![]() Thinking of memes in a more active way, I wondered if their power could look at (and satirize) toxic masculinity in online Asian American spaces in ways that were not only funny, but also made people realize the culture they were perpetuating. This gatekeeping of identity is most commonly seen by men’s rights activist (MRA) trolls, empowered by, you guessed it–– toxic masculinity. People get reduced down to a list of checkboxes, qualities or experiences deemed “Asian enough” so a person’s racial or ethnic identity becomes a badge earned or lost based on arbitrary authority granted by a few thousand followers or one snarky retweet. I’ve especially noticed how in the Asian American community, toxic masculinity loves to be the end-all-be-all definition on a person’s identity. When the general ideas and expressions of “masculinity” result in words or actions that harm, deride, or weaken non-males and femininity, that’s when it becomes toxic behavior. Because so much of mainstream influences make masculinity seem the accepted norm and neutral, the idea that male-dominated culture gets to dictate what’s ok and acceptable normalizes their words, behavior, and actions–– which in turn gives them false authority. “Toxic masculinity” is more than a buzzword riding the coattails of the #MeToo movement. I spend a lot of time on Twitter, and have seen my fair share of both memes and toxic masculinity. That allows us to comment on all manner of social trends and flaws within ourselves and others.” “And, crucially, the ‘misunderstanding’ at the center of this meme can be deliberate, accidental, disingenuous, or ironic. ![]() “But ‘Is it a pigeon?’ and its cousins may be serving as a counter to the American Chopper meme because they allow the meme creator to frame an issue completely through the static image they’re presenting.” she wrote. She broke down its origins, the tweet that brought it back into the mainstream, and the “multiple levels of irony” text-based memes use to work. I started thinking of memes seriously when Vox writer Aja Romano wrote an in-depth explanation and examination on the potency of this and other memes, looking specifically at the recent popularity of the “Is This A Pigeon?” (aka confused anime guy) meme. ![]() ![]() That’s where Vox.com comes in handy as one of the best places for memes, explained. Sometimes it’s easy to overlook memes as ridiculous internet culture and forget how easily they lend themselves as satirical commentary on larger social commentary. This is a special editorial post from editorial intern Lily Rugo as a part of the intern Asian Pacific American Heritage Month project. ECAASU Asian Pacific American Heritage Month coverage is curated and created by our 2017-2018 intern cohort, a team of students and young professionals committed to elevating the ECAASU mission of inspiring, educating and empowering those interested in AAPI issues. This is a special editorial post from Lily Rugo as a part of the intern Asian Pacific American Heritage Month project. ECAASU Asian Pacific American Heritage Month coverage is curated and created by our 2017-2018 intern cohort, a team of students and young professionals committed to elevating the ECAASU mission of inspiring, educating and empowering those interested in AAPI issues." /> Can I use memes to address toxic masculinity in online Asian American spaces? – East Coast Asian American Student Union This is a special editorial post from Lily Rugo as a part of the intern Asian Pacific American Heritage Month project. ECAASU Asian Pacific American Heritage Month coverage is curated and created by our 2017-2018 intern cohort, a team of students and young professionals committed to elevating the ECAASU mission of inspiring, educating and empowering those interested in AAPI issues." />
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