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How to tweet about Africa: the lessons of Justine Sacco, race and sarcasm How to tweet about Africa: the lessons of Justine Sacco, race and sarcasm
(about 1 hour later)
After a tragedy or an accident, we all helplessly return to the precious moments when we could have somehow changed the outcome. Justine Sacco must be spending time at her father's house in Cape Town, desperately wishing for a time machine.After a tragedy or an accident, we all helplessly return to the precious moments when we could have somehow changed the outcome. Justine Sacco must be spending time at her father's house in Cape Town, desperately wishing for a time machine.
The communications executive for IAC gained worldwide notoriety after she tweeted "Going to Africa. Hope I don't get Aids. Just kidding. I'm white!" before hopping on a 9-hour plane to South Africa. If she hadn't hit send, perhaps her life wouldn't have changed. As Ms Sacco flew over the African continent, thousands of tweeters the world over began by sharing her tweet and calling her racist and stupid.The communications executive for IAC gained worldwide notoriety after she tweeted "Going to Africa. Hope I don't get Aids. Just kidding. I'm white!" before hopping on a 9-hour plane to South Africa. If she hadn't hit send, perhaps her life wouldn't have changed. As Ms Sacco flew over the African continent, thousands of tweeters the world over began by sharing her tweet and calling her racist and stupid.
By the time Sacco had collected her baggage, she had lost her job at IAC and had become a hated internet figure. Her family was interviewed by a person who'd arrived at the airport solely to take her picture and post responses to #HasJustineLandedYet on Twitter. Sacco's father told the interlocutor that he raised his daughter in the US because South Africa was too racist, according to the tweeter.By the time Sacco had collected her baggage, she had lost her job at IAC and had become a hated internet figure. Her family was interviewed by a person who'd arrived at the airport solely to take her picture and post responses to #HasJustineLandedYet on Twitter. Sacco's father told the interlocutor that he raised his daughter in the US because South Africa was too racist, according to the tweeter.
The interviewer, whose Twitter name reads "Zac", tweeted that when he began to photograph Sacco without permission, her 15-year-old brother protested. To this Sacco's father stepped in and said "You should be apologizing to him! What she did was unforgivable," pointing to Zac, who is presumably African and feels personally offended by Sacco's tweet.The interviewer, whose Twitter name reads "Zac", tweeted that when he began to photograph Sacco without permission, her 15-year-old brother protested. To this Sacco's father stepped in and said "You should be apologizing to him! What she did was unforgivable," pointing to Zac, who is presumably African and feels personally offended by Sacco's tweet.
The internet has taken Sacco's comments too personally. What kind of person would immediately associate Africa with Aids? And what person would consider herself immune to the epidemic because she's white? These comments must stem from blinding ignorance. Or that other thing some people are blind to: sarcasm. The internet has taken Sacco's comments too personally. What kind of person would immediately associate Africa with Aids? And what person would consider herself immune to the epidemic because she's white? These comments must stem from blinding ignorance. Or that other thing some people are blind to: sarcasm. 
Here's what everybody knows but won't say: Justine Sacco's tweet was a case of unfortunate sarcasm. Sacco's tweet succinctly, humorously summarised two clichés. If her tweet was offensive, it wasn't to Africans. We all have to defend clichés about our countries. In 2005, Kenyan writer Binyavanga Wainaina wrote an essay for Granta titled "How To Write About Africa" a satirical guide composed for a foreigner writing about Africa. It includes pointers like these:Here's what everybody knows but won't say: Justine Sacco's tweet was a case of unfortunate sarcasm. Sacco's tweet succinctly, humorously summarised two clichés. If her tweet was offensive, it wasn't to Africans. We all have to defend clichés about our countries. In 2005, Kenyan writer Binyavanga Wainaina wrote an essay for Granta titled "How To Write About Africa" a satirical guide composed for a foreigner writing about Africa. It includes pointers like these:
"Note that 'People' means Africans who are not black, while 'The People' means black Africans … Your African characters may include naked warriors, loyal servants, diviners and seers, ancient wise men living in hermitic splendour. Or corrupt politicians, inept polygamous travel-guides, and prostitutes you have slept with.""Note that 'People' means Africans who are not black, while 'The People' means black Africans … Your African characters may include naked warriors, loyal servants, diviners and seers, ancient wise men living in hermitic splendour. Or corrupt politicians, inept polygamous travel-guides, and prostitutes you have slept with."
Wainaina's essay is a brilliant, sarcastic take on the common vocabulary used to describe Africa in writing. Wainana, too, mentions Aids: "When your main character is in a desert or jungle living with indigenous peoples (anybody short) it is okay to mention that Africa has been severely depopulated by Aids and War (use caps)." The essay on the clichés adopted for Africa was appreciation, perhaps from the very people who had in their inauthentic writing "pitied, worshipped or dominated" Africa, as he commands in his guide. Wainaina's dark humour won him acclaim. Sacco's tweet destroyed her career. Wainaina's essay is a brilliant, sarcastic take on the common vocabulary used to describe Africa in writing. Wainana, too, mentions Aids: "When your main character is in a desert or jungle living with indigenous peoples (anybody short) it is okay to mention that Africa has been severely depopulated by Aids and War (use caps)." The essay on the clichés adopted for Africa found appreciation, perhaps from the very people who had in their inauthentic writing "pitied, worshipped or dominated" Africa, as he commands in his guide. Wainaina's dark humour won him acclaim. Sacco's tweet destroyed her career.
