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"Daquan is a White Girl and black twitter is dead"
- Thread starter twilitesparklemotion
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Vermillion
Banned
...Not precisely (different skin tones are perceived differently), but your point is taken.
UncleSporky
Member
What's the joke supposed to be?
I know talking about a joke kills it, but humor me.
Is it basically the same thing as this, that Kermit is saying things that white people assume black people would say and do?
I just thought it was the combination of Kermit bringing up awful things and then pretending not to care about them. The image of quietly drinking tea and being dismissive is funny on its own. I don't think it has to be a cultural thing.
Is that supposed to be something black people do, or something white people think black people do? I don't think the joke needs that.
Come on son dont act like Nigerians dont do the same shit.
Black Twitter is amazing, I favourite all of Ed Sheerin's tweets.
Oppo
Member
Nothing can top #askDraya
yeah, but Nigerian immigrants tend to assimilate pretty quickly and create small insular communities that block out other blacks. I don't see nigerians mock other nigerians the same way native born blacks mock native born blacks
DoktorEvil
Banned
How does that work? It's like being racist but within your own community?
In Puerto Rico and in the Carribean, there are similar issues with European looking Latinos, dark Latinos, and the Latinos who look closer to Native Americans. NEedless to say, this complicates the whole race and ethnicity issue if the US groups all Latinos as one whole monolithic body.
GeekyDad
Member
yes
google the terms red boned and yellow boned to see actual examples
pretty sure this discussion exists in all minority communities afaik
I haven't been back home in 5 years and I'd hear the occasional comment of a woman being fair. But it was never to this extreme, not at all. How light skin females are supposedly more upscale and high maintenance. Dark skin women are unattractive and way less more desirable. Maybe my age had to do with and I couldn't observe it as much (I was 16 when I left). I mean Igbo women and other tribes from the east are known to be more fairskinned , but I never got the sense that they were more desirable for example. That's just me though.
You are taking the whole instead of looking at the specific ethnic groups. A bunch of northern Nigerian muslim people are not going to create some insular diaspora community with coastal christians they have nothing in common with outside of some lines drawn in the sand by European imperialist the same way expecting all black people to fit into some insular bubble based off some other groups viewing them all the same is also not realistic.
Black Americans are just as diverse as any other group. To think that the entire community will be as open as anybody else is not understanding the diversity of black America.
They might be, but I don't think the disparity is a great as some black people project. Maybe I'm just oblivious to it.
John Kowalski
Banned
It feels like comically exaggerated version of white girl and black man porn. Both use ridiculously precise character archetypes and both play on the feelings of pure, glorious, and unadulterated NTR racists get form interracial sex.
n00bsauce87
Member
He wrote for arguably the best comic who walked this Earth. At worst, top 3. I think he's happy. It's like saying Phil Jackson deserving a better career AFTER acknowledging he coached Michael Jordan in his prime.
I think it might be more prevalent on the female front. Like when women looked good or tried to compliment each other did you ever hear things like "You look bright for some reason" or some other similar remark. The undertone is clearly there. Hell, Dencia biggest fans are pushing her product in Nigeria.
The meme or the article?
I thought it started interestingly, but when it starts using the meme to make a point about cultural appropriation, it kind of lost me.
I don't even see this as cultural appropriation, and more like plain old racist humor, making fun of stereotypes (either satirically or not).
I mean, i can see the argument of cultural appropriation when people say shit like the Cliffy B line about Macklemore, in that *suddenly* rap is good, coming from a white guy.
This meme however, it seems to me, is using the two stereotypes of urban black teen and suburban white bigot family, and while different people will laugh and look at it differently, i still don't see a strong connection with cultural appropriation.
I'm not big on the whole twitter sphere though, so i'm probably missing some crucial pieces.
