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Teen Vogue Editor Resigns After Fury over Racist Tweets

27 points by ipsocannibal 6y ago

ipsocannibal 6y ago
The irony over this situation is just too rich. This talented black reporter was basically cancelled at a rather liberal publication by an internal outrage mob of the new most aggrieved instigated by right wing provocators over social media posts the reporter posted as a minor and has since apologized for. Talk about cutting your own noes off to spite your face with your adversaries' blade. I guess diamonds, the internet, and the ideological purity requirements of identity politics are truely forever.
- Gunax 6y ago
  They are being consistent. If they hadn't, people would have said that we ignored problematic tweets just because of her colour.
  - ipsocannibal 6y ago
    This consistency is what the right-wing provocators who reposted the tweets were counting on.
- dang 6y ago
  It looks like your account has been using HN primarily for political, ideological, and nationalistic battle. That's against the site guidelines because it destroys what HN is supposed to be for: curious conversation on intellectually interesting topics. We ban accounts that do this kind of thing repeatedly, so please don't. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
jfengel 6y ago
The internet is forever. Good on her for taking responsibility. Accountability means consequences. She's apparently very good at her job, and I hope it means that she can find a place to rebuild her reputation. There should be one, especially since had already taken responsibility for this. But Teen Vogue wasn't the place for it. Especially since she was a teen when she sent these racist tweets. The Internet means that mistakes you make as a teenager will come back to haunt you. Courts can seal arrest records but the Internet is public. The things you say are heard, and seen, and they matter. So I hope this is a minor setback in her career, and that they can find somebody equally talented.
- BitwiseFool 6y ago
  I don't think it's possible for this to only be a minor setback. I predict her career in journalism is over. Her name is now associated with having made racist tweets and from having to resign from Teen Vogue. Identity matters a lot in professional journalism and I don't see how any media outlet would want to take her up as a writer knowing that they'd have to deal with the bad publicity that would arise. Why not just hire someone else with no baggage?
  - jfengel 6y ago
    Could be. Could also be that they see her take responsibility and move forward with it. It would likely be in a less visible role, but it will give her the opportunity to make genuine amends. For a lot of people they really want this story to be "ha ha the left turns on itself". And the left sure does. They're damned good at it. People love to punish, and when the real offenders are largely immune to punishment, they'll take it out extra hard on those they can get their hands on. But there are ways for it to end. She's putting herself up prominently and demonstrating what a genuine apology looks like. She's not hedging, excusing, or turning it around. She's accepting that an apology is more than just saying that you're sorry. Which means that people get a chance to accept the apology. Something we don't get a lot of practice in. So maybe we'll fail at it. That wouldn't be surprising. But it has to start somewhere, and maybe it'll start with her.
    - BitwiseFool 6y ago
      Part of the reason why I think her career is over is because even after a gold-standard apology, she was still made to resign. She did the exact right thing to do and by all means should have been given a second chance and shown some forgiveness. Edit: A gold standard apology is 1) admitting the transgression, 2) understanding the harm it caused, 3) delivering an apology to those affected, 4) pledging to make amends, 5) changing behavior going-forward
anm89 6y ago
Why is it so hard to find the contents of the actual tweets? That's the news story here right? Everything else is background. And why do I feel like if she was on the other political team the tweets would be the headline of every article?
- jacobriis 6y ago
  https://nypost.com/2021/03/08/teen-vogue-staffers-call-out-new-editor-in-chief-over-anti-asian-tweets/ https://nypost.com/2021/03/08/teen-vogue-staffers-call-out-n... These would be completely uncontroversial if they were written about European or white people: "Stupid white TA" "Like an old white woman" "Wake up with swollen white eyes" "Outdone by White #whatsnew" (And these clearly were not sufficiently controversial about Asian people coming from her until literally yesterday and probably won't be sufficiently controversial after like next weekend). Not to say this is unfair to her. "Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword"
  - wetmore 6y ago
    I mean they are stereotypes about a particular minority group. Of course they don't read the same when you replace them with phrases that are not stereotypes about the majority group.
