Aug 10instant vintage : 08.2010 : …oh, Slate… (Side-Eye)
Slate decided to post an article about “How Black People Use Twitter” (shouts out to @ManAboutIt for providing the link).
Umm…yeah.
I’m sure this was all based on actual research (because we need to fund worthy research projects in this economy), and that the title of the article itself was meant to generate “discussion,” but damn. I’ve said it once and I will say it again:
BLACK PEOPLE ARE NOT A MONOLITH.
I managed to make it to the end of the article where a bail-out attempt is made in the “of course this isn’t all black people” vein.
Ahh, redemption…
I’m still not sure whether this is a surreptitious attempt to talk about class differences in America or if the writer really, REALLY thinks that what *some* black folks have to say on Twitter is THAT interesting…then again, I don’t usually participate in trending topics or do “the Twitter” into the wee hours of the morning, so what do I know?
Either way, I’ve taken the graphic used for the article, a brown bird holding a blackberry and wearing a fitted baseball cap, and altered it a few times over. I figure that if Slate and the world are really that intrigued (and because Twitter can’t provide empirical data on who is who), those individuals who want to be identified as a black person using Twitter should be able to do so with a brown bird wearing a fitted cap in a color that best represents them.
UPDATE: I seem to have gotten a bit carried away…birds now available in more than fitted caps! ON SPINNING RIMS EVEN!!
Feel free to use these at will. Need a larger file? Email me.







And since I got chewed out by night’s end, here is one for my lighter skinned peeps:

Annnnnnnnnnnnnd more from today…I’m stopping after this, I promise. These are the special requests that I pledged to fulfill. If I didn’t get to yours, I am sorry…




UPDATE 8/12: I can’t believe I’m still making these…

——–
I’m laughing with a supreme side-eye on my face (a la Latifah):

Just to be clear, I’m not crying racism…I just think this piece could have been thought through a bit more…or written in a style that wasn’t trying to provoke a response…like this one…
Awwwwwwwwww shit.
Well played, Slate. Well played.
Thoughts?
UPDATE: Since this article was based largely on what I believe to be “some BOOLSHYT,” feel free to take a brown bird even if you aren’t…brown. LOL. They are cute.
ANOTHER UPDATE: A post on this…article…that I really enjoyed is over at Black Snob. It’s basically everything I wanted to say, but was too busy to say because I was having way too much fun with Photoshop.
AND ANOTHER UPDATE: my good friend over at Stop It Right Now has contributed a bird. Anyone else who wants to make one, do it and I’ll post it here. =)

From @karsh:



From @CorporateBarbie (yes, it’s Aretha’s Inauguration hat):

More Aretha hat action from Tiffany:

From @revizion:





MICHAEL JACKSON via @Jewelz1132:

Via Ahnubis:


ANTOINE DODSON via @Illumistrations:
Via @bfnh:

Via @LidiaAnain (heaven, I need a hug):

Via @ashlucio:

Via @seanpadilla by @thatladyj:

via @Ravan_A (for the highly underrepresented black goth community):

Via @BabylonSista by @thatladyj:

GRACE JONES via @iamthenublack:

Via @huny:

Don King via Gwen:

Via @JayStayPlayed:

Via @blacktating:

Via @VanitySnob (who stole my soul and sent it up yonder…Montana Fishburne/ChippyD):


