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Dear Snapchat,
There’s no easy way to do this. I love Snapchat as my friends or followers can attest. I cook and immediately post using your robust editing and filters. I enjoy following my friends and readers, I love everything about your product. But it’s clear you not only have ZERO cultural awareness, for a social network to promote racism is counterintuitive and disappointing. Your continued racial insensitivity exemplified by your “Anime” (Yellowface) Lens Filter layering slant eyes & buck teeth over selfie pics is the epitome of the kind of casual, everyday racism I fight against in my personal and professional writing. I can no longer with good conscious use you primarily as a Social Network.
Your spokesperson said Snapchat’s “anime-inspired lens” was among several new filters that went up yesterday, and has since expired. You said “lenses are meant to be playful and never to offend.” “Playful? Playful to whom exactly? The white guys in the development lab or boardroom must have gotten a kick out of Charlie Chaning each other. I’m not sure any of my Korean, Chinese, Japanese Pacific Islander, Malay or Thai friends did. I’m not buying the “Anime inspired” Lens bullshit. I’m a straight up Otaku from way back when I had to learn Japanese and read Mandarin to follow the plots of the VHS tapes I voraciously rented on Canal St. In Chinatown. Your “Anime” explanation just doesn’t fly. There weren’t any hair style or color choices typical of Anime characters or huge eyes and button noses in your “Anime” Lens Filer” just the humiliating Bugs Bunny WWII slant eye routine. Kotaku reports “in Japanese Anime white is not the default. Japanese is. Thus, there is no need for them to “look Asian”, because no matter how ridiculous the characters look, everyone will assume they are Japanese.
The same thing is true in America. Why do people think Marge Simpson is white? Look at her skin: it is yellow. Look at her hair: it is a blue Afro. But the (White Supremacist) Default Human Being thing is so strong that lacking other clear, stereotyped signs of being either black or Asian she defaults to white.”
And physical features like huge round eyes, yellow hair and white skin are inconclusive in Japan for “whiteness”: The eyes are unrealistic. Hair color is not limited to yellow as there is blue, green and purple hair. Small noses are not indicative of “white” or Westerners in Japan — big noses are. And white skin is not exclusive to Caucasians as it has been a symbol of beauty in Japan since before Japan had contact with Europeans.”
I’m not Asian, but I was so offended I felt compelled to immediately suspend my account. Even more offended then when you dudebros maligned the memory of Bob. Which as to me a person of Afro Carribean decent is like dissing the Pope. You may have since deleted it but as you know the digital imprint is forever. I hate being put in the position to Ghost people, friends, followers and readers I ONLY contact in Snapchat. This isn’t an easy decision nor one I take lightly. This will no doubt effect me as an editor, reviewer and writer of a Pop Culture and Technology Column. The hit to me and my lively hood aside, I can’t excuse repeated racist filters like the “Bob Marley 4/20 filter” that in hindsight, I regrettably let slide.
For the record, just because you pay the Marley Estate for reducing the Rastafarian culture and religion or the immeasurable impact on World Music, Reggae, Ska or Dancehall of Bob Marley and The Wailers to smoking weed, a tourist Dread wig and digital blackface, doesn’t make it ok. You don’t get to sleep the sleep of the just because you felt you paid enough for it.
Unfortunately, as Motherboard pointed out there is no shortage of “Well-Fortified Bastions for White Male Elites“, in Geekdom, this kind of thing is pervasive throughout Geek Culture. People of Color and Women have historically loved Geek Culture more than it’s loved us back. And you aren’t alone in your white supremacy or sexism, from Hollywood haters gleefully penning and posting Ghostbusters box office to Silicon Valley Gamergaters on 4chan pressing their toxic masculinity like butter on toast. Ironically, industries that may be cutting edge technology wise staffed by young, intelligent “hip” trendsetters are being dragged reluctantly into the 21st Century from all white MadMen fantasylands of their own design. Ignoring or straight admitting to have little value in regards of diverse voices and cultures.
So, I’m using this post as an opportunity to start giving my friends and followers a heads up and switching to a newer alternative SN, ASAP. I’ll always cherish the time we had together Snapchat I’m gong to miss the hell out You but enough is enough. You are welcome to your Lilly white He man fill in the blank haters Club. Maybe one day You’ll apologize to your devoted users of color and hey even HIRE some Asians and Black folks, HIRE ME! I’ll be your Racial Ombudsman the public advocate you desperately need, an independent person of color who is charged with representing the interests of the public by letting you know if you are being racist, (“No Hunter, you can’t publish a red faced War Bonnet filter for Chief Crazy Horse’s Birthday!,”) But until you guys wake up, it’s out of my hands. I’ll thank you for one thing, I have the renewed perspective of walking my talk as an Ally of my Asian & Pacific Islander Brothers and Sisters. It’s not easy to being an ally nor should it be. Sometimes the right thing is the difficult thing and *standing up to your enemies isn’t nearly as hard as standing up to your friends. (*Two fingers raised for Professor Albus Dumbledore) It’s been real.
Fare thee well Felicia,
thatalexyarde
Read the full article excerpted here:
Art-Twitter/Snapchat
Source: 30dB.com – Snapchat and Yellowface
Comment: “Definitely a ‘what were they thinking, or were they thinking at all’ moment according to social media where Snapchat’s yellowface filter was roundly slammed at 83% negative.” – Howard K. 30dB
Well said!
Karmalsis-
Thank you for reading and the kind words.
Doesn’t look very “anime” to me either. However, its pretty obvious they were trying to imitate the classic “smile” where the character shuts their eyes and smiles with either an open mouth or showing a huge toothy grin.- example: Intent should matter at least somewhat don’t you think? Furthermore, the chances that an Asian person coded the filter or was involved in the coding is quite high. Facebook’s, which owns Instagram, technical staff is 43% Asian. Also- regarding the Simpsons- your argument is pretty flimsy about “defaults”, people assume Marge Simpson is white because her skin tone matches the skin… Read more »
CW- Thanks for reading! As they say, “the road to hell is paved with good intentions”. All I know is my gut tells me whatever thier “intentions” were, they weren’t benevolent. This behavior is indemic to the culture of Snapchat as no one spoke up to question the impact that reasonable people find this extraordinarily offensive.The 4/20 Bob Marley “tribute” is another perfect example of pure ignorance or maliciousness. The Marley Estate lawyers cashed in. Plain and simple. Both filters are unacceptable in my view. That As for the ethnicity of the coders, you make a lot of assumptions primarily… Read more »
Well… I don’t tend to consider a person making a 6 figure income and living a middle class lifestyle as “oppressed.” Also, considering they make up 43% of the tech staff I cited facts where you made an assumption about “white guys in the development lab.” And your “gut” which is of course devoid of bias. The word oppression had become cheapened immeasurably in recent years. The developers you are calling oppressed would be the bourgeois of the oldschool leftist revolutionaries. Some of those people are millionaires because of the stock options they held. Identity politics are such nonsense. But… Read more »