    - jacobriis 6y ago
      Everything but the eye remark could apply to white people: "Stupid white TA," "Like an old white woman," and "Outdone by White #whatsnew." And the weeping and gnashing of teeth has nothing to do with making remarks about a "particular minority group." If she were studying abroad in China and said the same things about a "particular majority group," I doubt it would save her back in the US.
      - ipsocannibal 6y ago
        If she were studying abroad in China and posted this I doubt the Chinese would care. They don't share the same sensibilities about identity and race as the west. To project these sensibilities on to them is kind of racist in and of itself. Of course the point is moot because most Western social media is blocked in China anyway.
BitwiseFool 6y ago
Keep in mind the the Court of Public Opinion has no statute of limitations, no fair sentencing guidelines, and no way to appeal its judgment.
- MeinBlutIstBlau 6y ago
  If only we could have a better system of employee rights that prevented psychotic mobs from demanding people's livelihoods... I mean, isn't there a particular party that would want that!? Oh wait, their electorate won't vote for them then.
- randyrand 6y ago
  Thats true for the most of us. I like your point. > no way to appeal its judgment. Well, there is one way. "History is written by the victors", as they say. And people / groups in power can and do kill humans with wrong thoughts =/
inglor_cz 6y ago
Sacked for tweets done 10 (?) years ago. Ironically, ordinary crimes like larceny would fall under statute of limitations under American laws. Only heinous crimes would not. Cases like hers may eventually help the society grow a thicker skin and reject demands of cancel culturists. Unfortunately, being a martyr sucks.
KlinkEastwood 6y ago
Meanwhile, people like Nick Cannon, who openly speaks about how much he hates Jews, still has a television show. People like Chris Brown, who beat his girlfriend's face in, still releases albums. People like Mark Wahlberg, who beat an Asian dude (multiple Asian dudes actually) and blinded him, still releases movies. People like Roman Polanski, who raped a child, still is lauded by Hollywood elites. Meanwhile, this woman is being ostracized because of a few ill-advised comments she made as a teenager. The utter hypocrisy of the woke crowd, their inability and unwillingness to speak truth to power while picking apart those with no power and popularity and calling it a great victory for justice is infuriating. I can't help thinking about the end of the Roman Republic, when easily manipulated mobs ran rampant on the streets building nothing but leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. It's like their vision of progress is if United States turns into a Haiti or a Pakistan. The patients are in charge of the asylum; the people with decency will get ground to dust and the people with none will rise to the top.
- deepnotderp 6y ago
  Indeed, see also people harping about how diverse and inclusive their company is while taking Saudi or Chinese money
- gamblor956 6y ago
  People like Roman Polanski, who raped a child, still is lauded by Hollywood elites. Roman Polanski was lauded by the old generation of Hollywood elites, most of whom no longer work. He's despised by the current and upcoming generation Hollywood elites, all of whom regard him as a pedophile. The Academy kicked him out several years ago, and since then all major US studios/distributors have refused to finance, acquire, or distribute his films in the U.S. Mark Wahlberg is one of the few conservatives in Hollywood, and largely gets roles because he is a favorite of the conservative market for whom his racist past is not viewed as a negative. people like Nick Cannon, who openly speaks about how much he hates Jews, still has a television show. Nick Cannon does not "hate the Jews" nor has he ever said anything like that. His sole public instance of anti-Semitic comments relates to a podcast from last summer in which he spread anti-Semitic conspiracy theories about a specific Jewish family, while also various Black supremacist statements generally espousing hatred of all non-Blacks. He lost a billion-dollar media franchise he created and several gigs as a result, though I agree with you that he should have also lost his hosting gig on the Masked Singer. Chris Brown, who beat his girlfriend's face in, still releases albums. Unfortunately the music industry, and R&B and hip hop especially, are still quite misogynistic, so Brown continues to receive industry backing. Meanwhile, this woman is being ostracized because of a few ill-advised comments she made as a teenager. Her comments are pretty bad. But it wasn't just a "few" ill-advised comments. There were many racist and homophobic tweets. A series of them, spread out over several years, including while she was an adult. But the real issue that cost her the job was that most of staff of the magazine she was going to run demanded she be fired.