161 Responses to “…oh, Slate…”
Thanks for the various colored birdies.
.-= DanielleJ´s last blog ..How a photo walk created my first iMovie =-.
[...] This post was Twitted by DanielleJPhilly [...]
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Alicia, Licier, etc., Kelsi Smith, yoboseiyo, Jai Marshall, Danielle J Philly and others. Danielle J Philly said: If you wanna represent your brown self on twitter, @innyvinny has other colored hats too http://www.innyvinny.com/2010/08/10/oh-slate/ [...]
Yeah, I read this with a furrowed brow. I liked how the premise seemed to be, “Negroes are on 12.5% of the U.S. population and 25% of Twitter users. How *are* they doing this? Let’s bring our cameras in for a closer look. Shhhh…”
I just joined Twitter last week (I held out for as long as I could). It seems that it does provide a platform for foolishness. However, said foolishness is not exclusive to black folks.
Alicia Reply:
August 10th, 2010 at 8:53 pm
AGREED!
*only
This is awesome! Thanks for the brown birds!
.-= Beez´s last blog ..Confessions of a Master Procrastinator =-.
Alicia Reply:
August 10th, 2010 at 8:54 pm
No worries!
Wow. Uh. I don’t know. Just the title seems a little iffy. I.. don’t know what to say about it, though.
.-= sui´s last blog ..“If you’re not failing every now and again- it’s a sign you’re not doing anything very innovative” -Woody Allen =-.
Alicia Reply:
August 10th, 2010 at 8:48 pm
TITLE FAIL. Or WIN depending on how you look at it. I read. LOL.
sui Reply:
August 10th, 2010 at 11:00 pm
LOL. I love your birds though. AWESOME.
♥
I like how halfway through the article, Farhad preempts a statement with “As a nonwhite person…” also interpreted as “I am allowed to draw racial stereotypes.” In any case, the brown bird totes suits me more than the blue one as yellow is closer to brown on the color spectrum.
.-= Kristine´s last blog ..0810- Fair Friends =-.
Alicia Reply:
August 10th, 2010 at 8:54 pm
You are well wise, my friend. And I <3 you.
Danielle Reply:
August 10th, 2010 at 9:08 pm
[Farhad preempts a statement with “As a nonwhite person…” also interpreted as “I am allowed to draw racial stereotypes.”]
CHUUUCCH. Just because you’re not white doesn’t mean you’re incapable of a jackhole about race.
The National Geographic documentary vibe of the article is irksome at best. “Negroes use Twitter? Crikey! Let’s see them in this new habitat…”
The brown birds are killing me softly though. BWAH and HA!
.-= Danielle´s last blog ..Allen Ginsberg and the march of time =-.
sunshyne84 Reply:
August 10th, 2010 at 9:40 pm
Exactly Danielle! I’ll take the fro bird since I’m natural and all.
Good lord. A “blacktag”? Seriously, there’s a different name for tags that happen to be started by black people?
I couldn’t even make it past that nonsense. Just hand me a brown bird.
.-= Tamia´s last blog ..O Happy Dagger =-.
Alicia Reply:
August 10th, 2010 at 9:12 pm
I laughed at the premise. Blacktag? Really?!?!
I think the most compelling thing about this article was that it made no interesting, novel, or articulate observations about anything at all. Yes, there are black people on twitter. WHatthefuckisyourpoint?
Also, Twitter is fucking lame.
.-= Joanna´s last blog ..t-shirt tuesdays =-.
Alicia Reply:
August 10th, 2010 at 10:40 pm
It is…but I’m on it SO much. Nothing else gets me through work quite like Twitter. LOL.
I love it. I went back and forth with the author of the piece, Farhad Manjoo, because I commented via Twitter about the illustration. I wasn’t happy. He asked me what I thought was objectionable about it.
I told him.
Anyway, thanks for the new graphics. I chose the one most applicable to me: the little brown bird with the motar board as I’ve got a fair number of them fancy degrees and stuff.
However, is there any way that particular bird can be holding an Android phone as that’s the type I own? Blackberry phones are just so last year.
Alicia Reply:
August 10th, 2010 at 10:56 pm
=D
I asked my e-friend Elon who was quoted in the latter portion of the article about it. He said there were lots of holes and warned them about sweeping generalizations…so much for that. LOL
[...] Pro Tweets New twitter avatars for all, via @InnyVinny http://www.innyvinny.com/2010/08/10/oh-slate /cc @savvyfatty @slate shanselman – Wed 11 Aug 4:43 Cloud [...]
They are so cuuute! I want to collect them all. I read the article and truly believe this guy is just a poor writer. I agree that it isn’t about racism…this time.
Alicia Reply:
August 10th, 2010 at 10:56 pm
Trouble is, I don’t see a white bird with a Granny hat on. I’m a bit long in the tooth to be sporting a baseball cap. Can you please repeat some more twitter birds but for us white folks. Mine should have red hair, freckles and look sort of dozy. Or short white hair either.
Thanks
.-= technogran1´s last blog ..Freeview HD PVR The race is on! =-.