While I think that Black people are incredibly diverse, I think they have more in common than Africans for example due to the shared historical experience of slavery and having a common language. An African person's first identity is their tribe not their country (especially when you're living in said country). African Americans don't have that split that comes from having a different language and most share a common religion. Maybe I'm wrong in this, but a black person from Atlanta isn't going to think that much differently of a black person from DC. There would be no significant culture clash I don't think (but I'm just going off assumptions here). I had a girl friend (she's Nigerian) tell me she would only marry another Igbo guy because she felt it'd be easier to maintain family connections.
This must be the case then. I do remeber hearing stuff along that line and there were women who bleached their skin, but they were always made fun of.
n00bsauce87
Member
This is under the assumption that it's being egged on by black people completely. As the article suggests, it was most likely started by a white girl. She must have saw some humor behind it and if she's one, i'm pretty sure other white girls and women do too.
Imagine if you will an actual white American family where there is a 16 yr girl who was told that they couldn't see a boy because of his race. To them, this meme is a release from reality because it's something to make fun off. They can have a chuckle; a laugh from their own reality.
I don't see this meme something for white males to laugh at. GAF responses as they are are expected and not surprising.
n00bsauce87
Member
What is this "historical experience of slavery"? That is quite a strong statement. Was all slavery in the Americas the same no matter the location? What about the descendants of blacks who were able to purchase their freedom early? What about the children freed earlier? What about the mulatto/african creole class in New orleans and other delta areas? What about the gullah/geechee culture on the coasts?
I feel simply classifying all black Americans as slave cotton farmers in the south east, and that being a defining experience for the sum of the people, cheapens the true diversity of the African American experience in this VAST nation.
African American vernacular is very region specific. Also religion is also region specific. Different forms of christianity, but as history tells us, that can be as big a jump as different religions all together.
What if the black person from DC is the children of third generation College grads, professionals who were part of blue vein societies, and also grew up in Jack and jill while the person from Atlanta came from the hood, mother was in the nation of Islam, and never knew anybody in his family to graduate from college? Would they not think that much differently based simply on the fact that they both have high concentration of melanin in their skin?
Lol, See how ridiculous that line of thinking sounds?
Would it be any easier for a connected African American person to marry a lower connected African American person? Would their families not also clash?
The thing we must understand about African Americans, and I dont feel like these widespread "Black culture/Twitter" help, is that African Americans are as diverse as any other black nation around.
49 million+ people spread across a vast nation with many different cultures, and many different ideas. Many types of religion, many types of dress, and many types of identities.
We cheapen a group when we try to place them all into a neat little box
DoktorEvil
Banned
Fair enough. I just see how much he's not given his due until people realize he wrote for Richard Pryor.
What is this "historical experience of slavery"? That is quite a strong statement. Was all slavery in the Americas the same no matter the location? What about the descendants of blacks who were able to purchase their freedom early? What about the children freed earlier? What about the mulatto/african creole class in New orleans and other delta areas? What about the gullah/geechee culture on the coasts?
I feel simply classifying all black Americans as slave cotton farmers in the south east, and that being a defining experience for the sum of the people, cheapens the true diversity of the African American experience in this VAST nation.
African American vernacular is very region specific. Also religion is also region specific. Different forms of christianity, but as history tells us, that can be as big a jump as different religions all together.
What if the black person from DC is the children of third generation College grads, professionals who were part of blue vein societies, and also grew up in Jack and jill while the person from Atlanta came from the hood, mother was in the nation of Islam, and never knew anybody in his family to graduate from college? Would they not think that much differently based simply on the fact that they both have high concentration of melanin in their skin?
Lol, See how ridiculous that line of thinking sounds?
Would it be any easier for a connected African American person to marry a lower connected African American person? Would their families not also clash?
The thing we must understand about African Americans, and I dont feel like these widespread "Black culture/Twitter" help, is that African Americans are as diverse as any other black nation around.
49 million+ people spread across a vast nation with many different cultures, and many different ideas. Many types of religion, many types of dress, and many types of identities.
We cheapen a group when we try to place them all into a neat little box
Excellent Post.
