this post was submitted on 14 Sep 2024
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[–] [email protected] -3 points 3 months ago (4 children)

Yeah, imagine if it was watermelons and the sign mentioned black people instead. Harmless, but no one would write that.

[–] taipan 17 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (2 children)

The historical context is not the same. The watermelon stereotype is an anti-black racist trope from the 1800s that arose from resentment against newly emancipated former slaves. It accused black people of being "happy to do nothing but eat watermelon". In comparison, the stereotype of white girls enjoying pumpkin spice doesn't have the same negative connotation.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 3 months ago

TIL. I concur that makes my comparison not so fair. Making stereotypes based on any skin color is still icky though.

[–] tjsauce 4 points 3 months ago

It's even crueler when you remember that newly freed slaves grew the watermelon themselves because they couldn't afford much. Pumpkin spice is a choice of novelty, not survival.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Do you actually think the watermelon racist trope is because black people just happened to like watermelon a lot? Because if you do you need to go read up on it, and if you don’t then you need to stop trivializing the history of racist oppression by equating it with a joke about a snack purchase.

[–] thejoker954 4 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Thats comparing apples to oranges.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 3 months ago

What? It's obviously pumpkins and watermelons. Smh