Alicia Reply:
August 10th, 2010 at 10:55 pm
You got it.
Tomorrow though. My arm hurts now. LOL.
[...] Pro Tweets New twitter avatars for all, via @InnyVinny http://www.innyvinny.com/2010/08/10/oh-slate /cc @savvyfatty @slate shanselman – Wed 11 Aug 4:43 All Things [...]
Thanks for playing devils advocate on this article. I was almost wondering when black vs white was going to become an issue in regards to twitter.
.-= tokenbeigechick´s last blog ..I Died =-.
LOVE those brown birds, they are so cute!!! xoxo
.-= jemina´s last blog ..to the airport =-.
i say we all flip him a birdie or two. since there’s clearly no censor on stupid over there at slate.
dammit, i had a gif to go with this. can’t find it. been looking now for like 2 hours, lol.
.-= pennerad´s last blog ..deciding factor =-.
Okay, while I think that the article title is totally dumb and misleading, as a white girl I am guilty of clicking on hash tags in the trending topics and wondering why 9/10 of the people responding to many of them are black. Of course this is not “how black people use twitter,” but at least now I sort of see how a _subgroup_ of black people on twitter popularizes trending topics using the network effect. But asking why more black people participate in hashtags is not the same as asking “why do all black people love hashtags so much?” which it seemed, especially from the title, the article was aksing. Definitely not good writing, and that illustration is atrocious. Though I love your bird with the scarf on her head. And the one with the sunglasses, haha.
I’d like to call racism on that article.
P.S. Both Asael and I would like to tell you what an amazing job you did on those birds!
I’m going to just say at this point, absolutly nothing, but thanks for the “light-skindiddid” one, and next time add one in for the white folks like technogran said.
.-= Tonia´s last blog ..Going global =-.
#iCant… now that’s a black hashtag! Can I get a bird with some finger waves, glitter and a pair of figure 8s???! Then they’ll really know I’m black!
.-= Fajr´s last blog ..Listen to the musn’ts =-.
[...] One creative blogger has put some different spins on the black twitter bird. I think it’s hilarious. And many tweeters have already changed [...]
I firmly believe that EVERYONE is capable of being a jackhole about race (hattip to Danielle)! I also think that pigeonholing people based on any category as broad as race is so effing stupid. Yes, that’s my eloquent opinion about it. So. Effing. Stupid.
Downloaded afrobird, wrapbird, and gradbird. Following Ashe’s footsteps and changing my Twitter icon to show support!
.-= Ellie Di´s last blog ..Combating Cyberbullying =-.
i smell TWAT!!!!!,Alas, I Chioma Daughter of Levi is not a Twitter Subcriber (by choice obviously). I could go on and on as to why i am not a Twit(er)er but that will just take all day so i will keep the popping off for some other time. BUT that said, as a person who did not even read the bloody piece, that title right there is the reason why i am staying Twitter Free. Any discussion that starts with ‘How Black or any people for that matter do anything is just tiny minded to say the least. Why was the research necessary? Perharps a better research topic would have being, ‘How Morons are keeping’ Chomy AKA The CultureCynic aka AntiTwiter from joining twitter by talking shit that doesn’t matter or even better ‘How writers should start a better conversation instead of relying on lazy titles to score a trending topic status” . was that over 140 characters???
I hope the twitter community who made this a trending topic can articulate their frustrations beyond the easy “Slade is Racist’bit Will 140 character even be enough to achieve this ?. will the morons shut up and let the brain people speak? i doubt it. This will become one of those you know cultural references. people are going to remember that time that Slade wrote that Rubbish article about How Black people Tweet.we r going to agree that it was ‘ignat’ and move on init? some ppl will totaly bypass ‘how’ it made them feel and focus on ‘what’ it made them think. By the weird powers of social media influence , by becoming a trending topic, the Slade article would have served twitter’s purpose :Get attention;any kind of attention NOw whether that will be used for Good or by idiots is another point all together.
Wonder if someone has contacted Jessie SHarpton and Al Jackson to see what they think about this whole mess (snickers). I can see the faux outrage /backlash right now
will this elicit a Twitter beef where all the black people have to disconnect from twitter? Not likely.Will it change anything, not really!
you know what would be glorious, if all the black people on twitter used twitter to stage a ‘Stay Off’ stance. Like if all the black people really showed how they use twitter by agreeing to all disconnect their accounts at a specific time. They can call it the ‘Black OUT’
