I thought the 'Pepe the Frog' takedown was just hype until I saw a 2023 report from the ADL showing over 50,000 instances of its removal across platforms.

That massive number convinced me it's a real case of platforms overcorrecting on an old meme, which makes me wonder if we're losing the ability to separate ironic humor from actual hate speech.

2 comments

2 Comments

ruby_anderson18d ago

Removing a meme that many people still use for jokes seems like a huge overreach.

nathan54518d ago

Honestly though, it's not an overreach at all. Some of those old jokes are just mean and don't age well. I mean, maybe it's just me, but letting stuff like that stick around can make a place feel pretty unwelcoming. Cleaning it up isn't about stopping fun, it's about keeping things from getting toxic. If a meme's main punchline is just hurting a group of people, maybe it's time to let it go.