Universal Orlando Bans OK Sign After 'Despicable Me' Hate Crime Atrocity
The Universal Orlando Resort, commonly known as Universal Orlando, formerly Universal Studios Escape or simply ”Universal“, is an American theme park and entertainment resort complex based in Orlando, Florida.
Last week the Anti-Defamation League declared the OK sign a "hate symbol." Back in the old days, that hand gesture just meant "I'm okay" or "Things are good" or "No, that outfit does not make you look fat" or some other positive message. But now that 4chan trolls have successfully hoaxed everybody, the OK sign now means "I am an evil Nazi racist and, even worse, I love Donald Trump." It's the worst gesture you can make. If you even think about letting the tip of your thumb touch the tip of your forefinger, you are a criminal and everybody hates you. Right, Barry?
Now that the Hate Circle has been banned, it's time to start punishing anybody who uses it at any time, for any reason. Thank goodness Universal Orlando is leading the way!
Adrianna Rodriguez, USA Today:
Tiffiney Zinger said it was painful telling her daughter she couldn't use a family vacation photo for her second grade class project – the image was marred by what appeared to be a symbol of hate.
The photo shows the 6-year-old girl, who is biracial and has autism, posing with an actor dressed as the movie character Gru from "Despicable Me" during a Universal Orlando breakfast event attended by the Zinger family in March. The character formed an upside-down "OK" symbol with his fingers, recognized by some as a hate symbol, on the girl's shoulder...
"We just wanted to take them to see the minions," Tiffiney Zinger said. "Do something special for our family and this person ruined that special warm feeling."
A Universal spokesman said in a statement:
We never want our guests to experience what this family did. This is not acceptable and we are sorry – and we are taking steps to make sure nothing like this happens again. We can’t discuss specifics about this incident, but we can confirm that the actor no longer works here. We remain in contact with the family and will work with them privately to make this right.
SOURCE
5 comments:
It has come to this. Trolls need to start putting the Star of David on Rainbow Flags and claim they are used by Nazi Organizations to signal "safe spaces" for their opinions.
That is all....
There are a few things that are not being emphasized enough in this narrative.
First, it is disingenuous to say that the hand of Obama is making the same symbol as was used by this character at Universal.
Politicians and speakers are taught not to extend their index finger when talking as it appears that they are lecturing to people instead of trying to convince / communicate with them. (I have been in debate preps where this is taught to candidates.) Some will do what Obama is doing in the picture to make a point (not an "okay sign,") some will make a fist and tuck in the thumb, make a fist and put the thumb on top of the fist, and some will make a fist and tuck the thumb between the first and second fingers.
Secondly, if the character had been displaying the "okay" sign like most people do with his fingers toward the sky, that would have been one thing. However, the character's hand is on the girl's shoulder and the symbol is made with the fingers pointing down. It is clear this was not a random act but a deliberate one.
Sadly, it is true that some supremacist groups are using the okay symbol in photos or photo bombs and posting the image as a show of some ridiculous "supremacy."
Third, Universal did not just fire the person in the suit. They could have as Florida is a right to work state, but instead they interviewed the person to determine motives and then fired him / her. In other words, this was not a knee-jerk reaction to an accusation. Universal actually did some research and investigation.
Fourth, I for one am tired of groups stealing things - symbols, colors, flags, etc., - from me and their common usage. The so called "Betsy Ross flag," the first official flag of the United States has had it's message of unity stolen by supremacists and now places are banning that flag and the history it represents.
In general, people have the right to say what they want, but that right does not come without consequences from the public, listeners and employers.
This is not the case where people want to hang their hat on and claim that the symbol was being used innocently. This is a case where the end result was good riddance to trash.
Anon 4:57 - Given the flimsy excuses many companies have fired people for, especially when trying to be PC, I cannot completely buy into what you said. I know that some signs like that are actually used as gang signs though so I cannot discount it either.
Anon 4:57,
In some ways, I think you are missing my point.
The "sign" that was given on the picture was not the "okay" sign. It was not the sign that was used in the original post to show that Obama used it when he was President. You can do an image search for the family at Universal and find it.
So why are people trying to tie this particular case to a innocent symbol that has been around for years?
There is something strange with why the symbol was used in the image. It is upside down on the little girl's shoulder and in an unnatural position in that there is no reason for the fingers to be joined in an "o" unless you are trying to make the symbol.
If Universal were trying to simply be "PC," they would have fired the person outright and be done with it. Instead they did investigate, talk with the employee and then decided to terminate them.
People are trying to make this out to be something that it is not. The facts don't fit the narrative in this case.
Looks to me more like the circle game than the okay sign.
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