a blog created by and for UCF (University of Central Florida) Theories of Masculinity students to share experiences, resources/links, articles/reviews, to rouse discussion and incite action, and engage issues related to masculinity. you should participate, too. email moderator for permission at Leandra@ucf.edu.
Friday, November 26, 2010
Alpha Boyfriend Meme
Internet memes are more often than not disturbing to me, but this image-macro is especially upsetting. Does anyone know how long this one has been going on and how prevalent it is?
That is very disturbing. I have never seen anything quite so explicitly promoting domestic violence being shared in public forums (which is saying something, considering some of the trash going around the internet). Exploring public discussions around such images or messages is an interesting and valuable exercise and/or research topic.
The reasons for this becaming a Meme among English-spakers are obscure, but I am from Brazil and I know the original meaning of this cartoon. It is a joke about misinterpretation. The woman says she is pregnant of a boy. However, in Portuguese, it is possible, though ridiculous, to understand this phrase as pregnant FROM a boy. The man hits her and calls her "pedophile slut", showing he made that interpretation. The foccus of this cartoon was not on violence, but on misunderstandig. The hit on the face was used because it is the easiest way to represant an outrageous reaction. Although most men wouldn't hit their girlfriends, I believe most of them would be really outraged if their girfriend got pregnant from a kid.
4 comments:
That is very disturbing. I have never seen anything quite so explicitly promoting domestic violence being shared in public forums (which is saying something, considering some of the trash going around the internet). Exploring public discussions around such images or messages is an interesting and valuable exercise and/or research topic.
I saw this one a few months ago, so it's been circulating for at least that long. I cringe every time I see it for the exact reasons Leandra stated.
Is as fun as seeing a women kicking a men in the balls.
The reasons for this becaming a Meme among English-spakers are obscure, but I am from Brazil and I know the original meaning of this cartoon. It is a joke about misinterpretation. The woman says she is pregnant of a boy. However, in Portuguese, it is possible, though ridiculous, to understand this phrase as pregnant FROM a boy. The man hits her and calls her "pedophile slut", showing he made that interpretation. The foccus of this cartoon was not on violence, but on misunderstandig. The hit on the face was used because it is the easiest way to represant an outrageous reaction. Although most men wouldn't hit their girlfriends, I believe most of them would be really outraged if their girfriend got pregnant from a kid.
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