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.
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.
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.
Yeah, imagine if it was watermelons and the sign mentioned black people instead. Harmless, but no one would write that.
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.
TIL. I concur that makes my comparison not so fair. Making stereotypes based on any skin color is still icky though.
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.
It’s half off topic, but I just noticed there actually are watermelons in the background of this photograph lol
Also I hope everyone is having a decent weekend! :)
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.
Was about to comment that but you beat me to it, stereotypes are just so toxic on the internet and ppl don’t see the double standard.
They see it. They’re hypocrites and liars.