that wld be somthing wldn’t it. Maybe that should be a trending topic. #THE Blackout.
Righteous!
.-= chomy´s last blog ..Jungle Ville =-.
A Better research topic would have been ‘How dumb people use twitter’. Ignorance as we know is not culture specific and this could have started a more interesting conversation and included in that dumb community will the Slade writer i mean Twat who for the lack of better things to do could have really saved us all the energy and just shut the hell up.
But having processed this , i am thinking this may just be prolific even, how dumb continues to be mainstream.Actually i hope this kind of close mindedness continue to be LIVE so the brain people can continue to shame them. The only war i gladly support is one against IGNORANCE no matter where it happens. So i am going to go read the article now and i may even come back to spaz off some more
on a second though, i think i know all that i need to know about this whole bisiness so I WILL NOT BE READING IT instead of a sideEeye, i am sending the slade article an e-pinkeye.
.-= chomy´s last blog ..Jungle Ville =-.
Alicia Reply:
August 11th, 2010 at 9:16 am
“A Better research topic would have been ‘How dumb people use twitter’. Ignorance as we know is not culture specific and this could have started a more interesting conversation and included in that dumb community”
EXACTLY
[...] This post was Twitted by SharkFu [...]
Can I get one with a bigger fro?
LMAO! is that a lacefront?
.-= [flahy][blak][chik]´s last blog ..Maybe I Partied A Little Too Much =-.
[...] This post was Twitted by DNGeezy [...]
Inny!!! You’re a friggin genious. These are so dope.
.-= Formerly WYGBA´s last blog ..It must suck to be self-absorbed to the point of delusion Sounds like guaranteed misery to me =-.
Thanks so much for addressing this article. I created a panel for Netroots Nation entitled, “Tweeting the Revolution: How Hip Hop Transformed 140 into 360″ precisely because I wanted for everyone to see that Black people use Twitter in exceptional ways and while the silly trending topics may capture a teenager’s imagination, there’s a whole other world on Twitter that has been invisible (as we continue to be invisible) in the real world. Here is the Ustream link. I’ll be posting the text on my blog sometime this week: http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/8438963
.-= Dr. Goddess´s last blog ..Real Questions for Haiti and Its Presidential Candidates =-.
Alicia Reply:
August 11th, 2010 at 11:39 am
Thank you for the link!
[...] mulling this over and chatting with slate, they sent over this amazing illustration remix by http://www.innyvinny.com (check out the rims on that [...]
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSS!!! Please teach me how to make gifs like Latifah..OMGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH
.-= ladivasosa´s last blog ..HELP ME PART 3- GET ME A RECORD DEAL-SUGARDADDY =-.
Um, if you get a blank comment from me…blame that on my computer spazzing out.
With that being said….
LOL!!!! This was hilarious. And very much needed. Thank you.
.-= Miss C. Jayne´s last blog ..He’s A Good Man- Commentary on the Villainization of “Homewreckers” =-.
new to you, but loves it already!
Great response article. Non-black People are so quick to analyze “black people” and share freely with the world how we think/act/feel/tweet/post and why… Way to say “STOP! You don’t know WTF you’re talking about!”
~Niq’ of NiqSpeaks
Alicia Reply:
August 11th, 2010 at 11:40 am
Precisely. There isn’t some sort of mysticism or magic going on. We’re people who interact with each other just like EVERYONE else.
That article – Fail.
Your post – Win.
The Birdies – Super Win!!!
My only problem now is which bird do I want…the one with the ‘fro? Or the one with the rims cause that -ish is funny
By the way, you should make one with a turban and send it to the author. You know, cause that’s okay being “A nonwhite person…” and all
.-= Sheree´s last blog ..Loving…Chanel Shanghai Collection =-.
sunshyne84 Reply:
August 11th, 2010 at 8:18 pm
sunshyne84 Reply:
August 11th, 2010 at 8:18 pm
well that’s not quite the face I was going for
iDied @ that lacefront bird….this is how you do twitter! Thanks for this post!
I’m gonna need a bird w/locs. Thanks for this article & the wide variety of birds for us Black folks to use.
The slate article is fuckery all in itself. Love the #browntwitterbird. Can you make one with a MJ glove?
why is it so hard for me to choose!?
Thanks for the link to article
[...] in Uncategorized I hadn’t even decided what I was going to do with this page, when this came [...]
Not only do we twitter but we be reading and shit; rithmaticin’ and writing words too.
