head wag that is heavily associated with black women from US ghettoes. In fact, the whole reason it's an internet meme is because of the internet social more that "nothing is sacred"; it is therefore funny because it is transgressive.

Badbeast was showing off his irreverence by posting it in a thread about race which apparently he had decided wasn't funny, edgy, or badass enough.

I don't see how it's racist either. And to be perfectly honest, " transgressive context of taking a studio portrait of a black family and making it into a .gif in which all members of the family are doing a stereotypical  head wag that is heavily associated with black women from US ghettoes" means less than fuck all to me.
I posted it because I thought it was funny, not because*I* decided the thread wasn't edgy, or badass enough.
I can live with the fact Nigel doesn't think it was funny. But to blame me for "killing the thread?" That's not true.

So because you  thought the thread needed more funny.

How about this; if you don't have anything intelligent to add to a thread that I start with serious intent and in which serious discussion is happening, don't add anything. I am not entirely stunned, based on some of your other posts ITT, that you can't comprehend why that .gif is racist (despite the fact that its funniness relies on racism) but there are few enough serious discussions on the forum at any given time.

Please and thank you.

Hey, at least that gif could potentially be the jumping off point for the question of whether other people here see racism in it, and why or why not.

For the record I am not offended by the gif per se, and I do see humor in it, but the humor is completely dependent on racism (and would really only be appropriate in this context as a statement or sarcasm or irony).

[Triple Zero]

Well, on that note, I personally wasn't aware that the "head-wagging" in the GIF was a racist stereotype heavily associated with black women from US ghettoes, but assumed it was a kind of gimmick-effect to make it look sort of 3D (seen a similar effect in other GIFs). Though now that you've pointed it out, I do see it.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Well, on that note, I personally wasn't aware that the "head-wagging" in the GIF was a racist stereotype heavily associated with black women from US ghettoes, but assumed it was a kind of gimmick-effect to make it look sort of 3D (seen a similar effect in other GIFs). Though now that you've pointed it out, I do see it.

I was wondering if it was funny or just baffling to people outside of the US... most of the humor is based in the idea that "here is a picture of black people animated to be doing that black thing".

It's also kind of funny in the "bad family photos" kind of way, but without that bit of cultural context it doesn't really make any more sense as a "funny picture" than, say:

[Phox]

Well, on that note, I personally wasn't aware that the "head-wagging" in the GIF was a racist stereotype heavily associated with black women from US ghettoes, but assumed it was a kind of gimmick-effect to make it look sort of 3D (seen a similar effect in other GIFs). Though now that you've pointed it out, I do see it.

I was wondering if it was funny or just baffling to people outside of the US... most of the humor is based in the idea that "here is a picture of black people animated to be doing that black thing".

It's also kind of funny in the "bad family photos" kind of way, but without that bit of cultural context it doesn't really make any more sense as a "funny picture" than, say:

Okay, context or no, that picture is down right hilarious. I love the look on the grandmother's face. It just screams "I totally bought that KISS album for her." 

[Cain]

Honestly, a lot of US racial stereotypes do not cross the Atlantic well.  Fried chicken and watermelon is another one that someone unfamiliar with US culture would not realise is racist.

Obviously it depends on a lot of factors in these days of the internet, and I sometimes feel I might be leading you guys to have high expectations concerning foreigners, since I'm fairly clued in when it comes to American culture.  I suspect my own generation are probably more familiar with US pop culture than most (hell, our gangs even call the police "feds" now), but its an uneven distribution even then.

[Nephew Twiddleton]

I primarily saw a really terrible family photo. I noticed the movement but it didnt immediately strike me as racist- i figured it was just some other weird internet thing that i dont understand and would think is stupid humor if i did understand it. Mostly because ive come to expect that from the internet- inane shit that other people find funny.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I primarily saw a really terrible family photo. I noticed the movement but it didnt immediately strike me as racist- i figured it was just some other weird internet thing that i dont understand and would think is stupid humor if i did understand it. Mostly because ive come to expect that from the internet- inane shit that other people find funny.

You didn't grow up in America, did you? You came here from Ireland or something?

There are a few of things going on in that picture. One, it's a horribly unflattering picture of an unattractive black woman with a moustache and her family, all of whom appear to be victims of the '80's. Two, they've been gifified to be wagging their heads in a way that pretty much anyone who grew up in the States or Canada will generally recognize as the "Oh No You Di'int!" ghetto black girl head-bob. Three, I am not at all sure of why it would seem funny to place that picture in a thread about race unless it was specifically because the humor of the gif relies on racism, because otherwise it's just randomly posting an awkward photo of a black family in a thread about race.

[Nephew Twiddleton]

Ive lived in boston my whole life. I never really knew too many people who werent white catholics until high school however. Perhaps thats the reason? I dont know. I basically saw that as the same as that gif of bds bopping his head. I can see its as racist now that you mention it though.

[East Coast Hustle]

Though I certainly do not think BB is a racist, there's no question that the humor in that gif is completely racism-driven.

Well, except for the chickstache. That'd be funny in any skin tone. But that's probably sexist of me.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Though I certainly do not think BB is a racist, there's no question that the humor in that gif is completely racism-driven.

Well, except for the chickstache. That'd be funny in any skin tone. But that's probably sexist of me.

I don't think BB is a racist, I just think he's clueless.

The chickstache is funny for a given value of funny. The whole picture is funny because it's awkward as fuck. Adding the head-bob is funny because it's racist, if that makes sense. In the context of this thread it might be funny, depending on the surrounding posts.

[Nephew Twiddleton]

Its a cringeworthy photo even without the animation. Anyway perhaps it was a bit of naivete on my part mixed in with my low expectations of internet humor.

[BadBeast]

Though I certainly do not think BB is a racist, there's no question that the humor in that gif is completely racism-driven.

Well, except for the chickstache. That'd be funny in any skin tone. But that's probably sexist of me.

I don't think BB is a racist, I just think he's clueless.

The chickstache is funny for a given value of funny. The whole picture is funny because it's awkward as fuck. Adding the head-bob is funny because it's racist, if that makes sense. In the context of this thread it might be funny, depending on the surrounding posts.

So was it funny? Or not funny? As for clueless, So I didn't grow up with the American tropes of what's racist and what isn't. Racism was primarily getting your head kicked in for being black, or even hanging out with black friends. And taking a stand against racism was to take to the streets in the Rock against Racism rallys of the late 80's, or the Anti Fascist rallys of the early 90's, and to be prepared to actually physically fight back against the Nazi Boneheads, or the National fucking Front. So to suggest I'm simply "clueless" rather than just "not particularly funny" makes me a little bit angry. Not very, but just a little bit!