CNN Author Says White Folks Utilizing Black Memes is ‘Digital Blackface’

A CNN author has spurred a wholesome debate about Web tradition, and has posed the query of whether or not it is okay for white folks to make use of Black memes … he says it is not.

John Blake revealed a piece Sunday that is gotten a giant response on-line. It is titled, “What’s ‘digital blackface?’ And why is it unsuitable when White folks use it?” Within the evaluation article, he makes his argument — particularly, utilizing these memes/GIFs is modern-day minstrel present fare.

For starters, he describes digital blackface this manner … “[It] entails White folks play-acting at being Black,” citing a Teen Vogue author who outlined it. He goes on to cite that creator as saying, “[T]he Web thrives on White folks laughing at exaggerated shows of Blackness, reflecting a bent amongst some to see ‘Black folks as strolling hyperbole.'”

Blake continues to reference Teen Vogue in zeroing in additional … “[Digital blackface] consists of shows of emotion stereotyped as extreme: so blissful, so sassy, so ghetto, so loud… our dial is on 10 on a regular basis — hardly ever are black characters afforded delicate traits or emotions.”

Now for the haymaker from Blake, who says digital blackface is unsuitable and that it must be halted. The rationale … he says it is embedded in racist traditions of constructing enjoyable of Black folks — and whereas Twitter customers in 2023 won’t essentially see it that manner from the skin wanting in, that is definitely the way it’s being perceived by many … deliberately or not.

There are numerous Black memes that the Web often recycles — together with some that characteristic well-known folks from TV exhibits and/or films — however there’s one which Blake focuses on particularly as his Exhibit A … particularly, the 2012 Candy Brown interview from Oklahoma.

Brown had simply skilled a professional tragedy on the time — she was coping with an house fireplace — and whereas her remarks had been animated/memorable … they had been coming from a severe place of concern. And but, the web made a complete autotune tune out of it — seemingly discounting her real-life emotions and easily making a joke out of the entire thing.

Ditto for Antoine Dodson‘s TV information interview from years in the past, the place his household additionally had simply gone by way of a very terrifying encounter — however his feedback additionally went viral.