• HCSOThrowaway@lemmy.world
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            10 hours ago

            Considering the meme originates in China, no.

            Frankly, I think it’s either mental gymnastics from tankies to defend Xi Jinping or someone arriving late to the Xinnie the Pooh meme and assuming it has its origins in yellow = Chinese, Chinese = Xi Jinping.

            Here’s some reading on the topic I just did to confirm I had it right and you had it wrong:

            https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Censorship_of_Winnie-the-Pooh_in_China#Comparisons_between_Xi_Jinping_and_Winnie-the-Pooh

            • Cowbee [he/they]@lemmy.ml
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              10 hours ago

              I’ve read the wiki page, but thanks for linking it again. The fact that the meme originated in China, but spread like wildfire in the west, needs to be examined. Xi Jinping is incredibly popular in China, legitimately so. A picture comparing Xi to Winnie and Obama to Tigger (wonder why?) showed up online. There wasn’t mass protest against Xi Jinping or anything.

              What then exploded was western usage of the meme, beyond its origins, and in a new context. Largely among the anti-communist right, vile depictions and distortions of Xi Jinping began to take place, creating a racialized caricature. By this point the meme faded away near entirely in China, and instead became a symbol of hatred towards Xi Jinping in particular and the PRC in general in the west.

              The western obsession with depicting Xi Jinping as a yellow bear is what is racist, and hiding behind the fact that the first iteration of the meme came from China, before it became distorted by the west, is a “get out of jail free” card for racists. It isn’t only communists that can correctly identify this, marginalized groups that have been caricaturized by westerners can also see this easily.

              • HCSOThrowaway@lemmy.world
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                10 hours ago

                Strange that you say I “linked it again” considering I linked it one time. Anyway,

                Americans/westerners love shitting on communism; it’s generally not a racism issue. I think you know that, but you’re again doing tankie mental gymnastics to defend Xi Jinping/the CCP.

                Is it possible some people use it for racist reasons? Absolutely.

                I just don’t think it’s that deep for the vast majority of people who use the meme. I certainly wouldn’t go so far as to say the use of it at all is inherently racist as you did and continue to do.

                Signed,

                Someone who thinks the meme is funny because it pisses off tankies and literally never made the potential racism connection that Winnie the Pooh had yellow fur until today.

                • 秦始皇帝@lemmy.ml
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                  10 hours ago

                  You sound like you have the privilege of being white and not having to deal with racism. Being anti-communist and being racist tend to have much overlap. I have been racially abused and heard more orientalist nonsense then you could even imagine during my brief stint on Reddit and from many people from anti-communist instances such as the one you post from.

                  • HCSOThrowaway@lemmy.world
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                    9 hours ago

                    You sound like you have the privilege of being white and not having to deal with racism.

                    I’m definitely not Asian so I definitely have the privilege of forgetting that for a lot of people yellow = Asian and Asian = yellow, that’s true.

                    Being anti-communist and being racist tend to have much overlap.

                    No, but it totally tracks that you’re pushing tankie propaganda with what looks like a Mandarin username from @lemmy.ml

                    I have been racially abused and heard more orientalist nonsense then you could even imagine during my brief stint on Reddit and from many people from anti-communist instances such as the one you post from.

                    I believe it, and that’s tragic, but it doesn’t logically follow that because some people are racist against Asians, Xinnie the Pooh must therefore be a racist meme. Again, you guys are stretching to fit your narrative.

                • Cowbee [he/they]@lemmy.ml
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                  10 hours ago

                  I said “again” as in I had seen it before and you gave me a chance to revisit it and confirm I’m correct.

                  As for Statesians loving to shit on communism, this is correct. Statesians are also wildly racist, and usually combine the two. Orientalism runs deep, and as such depictions of Eastern socialism usually involve deep degrees of racial caricature. Other vile memes involve depicting Chinese people as “bugmen” and as a “hive-mind,” which combines racist views of Asians with anti-communism. I’m sure you know this, you’re just refusing to see it because it’s uncomfortable to admit after you defended a racist caricature.

                  If you just learned about why Chinese people view the meme as racist, why not just change your views? Is your anti-communist thrill so great as to prevent you from growing as a person? That’s a rhetorical question, you don’t need to answer. I just recommend you reflect, rather than deflect.

                  • HCSOThrowaway@lemmy.world
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                    9 hours ago

                    I said “again” as in I had seen it before and you gave me a chance to revisit it and confirm I’m correct.

                    No, that would be “I’ve read the wiki page again, thanks for linking it” or even “Thanks for linking it, I read it again but I’ve read it before.” You wrote “I’ve read the wiki page, but thanks for linking it again.” Given your bad faith argument tactics elsewhere I don’t know if I’m helping you learn English or smacking you across the face with your bad faith, but take it in the spirit that you deserve.

                    Statesians are also wildly racist, and usually combine the two.

                    No. People in the US are - on average - much less racist than most corners of the world, especially including your precious China - notoriously xenophobic and currently in the process of purging their least favorite minorities like the Uighurs.

                    Orientalism runs deep, and as such depictions of Eastern socialism usually involve deep degrees of racial caricature. Other vile memes involve depicting Chinese people as “bugmen” and as a “hive-mind,” which combines racist views of Asians with anti-communism.

                    All true and all irrelevant to your accusation of Xinnie the Pooh being a racist meme.

                    I’m sure you know this, you’re just refusing to see it because it’s uncomfortable to admit after you defended a racist caricature.

                    Again: I see it just fine, it’s just not relevant to this discussion.

                    If I said: You are currently being racist against black people because minstrel shows, lynchings, segregation, etc. exist(ed), does that make any sense? Would accusing you of “refusing to see them” because you didn’t proactively come out against them make any sense? Of course not.

                    If you just learned about why Chinese people view the meme as racist, why not just change your views?

                    I already told you my view changed to a new, more factual position. I’m simply not leaping to the BS that you’re trying so hard to push.