You've articulated exactly why I feel so immensely frustrated when latinos or white people are grouped together as these monolithic bodies that are believed to have shared the same exact circumstances and experiences when the sub groups within those bodies have very different experiences, cultures, trial and tribulations.
What is this "historical experience of slavery"? That is quite a strong statement. Was all slavery in the Americas the same no matter the location? What about the descendants of blacks who were able to purchase their freedom early? What about the children freed earlier? What about the mulatto/african creole class in New orleans and other delta areas? What about the gullah/geechee culture on the coasts?
I feel simply classifying all black Americans as slave cotton farmers in the south east, and that being a defining experience for the sum of the people, cheapens the true diversity of the African American experience in this VAST nation.
African American vernacular is very region specific. Also religion is also region specific. Different forms of christianity, but as history tells us, that can be as big a jump as different religions all together.
What if the black person from DC is the children of third generation College grads, professionals who were part of blue vein societies, and also grew up in Jack and jill while the person from Atlanta came from the hood, mother was in the nation of Islam, and never knew anybody in his family to graduate from college? Would they not think that much differently based simply on the fact that they both have high concentration of melanin in their skin?
Lol, See how ridiculous that line of thinking sounds?
Would it be any easier for a connected African American person to marry a lower connected African American person? Would their families not also clash?
The thing we must understand about African Americans, and I dont feel like these widespread "Black culture/Twitter" help, is that African Americans are as diverse as any other black nation around.
49 million+ people spread across a vast nation with many different cultures, and many different ideas. Many types of religion, many types of dress, and many types of identities.
We cheapen a group when we try to place them all into a neat little box
Valid points. And I live in the South so most of my experience is based on that, I still have a lot to learn about African American culture as a whole and it parts also.
This article was very interesting but also pretty depressing, winding down to the end. I never heard of the Daquan meme before reading this. In a way it's funny but also just another joke at the expense of black people, being laughed at by white people and probably made by a white person too.
The interesting thing here is few people here apparently read the article but just are posting to talk about how funny the meme is kinda proving it's point
I remember as a kid seeing Nigerians talk about how they liked "yellow" girls.i thought it was a purely Nigerian thing. How wrong I was...
Sho_Nuff82
Member
I almost made a scene at work because of this post, haha.
Yeah. Getting people to look past the superficial parts of humanity are the biggest challenges you can face.
Its cool lol most people view black Americans as a monolith so its no surprise many are quick to label the group as such.
If you can get past the poor writing, and gossip, of the author I can recommend a book called "Our Kind of People: Inside America's Black Upper Class" which paints a pretty comprehensive picture of a segment of black life not really shown at all. How tradition diverse class structures were able to be created, and thrive, under the not so traditional lifestyles in which blacks had to live during the time.
jhmtehgamr20xx
Banned
I didn't mean that in absolute terms; of course everyone has to consider to some degree how they appear to others, that matters. I'm just saying not to dictate every little thing you do in your life based on the assumptions of people you don't even know.
Being too concerned w/ others' opinions is almost as bad as not caring about their opinion at all.
Hero of the Thread, no...Hero of OT, right here. I'm glad there are others who see it this way, maybe some day the mass media will wake up to that as well so it can stop inundating with the same tired cliches.What is this "historical experience of slavery"? That is quite a strong statement. Was all slavery in the Americas the same no matter the location? What about the descendants of blacks who were able to purchase their freedom early? What about the children freed earlier? What about the mulatto/african creole class in New orleans and other delta areas? What about the gullah/geechee culture on the coasts?
I feel simply classifying all black Americans as slave cotton farmers in the south east, and that being a defining experience for the sum of the people, cheapens the true diversity of the African American experience in this VAST nation.
African American vernacular is very region specific. Also religion is also region specific. Different forms of christianity, but as history tells us, that can be as big a jump as different religions all together.
