Have you used "digital blackface?" Do you even know what it is? I'm just now learning about it courtesy of the fall-out from Oprah's interview with some prince and a duchess.
Digital blackface refers to when white or non-black people express emotions through GIFs or images of black people. It appears that people are using images of Oprah's facial expressions during the interview, and apparently this is not allowed unless you are black.
Why is this wrong? According to the article, "it feeds into the greater trend of non-Black people performing Blackness in order to look cool or humorous." I don't even know what this means. Another reason is that spreading these memes somehow reinforces stereotypes. I have a pretty simple answer for this one. If you want me to stop believing in stereotypes, stop fulfilling them. People get riled up when I say that.
Apparently, I have been guilty of using digital blackface when using the crying Michael Jordan meme and the Ain't Nobody Got Time for Dat lady. I don't feel bad about it because I don't think I did anything wrong. There are real racism issues in the world that are affecting people's lives far more than some pictures or GIFs floating around on the internet.
*Note to self: Need to tighten filter that is supposed to exclude all things related to "royal family."
Digital blackface refers to when white or non-black people express emotions through GIFs or images of black people. It appears that people are using images of Oprah's facial expressions during the interview, and apparently this is not allowed unless you are black.
Why is this wrong? According to the article, "it feeds into the greater trend of non-Black people performing Blackness in order to look cool or humorous." I don't even know what this means. Another reason is that spreading these memes somehow reinforces stereotypes. I have a pretty simple answer for this one. If you want me to stop believing in stereotypes, stop fulfilling them. People get riled up when I say that.
Apparently, I have been guilty of using digital blackface when using the crying Michael Jordan meme and the Ain't Nobody Got Time for Dat lady. I don't feel bad about it because I don't think I did anything wrong. There are real racism issues in the world that are affecting people's lives far more than some pictures or GIFs floating around on the internet.
*Note to self: Need to tighten filter that is supposed to exclude all things related to "royal family."
But yeah I was talking about this about a year back because I asked why memes featured black people more than non-black. I was told the explanation that you are writing about here.
I'm glad that I'm not white because then I can just pull out my race card and say I'm good. Lol jk. But who knows. Maybe. I think the key is just to not play in these political games. There's a lot of problems in the world -- including racism -- and they need a different type of work to be improved.
I think similarly to a lot of people talking a big game about wanting to do X project but not doing the work and not staying commited. I think these political battles are that equivalent of just talking a big game about change.