When scanning rapper Talib Kweli’s Twitter feed it becomes instantly apparent he spends all his time arguing with randos about racism. Whether they be Nazi trolls, or average citizens with differing opinions, Kweli takes the time out of his clearly not busy schedule to give each one the attention they don’t deserve.
While he usually passes time calling ex-Muslims “coons” and neuroscientists white supremacists, this weekend he took on the sensitive subject of anime.
Ever see anime? Do those cartoons look like Japanese ppl or like white ppl? https://t.co/DiYrosFhHB
— Talib Kweli Greene (@TalibKweli) September 10, 2016
Kweli was on a kick about how oppressed the nation of Japan is by white supremacy and decided to loop anime characters into the mix. He concluded that because they didn’t have “yellow skin” and “smaller eyes,” anime was perpetuating a Eurocentric standard of beauty.
Japanese ppl have smaller eyes and yellow skin. Fact. These characters are white @catlinnya https://t.co/ryZdjCRohL pic.twitter.com/yJgkGopKWD
— Talib Kweli Greene (@TalibKweli) September 11, 2016
While everyone’s entitled to their opinion, it is troubling that Kweli has spent almost three days arguing this point with hundreds of tweets directed toward dozens of different accounts.
Kweli will tweet something about anime, then people will send him pictures of anime characters or Asian cosplayers to prove him wrong. Then Kweli will refute the evidence and say they look white, repeating the cycle. This started Saturday afternoon and is really still going on at the moment of publication.
Some of the accounts Kweli argued with are Nazi anime trolls, who fire racial epithets at him to get a reaction, while other’s were just honest anime fans, sticking up for their hobby.
RT @Wedge_: @SaikyoSilvergun a waifu pillow is NOT the same as a real human relationship. yall anime nazis need help pic.twitter.com/DFBAKIS1Xe
— Talib Kweli Greene (@TalibKweli) September 11, 2016
Kweli even took a brief hiatus from anime Sunday to parse the difference between Marge Simpson’s hairstyle and an afro.
White people in Simpsons yellow. Black ppl are brown. Marge has a beehive hairdo. Not afro https://t.co/bvR145rcbb pic.twitter.com/iYkCEnRGSJ
— Talib Kweli Greene (@TalibKweli) September 11, 2016
Clearly Kweli is not giving anime, or at least the hordes of rabid fans, the respect they deserve.
Anime is not the benchmark of Japanese culture moron. https://t.co/ufzjdpgFJs
— Talib Kweli Greene (@TalibKweli) September 12, 2016
But what Kweli really needs is an intervention from his Twitter slap fight addiction. He spent a beautiful, sunny weekend arguing with weeaboos nonstop and has nothing to show for it but a few retweets and lewd anime images clogging up his mentions.
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