What if the black person from DC is the children of third generation College grads, professionals who were part of blue vein societies, and also grew up in Jack and jill while the person from Atlanta came from the hood, mother was in the nation of Islam, and never knew anybody in his family to graduate from college? Would they not think that much differently based simply on the fact that they both have high concentration of melanin in their skin?
Lol, See how ridiculous that line of thinking sounds?
Would it be any easier for a connected African American person to marry a lower connected African American person? Would their families not also clash?
The thing we must understand about African Americans, and I dont feel like these widespread "Black culture/Twitter" help, is that African Americans are as diverse as any other black nation around.
49 million+ people spread across a vast nation with many different cultures, and many different ideas. Many types of religion, many types of dress, and many types of identities.
We cheapen a group when we try to place them all into a neat little box
It's actually not even from that- it appears to likely be baked into us as some sort of primal defense mechanism, meaning that we each have to actively fight against it.
Fair>Dark is incredibly omnipresent worldwide, with cultural history dating back a long, long time. (Untouchables in India, the Romani, etc.)
zero shift
Banned
Great post. While it is true this is a bunch of kids, you often see young adults and even adults doing the same thing on facebook feeds and the like.
It's actually not even from that- it appears to likely be baked into us as some sort of primal defense mechanism, meaning that we each have to actively fight against it.
No, this is about slavery. A slight preference for light skin is present in most cultures (wealthier people were usually paler, because they spent more time inside) but Black Americans in the 18th and 19th centuries were usually treated less horribly if they had light skin.
twilitesparklemotion
Member
I took this article to the right place. Favorite place on the Internet, right here.
It's actually not even from that- it appears to likely be baked into us as some sort of primal defense mechanism, meaning that we each have to actively fight against it.
Correct me if I'm wrong but arrest all three of those examples direct consequences of European colonization?
I guess I can see how it would be hard to get the joke if you're unfamiliar with American culture, but it seems pretty obvious to me. It's mostly just the juxtaposition of suburban white people and hood shit with a dash of gangsta/trappin/drill lifestyle parody. Funny for a meme, better than Antonio Bandares making a stupid face.
Indian colorism dates back to the Indo-European conquest thousands of years ago, but was reinforced by 19th century European exploitation. Other cultures, like the Chinese and Japanese, showed a preference for light skin prior to European contact.
johnthequad
Member
It is inferiority complex created as a direct result of colonailism. Franz Fanon and Aime Cesaire have written excellent books about this. For almost two centuries people or color were made to see the European colonizers as superior. Stuff like that doesn't just get erased.
DoktorEvil
Banned
Ask the Community Thread. I think they're at OT 7 or 8 IIRC.
Or make a thread, and hope that it doesn't become inflammatory.
I think I'll give that a read. I remember talking about the Black Wall Street in my finance class and how at one point they were the wealthiest insurance dealers in North Carolina, then destroyed and burned to the ground by the poor white folk living near the area.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Wall_Street_(Durham,_North_Carolina)
Here's a really good documentary we watched in class:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4IvFXPGYNA
That's still a thing today though, unfortunately. (Am I missing something specific?)
UncleSporky
Member
I don't buy this as being related. Wealthier people were also usually fatter, because they were rich enough to eat as much as they wanted.
These days everyone is tanning and dieting.
johnthequad
Member
Depends where you're from. In America a lot light skinned people (black and white mix) e.g J.Cole identify as black not sure about Europe though.
poppabk
Cheeks Spread for Digital Only Future
It doesn't seem particularly rooted in race to me, more a specific culture. If you replaced daquan with a stereotypical white trash name (Bubba Jay, or something) the meme would still work in my mind. I don't think it's particularly funny though so maybe I am missing something that makes it work. Reminds me of those cards you get with an old timey picture with an anachronistic caption.
PhoenixDark
Banned
I have no problem with anyone's race or color. However I sure as hell have a problem with the "light skin>dark skin" self hate that is propagated by many black people. It's ugly as fuck, and also quite prevalent on "black twitter."
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