Can I get a birdie with some gold on the tip of it’s beak or something? Just to let them know that the hood on twitter!
But ya, since we about the twitter…@dienasty84. Holla at ya girl.
sunshyne84 Reply:
August 11th, 2010 at 8:19 pm
lmao
Can I get one with heels?
This is fab.
[...] Source: Afro-tweet courtesy of @InnyVinny – …oh, Slate… & inspired by who else, [...]
hilarious!!! look at you starting twitter fires.
.-= Muze´s last blog ..the secret life of bees =-.
Chile, I can’t wait for my brown bird with a rainbow fitted. ^_^
You’ve unleashed an idea virus and it has mutated.
Such is the life of a meme #BrownTwitterBird.
Black people, we have made fun of ourselves for centuries. We’ve made fun of things that are frankly not funny (crack head moms, lying preachers, hoes, etc). However, there is always an undercover understanding that we are (as my grandma says) laughing to keep from crying. There is cultural significance to the oral tradition of black people mutating to fit Twitter that the Slate article didn’t get…because you have to be us and live our experience to get the true irony.
The seemingly powerless are so powerful…right. Holla @hellonegro
.-= Hello Negro´s last blog ..Is it just me or does this “Do away with the 14th Amendment” jazz make you antsy =-.
If you want add one I created for the 313. It’s located at http://twitpic.com/2dse7m (I used your Yankees one as a template).
Alicia Reply:
August 11th, 2010 at 2:12 pm
Sweet! I’ll add it later today.
Bitch. The last 6-7 birds before the light-skinned bird did me IN. BAI WORLD!
.-= Gem´s last blog ..Versatile =-.
Alicia Reply:
August 11th, 2010 at 2:12 pm
This should make up for the 7 things about me post you did…and BLUEBERRIES.
[...] article. If it doesn’t then find your way over to Because, Really, the Black Snob or Instant Vintage for a much longer, funnier breakdown (@innyvinny even has a gallery of black twitter birds for your [...]
Awesome graphics! I need to grab a plain one, make it purple, and dress it goth.
Slate has just got it’s head inserted on this one, IMO. If anything it’s more an urban subculture thing (age, location, peer group) that a race or color thing. But what do I know, I’m just an old fart.
Alicia Reply:
August 11th, 2010 at 2:23 pm
Please do!!! The goths are very underrepresented.
RavanA Reply:
August 11th, 2010 at 3:55 pm
OK. I had to leave out the cane, because I kept the crackberry. It’s now my icon, http://twitter.com/Ravan_A, complete with trenchcoat.
.-= RavanA´s last blog ..Ravan-A- @ciannait I gotta wonder about the upbringing of people who make rude remarks about other peoples weight or appearance on public streets =-.
RavanA Reply:
August 11th, 2010 at 4:02 pm
Grab ‘em if ya like:
Purple goth twitter bird, green background http://twitpic.com/2dtbh0
plain purple twitter bird http://twitpic.com/2dtbrn
This has become such fun! Kudos to you!
.-= Beez´s last blog ..Confessions of a Master Procrastinator =-.
lol kudos, these are pretty damn funny
.-= Ahnubis´s last blog ..ahnubis- @InnyVinny Sure go right ahead- lol =-.
ahhhh boy! i hereby dub the black graduate twitter bird my new favorite thing. #success #ohwasthathashtagtooblack?
Thanks for this.
Tossed some thoughts down over on my blog that linked to yours, just as fyi: http://nunezdaughter.wordpress.com/2010/08/11/dozens-blacktags-and-other-ish-black-people-do/
.-= Kismet´s last blog ..Dozens- “Blacktags” and Other Ish Black People Do =-.
I wrote an editorial that addresses alot of the concerns raised in your post and posts like it.
Give it a read if you like over at:
http://www.fakegoldcha.in/2010/08/counter-point-how-black-people-use-twitter/
Alicia Reply:
August 11th, 2010 at 3:15 pm
I saw. Briefly commented…and going back for a little bit more. I agree with you.
Look at us black folk talking to each other and our tight knit groups! LOL Gotta love the brown birds though…classic work innyvinny
follow me: curlymisfit313
This is sooo funny. I particularly like the last one with the watermelon, the fried chicken and the boom box. If it were anymore stereotyped it would be in jail with 3 baby mommas and no job.
too funny.
Alicia Reply:
August 11th, 2010 at 3:42 pm
And tattoos…and a chain…
deb Reply:
August 12th, 2010 at 4:28 pm
and a mix tape he wants to sell you along with some drugs.
lMAOOOOOO . You are really GOING IN I SEE!!
‘Slade imma let you finish but my Homie Vinny had the best blog post of all time ALL TIME!’
.-= chomy´s last blog ..Jungle Ville =-.
chomy Reply:
August 11th, 2010 at 4:39 pm
*Slate
.-= chomy´s last blog ..Jungle Ville =-.
Alicia Reply:
August 11th, 2010 at 4:42 pm
Most of these are folks on Twitter. THEY ARE GOING INNNN!!!
I had to add Aretha, girl. Thank you!!!
.-= Sheena´s last blog ..Count Me In- 13 Threads =-.
ya you’re fucking amazing for this.
where’s the bi-racial bird at? lmao
xx,
