Photos of accidental stereotypes insulting people across the board.
It’s really wonderful how the Internet is such vast and indelible repository for momentary flourishes of accidental racism. Nearly makes up for the Internet also being a vast and indelible repository for heretofore unprecedented levels of intentional racism.
I’ve done a few lists on “did I do that?” moments in racist history before, including 11 Unbelievably Insensitive (and Often Racist) Holiday Advertisements, 11 Accidentally Racist Product and Company Names and 11 Photos Where Black People Were Awkwardly Photoshopped In or Out. This list is just barely different thematically but does contain entirely new material. If that formula works for the Fast and the Furious movie franchise it can work for me.
Here are 11 great new moments in accidental racism. Set phasers to gasp.
1 | Pasta recipes turned racist
Whether you season this with freshly ground black people, or, really, any race of freshly ground people, I just don’t think this is going to taste very good.
2 | You hate White Power Bill
Who knew that all along the real thing that hate groups have hated are slow, hard-to-fit, pro-bacteria light fixtures?
3 | Kissed by a rose down the green mile
Here you can see two separate TV stations so very rocked by the untimely passing of Michael Clarke Duncan that they confused him for Seal and Terry Crews, respectively. I mean, come on. That’s as bad as confusing… oh I don’t know… Jamie Foxx for Samuel L. Jackson.
4 | Baby Alive
I found both of these images and thought they presented a high school debate-worthy question. Which is more racist: Charging more for the white Baby Alive (like Walmart) or charging more for the black Baby Alive (like Target)? I love that I could make a legitimate case for either one. And therein lies the essence of the debate club.
5 | Discriminatory pottery at Jo-Ann Fabrics
At least you know if you hold a sit-in at a Jo-Ann Fabrics you’ll be able to commemorate it with one gorgeous scrapbook.
6 | You must be this tall to ride this ride…
I love the kid here postracially reveling in the “yellow person” faux pas. Good for you, next generation.
7 | You talkin’ about me?
That Christoph Waltz for Robert DeNiro switch — wow. Perpetuates the classic and hurtful stereotype that all white guys with beards who take themselves way too seriously look alike.
8 | Let’s eat our stereotypes
If you can look past the implications of discounting stereotypically black foods for Martin Luther King Day and Black History Month, these are some pretty solid deals.
9 | Self-stereotyping by Nikon
Nikon’s a Japanese company. They should know better. You’d expect this from an American company that makes popular digital cameras like… uh… there has to be one, right? Let’s see… Canon… Sony… Panasonic… Fuji… Olympus… ya know, let’s just move on.
10 | Black holiday shoppers at Target
They forgot “Friday.” And not the Ice Cube/Chris Tucker movie, honky.
11 | Barney drives back to the 1950s
I’m shocked that Barney’s so racist, considering what I’m sure he, Grimace, the one-horned flying people eater, Violet Beauregarde and Soda Popinski have all been through.