Originally published at: Charlie Hebdo cartoon of Queen kneeling on Meghan Markle's neck | Boing Boing
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Yeah, a very ugly move, at best.
Nah. I’m not gonna be even that generous. It’s just more racism, trying to pass as a critique of racism.
They also seem to be following the (supposed) truism that the only way to get attention now is to amp up the EXTREME! dial to 11.
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I see it as a less funny or direct version of this:
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So it’s okay to say racist things about someone if they’re wealthy and have some privilege?
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It’s perfectly fine for them to point it out. And not acceptable for the royal family to do. What is happening to these royals is so far removed from this:
we should be embarrassed to give them attention. Seems there are plenty of non-royal people experiencing far worse that are more deserving of our attention.
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That I’m aware of and I agree. I don’t find the cover remotely acceptably, because of that.
That doesn’t mean we should not publicly talk about all aspects of racism (and misogyny) as it exists in all it’s forms. Telling black women to shut up because some people who share their race have it harder isn’t a helpful way of addressing these issues. 
Probably more than you’d think. Let’s not forget her walking into a store to buy a pricey handbag and getting told she couldn’t afford it because she was a Black woman. Again, it’s not police brutality, but it illustrates the depth of racism in the western world.
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True, but if racism affects even the privileged few, how bad is it for the average person?
Oprah now probably doesn’t have to deal with overt racism on a regular basis, but she probably did when she was younger and starting out.
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Absolutely agree. The onus here isn’t on her. She should be free to speak up. It’s on the media, and us, to take note, but not elevate what is happening to her to the same level of attention as someone getting killed by a cop.
The danger here though is for people to, while disapproving of how she is treated, then start to think things aren’t as bad as they really are because Meghan is now the face of racism. That what she is going through is the soft racism that people would like to believe is all there is.
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Which she was not doing, this cover was. The meme you posted was very much a “sit down, because your problems aren’t real” type, though. Just one of the many ways that women, especially Black women, are silenced in our culture. [ETA: corrected are to aren’t]
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Re: The Cover.
From what I have seen of Charlie Hebdo, they aren’t one for nuance or worry about offending people. They are often crass, vulgar, and sacrilegious while making a point. Over the top depictions seems to be their norm.
In this case, they are lucky the Queen can’t have people executed any more. Or… can she?
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Yes, on-brand for a magazine famous for indulging in bone-headed anti-Islamism in support of secularism. They don’t deserve to be physically attacked over it (as in the infamous terrorist attack by fundies over the Muhammed cartoons), but they do deserve to be called out for it (and tend to welcome critiques in service of controversy).
Not that much better. Yes, the interview was an UHNWI celebrity wankfest, but despite her money Oprah Winfrey still has to deal with the kind of casual racism that Charlie Hebdo also trafficks in.
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Ah, I get your point. Sorry. I see the meme as more commentary about us than them. That if you take a step back, is here story really the best example of racism? But you make a good point.
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There’s more than one way to murder someone. Locking a depressed person away from family and friends and refusing them mental health care isn’t as obvious as kneeling on their neck, maybe, but it can be just as deadly.
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Your willingness to dialogue is great, but that’s still not a great take. Any example of racism is worth pointing out and working against as yet another form of racism, not just the “best” ones, whatever those supposedly are.
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True. I just think the American public has shown a remarkable ability to lose focus and trivialize racism. As real as it may be, I believe (YMMV) holding forth a member of the royal family as the face of racism trivializes it.
To be clear, I think CH and the meme I posted are more a comment on us the public and how we elevate celebrity shit shows to about the same the level of consciousness and debate as deeper problems. It’s been pointed out, and I agree, that may not be the best interpretation. But it’s how they seem to me.
I don’t think covering Markle’s experience with racism makes her “the face” of racism any more than covering Terry Crew’s experience with sexual assault makes him “the face” of Time’s Up / Me Too. Reporting it is more valuable than hiding it.
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Charlie Hebdo are edgelord racist libertarian douchbros. The bang of smug off them is akin to Dawkins.
Obviously this never excuses murder.
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???
Yep, hornets nest poked
