BiBloggers

The updated bingo card for hanging out with geeky/nerdy white folks.  Still quite British, but now 20% more clueless, privileged and racist!

The original bingo card is here

I’m still bisexual.  I’m still hanging around with geeky/nerdy white folks. I love my friends most of the time, but they also manage to piss me off on a regular basis.  Hence the extended bingo card.  It is still my major resource to surviving interactions with them with my brain intact. And without being incredibly lonely.

I’m going to concentrate on the centre four squares, because I actually have a job, and it ain’t this.  No further explanations of the outer boxes will be given.  Please don’t ask.

Game of Thrones

This show manages to tick every single box of what it is like to be on the outside of popular culture, watching horrified at the world around you.  It manages to be racist, misogynistic and triggering to survivors of violence and/or abuse.  http://smokeandstir.org/2013/06/22/game-of-thrones-racism-and-white-saviors/ 

So many white geeky/nerdy folks love this show, and will not shut the hell up about it.  Dare you complain about any of this, and you will encounter the next square on the bingo card.

No other black people around

You’ll probably notice how alone you are if you try to speak up about anything.  Not all white folks are racist, but the cluelessness and privelige that many have can leave you flummoxed.  Get used to explaining why things are hurtful, insulting and racist, because that will be your major contribution, whether you like it or not.

Steampunk

Or what happened when Goths discovered the colour brown.  Never mind that steampunk is a fictional concept, it’s a case of history repeating itself and ignoring people of colour.  Do an internet search of “Steampunk images of people” and try to find more than three people who are black.  Scroll down a good few pages.  Go on, I’ll wait for you to come back.  Not much luck?  Yeah.  I thought so.

Racism Apologists

I wish this wasn’t on here.  I wish I didn’t have to encounter this in almost every conversation I have with white geeky/nerdy white folks.  But I do.  Some examples I’ve personally had to grit my teeth through…

“X isn’t racist, it’s artistic.”

“X isn’t racist, it’s an accurate portrayal of the time period (even if it’s set in the future)

“X isn’t racist, because Islam isn’t a race.” (seriously, do not get me started on this one)

“X isn’t racist, because Scottish/Welsh people get called names too. Nobody starts a riot about that.”

Gah.

Things that didn’t make the card: Esperanto, Torture Garden club night, Richard Dawkins.

Things I removed from previous card: Slutwalk, Referencing the Guardian newspaper.

And lastly…

Bitcoin.  Seriously?  Everyone has way too much time on their hands.