When OK is not OK

[mom2rtk]

Why can’t “we” decide it means white supremists suck? Boom, done. It now means racists suck. Pass it on.

Apparently it's a lot more fun to go around and accuse unsuspecting people of being racists.

 

[b2k1121]

Apparently it's a lot more fun to go around and accuse unsuspecting people of being racists.

Who's doing that?

 

[bobbymcco]

 

[kimblebee]

View attachment 441301

Thank you for this picture showing how the right side up ‘ok’ is still fine. It’s when the fingers are pointing down that it becomes an issue.

 

[luvsJack]

If it’s upside down wouldn’t the fingers be making an M not a W? And right side up it’s not a P but more of a Q? So how does either direction symbolize white power?

And since it was so important to the pp, I googled. And every article says “the ok sign” and nothing about it being upside down. So I am truly unsure of where any of this is coming from.

 

[tex1989]

Maybe this was mentioned earlier but Gru's catch phrase is Okaaaaaaaay! Steve Correl is even in the Pepsi Commercial with the the singer that says okeeeerrrr. Whatever her name is and Correl says he needs a catch phrase and you hear in the audio the Okaaaaaaay! hinting that he has a catch phrase. The person in the suit had probably made the sign a thousand times before in other pictures and people who had seen the movie got it, but maybe these folks did not. Sorry if this has been mentioned just did not feel like reading six pages.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Apparently no one I work with or our students are aware because they do it in answer to questions all the time. So yeah, it can be.

What questions are being directed at the students or your co-workers that can all be answered by the same name signal?

 

[robinb]

Apparently it's a lot more fun to go around and accuse unsuspecting people of being racists.

You don't think Gru's gesture was intentional?

 

[luvsJack]

What questions are being directed at the students or your co-workers that can all be answered by the same name signal?

“Ok” as in “yep I will get that to you” or just saying they heard. Like I already said, student pokes their head in my office to say hello, I say “hey we still need xyz” and the student signals “ok” as they move on down the hall.

Or as I am heading into my office, I see the guy that delivers the copy paper to us. I say “hey! We need a box of paper!” He signals “ok” as he goes into another office.

 

[mom2rtk]

You don't think Gru's gesture was intentional?

It looks awkward and done on purpose. But I prefer not to jump to conclusions. I wish we knew the entire story. If you look for an uncropped copy of that photo, the toddler in the photo has their fingers in the same configuration. I just figure there's more to the story than we know.

 

[kaytieeldr]

So the ADL site isn’t good enough for you?

And if you would bother to read and educate yourself, it was started as a hoax.

It's good that you didn't just look at the picture, you also read the article; it's regrettable that you didn't read and understand the complete article.

It’s not about not getting it. It’s the fact that in the picture from universal, he is doing it upside down

Right side up when he looks down at his hand.

which is ALSO used in a kid’s game.

Do
The Team Member dressed as Gru is not a kid.

 

[Hikergirl]

Why is the assumption that it was intentionally used as the white power symbol?

 

[luvsJack]

It's good that you didn't just look at the picture, you also read the article; it's regrettable that you didn't read and understand the complete article.

Right side up when he looks down at his hand.
Do
The Team Member dressed as Gru is not a kid.

I didn’t say he was? I simply said the way he was doing it is ALSO used in a kids game.

I read the article fine, thanks. I have since read several and every one describes the ok sign. Thumb and forefinger touching to make a circle. Other fingers extended. And NONE mention it being upside down.

I have also read the comments here. Several of which said it’s not just the sign being upside down. “Ok” is not signaled with the fingers pointing down. That’s not an ok sign.

One article has a picture of a hate group member doing it. The OK sign. Not upside down. Same symbol on his hat. So unless he was wearing his hat upside down. . .

But of course we need to just keep giving these idiotic groups power. If they say something means something by all means let’s listen to them and make sure everyone knows that is now what it means.

 

[dclpluto]

First time I heard that the ok symbol meaning something different than ok.
Maybe someday thumbs up will be some kind of bad meaning.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Why is the assumption that it was intentionally used as the white power symbol?

The child's family feels it was. The character's employer apparently agreed enough that it opted to no longer employ that TM.

 

[robinb]

It looks awkward and done on purpose. But I prefer not to jump to conclusions. I wish we knew the entire story. If you look for an uncropped copy of that photo, the toddler in the photo has their fingers in the same configuration. I just figure there's more to the story than we know.

You should look at the video. It’s clearer.

 

[DLgal]

First time I heard that the ok symbol meaning something different than ok.
Maybe someday thumbs up will be some kind of bad meaning.

It already does in several countries. It basically means "up yours." Its the equivalent to the middle finger.

 

[Welsh_Dragon]

Is the young boy in the original photograph copying Gru’s gesture?

 

[Disneylover99]

Why is the assumption that it was intentionally used as the white power symbol?

I was thinking that before Universal fired the employee, they maybe learned of their affiliation with some white supremacy group. Just a thought.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

I seriously just thought it was that "circle game" thing where kids do that as a free pass to hit somebody. I remember MANY years ago a valedictorian did it at graduation and was like all "ha ha I got the whole senior class" (although he did not actually hit anybody). I even remember that it was on an episode of "Malcolm in the Middle". I believe that is what got the kids at school started doing that. It was remarkably stupid and annoying, but innocent.

I have never been tempted to do it myself, but I will know for sure to not do it now.