Today, I explain why “just saying” memes are cowardly pieces of trash.
This is “Just a Reminder,” a feature where I just point out some stuff, typically in relation to a recent controversy in the world of pop culture.
As you might have noticed, a major thing on social media is what you could call “topics of divisions,” where people post stuff designed to get people angry, so that they engage with the post, and then they get traffic and monetize that outrage.
Obviously, this is gross shit, but in the middle of all of that gross shit, there’s one particular type of rage-farming that really gets me, and it’s the cowardly “just saying” memes. The “just saying” memes are the ones that aren’t inherently racist themselves, and sometimes even nominally say “Diversity is a good thing,” but they’re clearly only sharing it because they know racists will react to it, and they’ll get their engagement.
Stuff like this meme…
If they wanted to criticize April O’Neil being depicted differently in modern Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles media, then whatever, go for it. If they wanted to truly DEFEND it, then, again, go for it. But that’s not what they chose to do. No sir, they decided to just throw a “I’m just saying” meme out there, KNOWING it would get the outrage that they were aiming for, while giving themselves the cover of, “What? I didn’t say anything! I was just saying!”
It’s cowardly and pathetic.
If you’re going to try to profit off of this stuff, at least stand by it, instead of cowering behind the cover of deniability. Well, the BEST scenario would be to not post this shit period, but if you’re GOING to do it, just own it.
Wow. I agree with you, but I don’t know that I’ve ever seen such an angry post from you. I hope everything is OK.
Again, you are 100% correct, and it is frustrating, especially give the state of…EVERYTHING.
Ha, I don’t mean to worry you, Xander! I think I’ve been pretty vociferous with some topics over the years, but yeah, this one really does get my goat.