Christina
.-= christina of profresh style´s last blog ..Feature- Work It- Bloggers =-.
RavanA Reply:
August 11th, 2010 at 5:26 pm
How’s this:
“Biracial” twitter bird, with tongue firmly in cheek http://twitpic.com/2dtxu8
I wanted to point out that the redemptive “this isn’t all black people” part at the end was more than just a throw-away – it was 3 paragraphs of caveats. But… that said, if your article (on any topic) needs 3 paragraphs of caveats at the end, maybe you better do more/better real research and rewrite from the beginning!
Don King request: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gwen/4883278599/
those birds that people sent in are hilarious. i need a yellow one since i’m asian. i guess that’s the next article they’re writing about and how all our twitpics are with peace-signs.
[...] Re: How Black People Use Twitter I thought this was funny …oh, Slate… :instant vintage [...]
You are god.
That is all.
Nursing #blacktwitterbird with chick, by request:
http://twitpic.com/2dw1qb
These are hilarious thanks!!!
[...] article. If it doesn’t then find your way over to Because, Really, the Black Snob or Instant Vintage for a much longer, funnier breakdown (@innyvinny even has a gallery of black twitter birds for your [...]
How bout a #blacktwitterbird for white people who profess to “get it,” feel left out, and want to appropriate!
.-= Ann ´s last blog ..Voting makes me cry =-.
Alicia Reply:
August 12th, 2010 at 10:40 am
Pick whichever one you want! =D
Ann Reply:
August 14th, 2010 at 1:56 pm
You got more! I’m updating! A light skinned girl! Squee!
.-= Ann´s last blog ..browntwitterbird =-.
Ann Reply:
August 14th, 2010 at 2:01 pm
Oh and IRL I would totally rock those Nikes. Blonde hair, glasses, it’s me. Gotta get near some photoshop. Bout fell over at the Stevie brown bird.
.-= Ann´s last blog ..browntwitterbird =-.
Lol This is ridiculously awesome!! Need one on a Tee asap! The Old Spice of course! lol
- p.s been stalking your awesomeness from a distance for a while now – keep blogging and i’ll keep stalking
[...] I am a Brown Twitter Bird Jump to Comments If you’re not hip to the #BrownTwitterBird movement and the “interesting: Slate article by Farhad Manjoo that started it all, get hip! Details here. [...]
[...] will have missed it). thanks to the genius work of @innyvinny to take the bird and hilarious-it-up (see the entire collection). i just thought i’d post a quick rundown of a few of my [...]
LMAO!!!!!!!!!!! at these brown birds with fitted caps…. They are killin me… I mean I am about to get fired at work because I am laughing so hard OUT LOUD! I haven’t even read the article yet, so I will come back with a comment of substance later, but these birds!!!!!!!! LOL!!!!!!!!
.-= Eboni Ife´s last blog ..Fall Floral & Denim Cutoffs =-.
OMG!!!! Just saw the light-skinned-ed tweep! LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
.-= Eboni Ife´s last blog ..Fall Floral & Denim Cutoffs =-.
I love this…well played. The making of a meme…
[...] » …oh, Slate… :instant vintage Now this is a hilarious response to "How Black People Use Twitter": [...]
Someone must offer these “#blacktag Birds” on merchandise (cups, t-shirts, tattoos, whatever). I will buy any product that has one of these birds on it (especially if the bird has a black Oakland Raiders cap on).
[...] the mark with us, like so many before him. So she wrote this article –>> here <<– shouting out to all around The Innanets that “BLACK PEOPLE ARE NOT A [...]
LISH lets get these on some TEEs ASAP!!! i kid you not….Get on it Homz!!
.-= chomy´s last blog ..Grind Music- See Me Now =-.
[...] slight from an article that seemed hopelessly lame and turned it into #BrownTwitterBird Christmas. It’s all Alicia at InnyVinny.com’s fault, as she was the one who took the original bird, illustrated by Alex Eben Meyer for Slate, and [...]
[...] but not least, Alicia‘s general craziness has manifested itself as a mini-meme on Twitter. Or should I say [...]
[...] people use hash tags while getting their tweet on…lots of black people could give a shit about hash tags on Twitter. Some black people find the name of my blog offensive…some don't. And, while some black people [...]
I can’t believe how big this got! (Wait, yes I can). It’s weird that a lot of people have taken it to an extreme where people are making themselves kinda look bad, but whatevs! Still supporting (and downloading the new birdies)!
.-= Ellie Di´s last blog ..Paper Cranes for Peace at Hiroshima =-.
[...] people have flocked to Twitter. Not to dwell on that in this post, I came across a post from InyyVinny.com as they responded to an article about black people’s habits and Twitter. Anyhow, they [...]
[...] Two days ago, Alicia started the #browntwitterbird movement. *slow clap* (InnyVinny) [...]
You’re killing me!
LOVE cb4 and puff_tweegro!!
