Comments on: Google’s Racist Apps Removed After 8,400+ Sign Petition

By: Lee

Lee — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 13:24:53 +0000

Is there a “Make Me Caucasian” app? Seems only fair.

By: Luke Visconti

Luke Visconti — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 20:04:13 +0000

I agree with your opinion about what constitutes the measure of a successful life, but I suggest that you should cut yourself some slack. As Cornel West said at one of our events, “We are all cracked vessels.”

The “standard” you speak of is increasingly crowdsourced. In the past five years, we’ve seen the destruction of the journalistic “ivory tower,” replaced by the voices on social media. I’m not making a judgement here, it’s a fact: People spend the time they used to spend with “traditional” media on their social media, which has ever-increasing quantities of content to consume. This is in line with what you had to say about relationships.

And, regardless of your politics, Governor Romney’s loss in the last election is about the growing expression of underrepresented groups. This is an amazing event considering the incumbent presides over the worst economy since 1934 (and nobody can objectively say he’s been a ball of fire on giving the country any leadership out of the mess we’re in). Luke Visconti, CEO, DiversityInc

By: Delorme

Delorme — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 19:01:45 +0000

I think we need to establish a new standard about who can and cannot discern what is racist. With sexual harassment directed toward women the standard is based on the discernment of reasonable women. The same should apply to any other perception of perceived harassment based on race, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, disability, religion and so on. As a female person of color I experience enough direct & uninformed biased behavior, speech and attitude to establish my reasonable credibility in both areas and would hope that my experience would apply across the board. But the facts speak differently and I have on more than one occasion missed the impact of incidents I have witnessed or read about that have targeted others.
I care more about the impact on the communities intentionally or unintentionally impacted by the uniformed stupidity of people who don’t get the basic principles of how to build rather than breakdown relationships than I do about the motivations of the later group.
People need to get that life is not just about their individuality and individual rights. Life is about our ability to be in relationships with others that sustain us rather than tear us apart.
I would rather work to get better about relationships than find I am increasingly isolated and apologetic because I was too lazy, too selfish or too stupid to understand that at the end of my life the measure of my life will be based on my ability to connect and maintain connections with people, not how much stuff or power over others I hoarded to the end.

By: Fred

Fred — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 17:29:44 +0000

Could the reason why apps and acts this can be passed off without issues is due to the perception that Asians, Native Americans and East Asians do not voice their anger in the same manner as Black Americans, Hispanics and the LGBT communities? It seems that the former mentioned are deemed as the groups that can be pushed around without any backlash. However, there will come a point when they start to say enough is enough and begin to deliver the same kind backlash that Black Americans, Hispanics and LGBt communities deliver when pushed.

By: Joseph

Joseph — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 14:42:20 +0000

So I fully agree that these apps are dispicable, and I think equating them to blackface is legit, but is “hipster” synonymous with “racist” now? I missed when that happened.