What is it OK to be? What is it OK not to be? These questions are at the center of a new meme that people are using to set up a joke about something that people should never do. Like the controversial practice of pouring milk into a bowl before adding cereal.
It’s ok to be white.
— paul rudd (@philsadelphia) January 24, 2018
It’s ok to be black.
It’s ok to be asian.
It’s ok to be hispanic.
It’s ok to be female.
It’s ok to be male.
It’s ok to be gay.
It’s ok to be straight.
It’s ok to be YOU.
But it's NEVER okay to pour your milk before your cereal
Or putting chocolate mousse on a person. (This scene is from the BBC comedy I’m Alan Partridge.)
https://twitter.com/iamconnaugh/status/956494647236362240
Or disliking a song by Ariana Grande.
https://twitter.com/Iegendsofpop/status/956437595654733824
Or…dabbing in 2018.
https://twitter.com/DuckleDuckGS/status/956282360634527744
But the format for this meme has darker roots. White supremacists starting using the phrase “It’s okay to be white” last year as a poor attempt to excuse their hateful beliefs. The slogan became popular with the alt-right on sites like 4chan and Twitter, and some users urged people to write the slogan on posters and display them on college campuses to inflame the left. Earlier this month, people began using the phrase in “it’s okay to be” tweets that listed the many things it was OK to be. The most popular tweet that followed this format included the hashtag #killidentitypolitics.
https://twitter.com/caydendoeslife/status/952404121956450304
The tweet was quickly parodied and turned into a meme this week, with people following the format of the original “it’s okay to be” tweet but adding in one thing that it’s not OK to be or do.
It’s ok to be white.
— Georgie (@Queen_UwU_) January 24, 2018
It’s ok to be black.
It’s ok to be asian.
It’s ok to be hispanic.
It’s ok to be female.
It’s ok to be male.
It’s ok to be gay.
It’s ok to be straight.
It’s ok to be YOU.
But it's NOT okay to like Star Trek over Star Wars.
It’s ok to be white.
— logan✨ (@logsact) January 24, 2018
It’s ok to be black.
It’s ok to be asian.
It’s ok to be hispanic.
It’s ok to be female.
It’s ok to be male.
It’s ok to be Muslim.
It’s ok to be Christian.
It’s ok to be YOU.
But it's NOT okay to skip the 9th Doctor, or even call him "1st Doctor".
https://twitter.com/R_Janeece/status/955833641581580290
https://twitter.com/RedGoner0/status/953001217294323712
https://twitter.com/sexylocaIsingle/status/954144367391879168
Is there another lesson to learn from these simple tweets? As this Twitter user pointed out, the entire history of our society has told people that it’s OK to be white and straight.
sorry i had to include the sentences “it’s okay to be white” and “it’s okay to be straight” as if anyone in history has said otherwise but it was part of the meme and ya bitch can’t alter a meme
— paul rudd (@philsadelphia) January 24, 2018
Maybe this meme will help people recognize that fact. (Maybe?!)