[...] TWITTER BIRDS were created. It was funny beyond measure. If you want to read more, check out this, this, this and [...]
Umm wow at all the birds. Hilarious!
[...] mind boggling. Let me just say that the best reply to this whole nonsense was Alicia Nassardeen's …oh, Slate…. The woman, bless her soul, has a better sense of humor than me, as she went on to demonstrate how [...]
[...] This post was Twitted by ciqua [...]
Slow death by laughter!!!! Thank YOU!
[...] Manjoo’s much-and-well-maligned “How black people use Twitter” essay. Until I read it, Instant Vintage’s spoofs of the brown Twitter bird and Danielle Belton’s “Things That Are Not Surprising: Black People Use Twitter” were [...]
[...] Innyvinny.com’s original post, and search the hashtag—sorry! the blacktag here. (via Farai Chideya) [...]
:: sings :: Romantic Call
Alicia Reply:
August 15th, 2010 at 11:47 am
HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!
Ha – the USA is soooo boring and insular, you think this is like an actual thing to actually write about and ‘have an opinion’ on when your fucking country is in free-fall and you are engaged in two wars abroad – too much.
Alicia Reply:
August 15th, 2010 at 11:34 am
Please take that up with the political bloggers. I write about what I want to write about and the war is not one of them. If you’d like to give us your Canadian perspective, feel free to do so on a post that’s relevant…which wouldn’t be here.
KTHXBAI.
Janelle Monae one is soo cute
Dear fellow HUMAN BEINGS.Enough is enough.Your all idiot’s.We share the same heritage,DNA,blood type;differing only due to an evolved immune process to protect from disease;(IE:Cicle Cell(sP).Our organs are inter-changable,remember,:that old saying-”PARTS IS PARTS”?Our progeny can procreate because there is “NO SUCH THING AS RACE”.If you mix the human colors,you get another “HUMAN BEING”.We are all,EVERY LAST ONE,cut from the same DNA material;we only differ in pattern ,NOT cut,according to our geography.
Race is a PHYLOSOPHY not a CATAGORY!!. It is used as justification to red-line,in bigotry & racism. Governments,cultures,societies,
use the “PHYLOSOPHY” of race to hold down groups of people they consider inferior.Get a clue.When a form asks what”RACE” you are,write….HUMAN BEING.Junk like the “BIRD” stuff,is inconsequential unless you the “HUMAN BEING” agree that it defines you as a catagory.My forefathers where from Sicily.It is located directly across from Africa.I am catagorized “WHITE”because I am fair.However,my father whose jet black curly hair sat on a body that was brown as shoe leather.It’s a short ride from the shores of Sicily/Africa and than as now,everybody fucks when they can!! I am a HUMAN BEING,NOT A CATAGORY & in my world,most birds fly,no matter what color they are. JAD
Nickie Frye Reply:
August 16th, 2010 at 8:30 am
I tend to agree. I think it’s helpful to focus on our similarities & celebrate them. Focusing on what makes us different tends to further divide people & it makes everyone weak. Race-Schmace. It’s a non-issue for me.
.-= Nickie Frye´s last blog ..Ghost Town =-.
[...] Innyvinny.com’s original post, and search the hashtag—sorry! the blacktag here. (via Farai Chideya) [...]
LOL. The bald one looks like Micheal Kyle Snr…
xoxo
man oh man you say not monolithic and then do nothing but put up ghetto birds, in their ghetto gear.
Blacks are in fact monolithic perhaps some tibial hold over thing.
A black commits a crime and they all fall out to say free the brother. even the ones who did not want to be black.
A confused people, unable to assimilate, speak the language or value education.
Alicia Reply:
August 15th, 2010 at 7:10 pm
“A confused people, unable to assimilate, speak the language or value education.”
Says the person whose comment is rife with spelling and grammatical errors. Please, sir, try again.
[...] Innyvinny.com’s original post, and search the hashtag—sorry! the blacktag here. (via Farai Chideya) [...]
[...] message on a BlackBerry-style device. The graphic has gone viral thanks to a responding article at Instant Vintage showcasing a number of brown bird variations for your blogging pleasure. Thanks to innnyvinny for his work (including the bald brown birdie you see here and BlackWeb2.0 for [...]
[...] Slate ist gar nicht pc: How Black People Uze Twitter und die Antwort [...]
[...] Slate, your article led to 50’leven blog posts about the subject, which can be found here, here, here, here and [...]