27 points by ipsocannibal 6y ago

The irony over this situation is just too rich. This talented black reporter was basically cancelled at a rather liberal publication by an internal outrage mob of the new most aggrieved instigated by right wing provocators over social media posts the reporter posted as a minor and has since apologized for. Talk about cutting your own noes off to spite your face with your adversaries' blade. I guess diamonds, the internet, and the ideological purity requirements of identity politics are truely forever.

Gunax 6y ago
They are being consistent. If they hadn't, people would have said that we ignored problematic tweets just because of her colour.
- ipsocannibal 6y ago
  This consistency is what the right-wing provocators who reposted the tweets were counting on.
dang 6y ago
It looks like your account has been using HN primarily for political, ideological, and nationalistic battle. That's against the site guidelines because it destroys what HN is supposed to be for: curious conversation on intellectually interesting topics. We ban accounts that do this kind of thing repeatedly, so please don't. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

jfengel 6y ago

The internet is forever. Good on her for taking responsibility. Accountability means consequences. She's apparently very good at her job, and I hope it means that she can find a place to rebuild her reputation. There should be one, especially since had already taken responsibility for this. But Teen Vogue wasn't the place for it. Especially since she was a teen when she sent these racist tweets. The Internet means that mistakes you make as a teenager will come back to haunt you. Courts can seal arrest records but the Internet is public. The things you say are heard, and seen, and they matter. So I hope this is a minor setback in her career, and that they can find somebody equally talented.

BitwiseFool 6y ago
I don't think it's possible for this to only be a minor setback. I predict her career in journalism is over. Her name is now associated with having made racist tweets and from having to resign from Teen Vogue. Identity matters a lot in professional journalism and I don't see how any media outlet would want to take her up as a writer knowing that they'd have to deal with the bad publicity that would arise. Why not just hire someone else with no baggage?
- jfengel 6y ago
  Could be. Could also be that they see her take responsibility and move forward with it. It would likely be in a less visible role, but it will give her the opportunity to make genuine amends. For a lot of people they really want this story to be "ha ha the left turns on itself". And the left sure does. They're damned good at it. People love to punish, and when the real offenders are largely immune to punishment, they'll take it out extra hard on those they can get their hands on. But there are ways for it to end. She's putting herself up prominently and demonstrating what a genuine apology looks like. She's not hedging, excusing, or turning it around. She's accepting that an apology is more than just saying that you're sorry. Which means that people get a chance to accept the apology. Something we don't get a lot of practice in. So maybe we'll fail at it. That wouldn't be surprising. But it has to start somewhere, and maybe it'll start with her.
  - BitwiseFool 6y ago
    Part of the reason why I think her career is over is because even after a gold-standard apology, she was still made to resign. She did the exact right thing to do and by all means should have been given a second chance and shown some forgiveness. Edit: A gold standard apology is 1) admitting the transgression, 2) understanding the harm it caused, 3) delivering an apology to those affected, 4) pledging to make amends, 5) changing behavior going-forward

anm89 6y ago

Why is it so hard to find the contents of the actual tweets? That's the news story here right? Everything else is background. And why do I feel like if she was on the other political team the tweets would be the headline of every article?

jacobriis 6y ago
https://nypost.com/2021/03/08/teen-vogue-staffers-call-out-new-editor-in-chief-over-anti-asian-tweets/ https://nypost.com/2021/03/08/teen-vogue-staffers-call-out-n... These would be completely uncontroversial if they were written about European or white people: "Stupid white TA" "Like an old white woman" "Wake up with swollen white eyes" "Outdone by White #whatsnew" (And these clearly were not sufficiently controversial about Asian people coming from her until literally yesterday and probably won't be sufficiently controversial after like next weekend). Not to say this is unfair to her. "Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword"
- wetmore 6y ago
  I mean they are stereotypes about a particular minority group. Of course they don't read the same when you replace them with phrases that are not stereotypes about the majority group.
  - jacobriis 6y ago
    Everything but the eye remark could apply to white people: "Stupid white TA," "Like an old white woman," and "Outdone by White #whatsnew." And the weeping and gnashing of teeth has nothing to do with making remarks about a "particular minority group." If she were studying abroad in China and said the same things about a "particular majority group," I doubt it would save her back in the US.
    - ipsocannibal 6y ago
      If she were studying abroad in China and posted this I doubt the Chinese would care. They don't share the same sensibilities about identity and race as the west. To project these sensibilities on to them is kind of racist in and of itself. Of course the point is moot because most Western social media is blocked in China anyway.

BitwiseFool 6y ago

Keep in mind the the Court of Public Opinion has no statute of limitations, no fair sentencing guidelines, and no way to appeal its judgment.

MeinBlutIstBlau 6y ago
If only we could have a better system of employee rights that prevented psychotic mobs from demanding people's livelihoods... I mean, isn't there a particular party that would want that!? Oh wait, their electorate won't vote for them then.
randyrand 6y ago
Thats true for the most of us. I like your point. > no way to appeal its judgment. Well, there is one way. "History is written by the victors", as they say. And people / groups in power can and do kill humans with wrong thoughts =/

inglor_cz 6y ago

Sacked for tweets done 10 (?) years ago. Ironically, ordinary crimes like larceny would fall under statute of limitations under American laws. Only heinous crimes would not. Cases like hers may eventually help the society grow a thicker skin and reject demands of cancel culturists. Unfortunately, being a martyr sucks.

KlinkEastwood 6y ago

Meanwhile, people like Nick Cannon, who openly speaks about how much he hates Jews, still has a television show. People like Chris Brown, who beat his girlfriend's face in, still releases albums. People like Mark Wahlberg, who beat an Asian dude (multiple Asian dudes actually) and blinded him, still releases movies. People like Roman Polanski, who raped a child, still is lauded by Hollywood elites. Meanwhile, this woman is being ostracized because of a few ill-advised comments she made as a teenager. The utter hypocrisy of the woke crowd, their inability and unwillingness to speak truth to power while picking apart those with no power and popularity and calling it a great victory for justice is infuriating. I can't help thinking about the end of the Roman Republic, when easily manipulated mobs ran rampant on the streets building nothing but leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. It's like their vision of progress is if United States turns into a Haiti or a Pakistan. The patients are in charge of the asylum; the people with decency will get ground to dust and the people with none will rise to the top.

deepnotderp 6y ago
Indeed, see also people harping about how diverse and inclusive their company is while taking Saudi or Chinese money
gamblor956 6y ago
People like Roman Polanski, who raped a child, still is lauded by Hollywood elites. Roman Polanski was lauded by the old generation of Hollywood elites, most of whom no longer work. He's despised by the current and upcoming generation Hollywood elites, all of whom regard him as a pedophile. The Academy kicked him out several years ago, and since then all major US studios/distributors have refused to finance, acquire, or distribute his films in the U.S. Mark Wahlberg is one of the few conservatives in Hollywood, and largely gets roles because he is a favorite of the conservative market for whom his racist past is not viewed as a negative. people like Nick Cannon, who openly speaks about how much he hates Jews, still has a television show. Nick Cannon does not "hate the Jews" nor has he ever said anything like that. His sole public instance of anti-Semitic comments relates to a podcast from last summer in which he spread anti-Semitic conspiracy theories about a specific Jewish family, while also various Black supremacist statements generally espousing hatred of all non-Blacks. He lost a billion-dollar media franchise he created and several gigs as a result, though I agree with you that he should have also lost his hosting gig on the Masked Singer. Chris Brown, who beat his girlfriend's face in, still releases albums. Unfortunately the music industry, and R&B and hip hop especially, are still quite misogynistic, so Brown continues to receive industry backing. Meanwhile, this woman is being ostracized because of a few ill-advised comments she made as a teenager. Her comments are pretty bad. But it wasn't just a "few" ill-advised comments. There were many racist and homophobic tweets. A series of them, spread out over several years, including while she was an adult. But the real issue that cost her the job was that most of staff of the magazine she was going to run demanded she be fired.