[...] For the Birds Posted on August 16, 2010 by hanaelujah Has anyone else noticed the rise of a brown twitter bird? What does it mean and where did it come from? Last Tuesday, Slate, an online magazine, posted an article entitled “How black people use Twitter.” In the article, the (non-black) author mused and hypothesized how black people make trending topics popular, how they communicated with peers, how they got retweeted, etc. To make matters worse, the article was illustrated with this graphic. In response, outraged Twitter users created even more stereotypical and outrageous twitcons and tweets as satire, and another Twitter epidemic fueled by black folks was born. Below are some of my favorites via Inny Vinny. [...]
If I knew how to photoshop, my Brown Twitter Birds would have HBCU and Divine Nine sweatshirts on
.-= I Am Your People´s last blog ..A mini-blog a day late and a dollar short- Who let negroes on the internet =-.
[...] InnyVinny (who made some HILARIOUS response avatars to the brown twitter bird picture from the article): [...]
[...] In Search of Blackness: Yo Black, what flavor are you? 7:00 AM | Fresh Bouge by OneChele | | Edit Post Although it's been going on for longer than I've been alive; it appears to me that in the time since the "Obama Ascendancy" there is a mad scramble to define what "blackness" is. Black may be the flavor of the month but no one is quite sure what that means. From Michael Steele inviting Republicans up to his "heezy" to the right-wing talking heads seeing reparation conspiracy theories everywhere. We're witnessing a crazy scramble to put blackness in a box, therefore containing and subduing any thoughts of getting ahead of ourselves. (i.e. re-electing certain brown-skinned folks in 2012) This cycle seems to rinse and repeat no matter how many times we grit our teeth and repeat one of the following:We are not a Monolith [...]
BBBBBBBBBBWWWWWWWWWWHHHHAAAAAAAAAAHHHAAAAAA!!!!! I ATTEMPTED to read the article… GARBAGE… So cheers to you madam for making it to the end. This is my first visit to your blog. Let me just say, the “birdies” are enough to keep me coming back LOL.
[...] This is a prime example of why Alicia is awesome: Oh, Slate. [...]
[...] by Alicia Nassardeen of Instant Vintage, the parodies went viral. Folks across the globe used Nassardeen’s parodies as Facebook and [...]
[...] and repeat no matter how many times we grit our teeth and repeat one of the following:We are not a MonolithWe come in multiple flavorsWe’re a group of diverse individuals with varying experiences who [...]
[...] Boat I'm on a Horse Aretha's inauguration hat Montana Fishburne *_* and MANY more over at InnyVinny __________________ "Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its [...]
[...] explains the story of how the black twitter bird meme was created by Alicia Nassardeen. Posted in Uncategorized | [...]
[...] have been several variations of the BTB created since the original post debuted. It’s the Photoshop-equivalent of being handed a pile of [...]
[...] only dreamed of. Initiated by Inny Vinny on her fashion and culture-oriented website, she offered several depictions of the offensive brown Twitter bird to those who might want to change their Twitter avatars to show awareness of Manjoo’s paltry, [...]
[...] only dreamed of. Initiated by Inny Vinny on her fashion and culture-oriented website, she offered several depictions of the offensive brown Twitter bird to those who might want to change their Twitter avatars to show awareness of Manjoo’s paltry, [...]
[...] of the blog “instant vintage,” was the first to parody the black Twitter bird. She Photoshopped the birds with afros, and wearing kinte cloths and graduation caps. There were Michael Jackson [...]
[...] One enterprising blogger brilliantly assembled a virtual aviary of various types of brown Twitter birds , Black folks on Twitter replaced their avatars with their birds of choice, and thus was born the retort heard ’round the internets. The #BrownTwitterBird hashtag, or conversation topic identifier, spawned epic bouts of silliness and wit. Black Twitterers didn’t get mad; they got awesome. And as a participant in the foolery, I was truly inspired by what I saw taking place around me in virtual space. [...]
[...] only dreamed of. Initiated by Inny Vinny on her fashion and culture-oriented website, she offered several depictions of the offensive brown Twitter bird to those who might want to change their Twitter avatars to show awareness of Manjoo’s paltry, [...]
[...] Brown Twitter Bird came via InnyVinny‘s amazing site and was discovered via @BabylonSista by @thatladyj!) AKPC_IDS += [...]
[...] Licier” who goes by the handle InnyVinny [for Instant Vintage] and can be found here. She blogs quite fabulously [...]
[...] a few and the creativity of the masses in the hours and days which followed, we now have several special edition Brown Twitter Birds for our viewing [...]
[...] explain how Black people use Twitter. Rather, it was the immediate response of one Tweeter named @InnyVinny who, in her frustration, wrote on her blogsite in all caps, “BLACK PEOPLE ARE NOT A MONOLITH” and then went on to, literally, remix [...]