In asking for Sacco's beheading, the internet wants to proclaim "We're not racist, and our condemnation of her absolves us of any bigotry." By confidently casting Sacco to the far corners of some political otherness, the faceless internet reassures itself of its fair, liberal outlook.In asking for Sacco's beheading, the internet wants to proclaim "We're not racist, and our condemnation of her absolves us of any bigotry." By confidently casting Sacco to the far corners of some political otherness, the faceless internet reassures itself of its fair, liberal outlook.
It's impossible to argue that Justine Sacco's little joke carries the same sophistication of Wainaina's essay. But common to their humour is disdain and anger for the image that is associated with their home countries. In an essay for the BBC titled "Why Africa's Image Is Unfair", Wainaina writes: "The truth is, we will never look like what CNN wants us to look like. But that's fine – we can get online now and completely bypass their nonsense."It's impossible to argue that Justine Sacco's little joke carries the same sophistication of Wainaina's essay. But common to their humour is disdain and anger for the image that is associated with their home countries. In an essay for the BBC titled "Why Africa's Image Is Unfair", Wainaina writes: "The truth is, we will never look like what CNN wants us to look like. But that's fine – we can get online now and completely bypass their nonsense."
That is indeed what Sacco did – she got online and made a comment so outrageous that it had to be a joke. That is how sarcasm operates. Researchers in Israel constructed an algorithm that can detect sarcasm. In their paper (pdf), they start with a definition:That is indeed what Sacco did – she got online and made a comment so outrageous that it had to be a joke. That is how sarcasm operates. Researchers in Israel constructed an algorithm that can detect sarcasm. In their paper (pdf), they start with a definition:
"The activity of saying or writing the opposite of what you mean, or of speaking in a way intended to make someone else feel stupid or show them that you are angry.""The activity of saying or writing the opposite of what you mean, or of speaking in a way intended to make someone else feel stupid or show them that you are angry."
As a brown-skinned person who has on occasion been asked if my father was an Indian maharaja, I understand the frustration that comes with dealing with racial and national stereotypes. It's not terribly hard to imagine what reactions Justine Sacco gets when she says she is from South Africa. In bars and introductions, perhaps she's asked about Nelson Mandela, or wildlife safaris, or Aids or the other limited set of metonyms that have come to stand for places that people only hear about from the New York Times' foreign correspondents.As a brown-skinned person who has on occasion been asked if my father was an Indian maharaja, I understand the frustration that comes with dealing with racial and national stereotypes. It's not terribly hard to imagine what reactions Justine Sacco gets when she says she is from South Africa. In bars and introductions, perhaps she's asked about Nelson Mandela, or wildlife safaris, or Aids or the other limited set of metonyms that have come to stand for places that people only hear about from the New York Times' foreign correspondents.
What makes Wainaina's essay a clever and cutting protest and Sacco's tweet racist and ignorant? Would it be easier for the thousands of people who took offense if Sacco were not white?What makes Wainaina's essay a clever and cutting protest and Sacco's tweet racist and ignorant? Would it be easier for the thousands of people who took offense if Sacco were not white?
At a dinner party in London, an Indian friend joked about how apologetic she was towards her British colleagues, all on account of her being brown. To my shocked expression, she chuckled to me, "It's only racist if they say it." This is the refrain of the South Asian community in New York, "We're the victims. It's never racist if we say it," we all laugh, warm in the immunity of existing in privileged environments, where our learned peers are careful to treat us equally.At a dinner party in London, an Indian friend joked about how apologetic she was towards her British colleagues, all on account of her being brown. To my shocked expression, she chuckled to me, "It's only racist if they say it." This is the refrain of the South Asian community in New York, "We're the victims. It's never racist if we say it," we all laugh, warm in the immunity of existing in privileged environments, where our learned peers are careful to treat us equally.
In a discussion about Malcolm X and whether his interviews would be published today, an American classmate said to me indignantly: "Nobody in America wants to talk about race." I laughed and thought, "But I'm brown."In a discussion about Malcolm X and whether his interviews would be published today, an American classmate said to me indignantly: "Nobody in America wants to talk about race." I laughed and thought, "But I'm brown."
If racism is, among other things, discriminating against someone based on the color of his or her skin, in this circus trial by Twitter, Justine Sacco is the victim. Her remark was self-aware, and sarcastic. She does not deserve to be demonised for a remark that the overcautious masses took at face value because she is, like generations of evil western imperialists, white.If racism is, among other things, discriminating against someone based on the color of his or her skin, in this circus trial by Twitter, Justine Sacco is the victim. Her remark was self-aware, and sarcastic. She does not deserve to be demonised for a remark that the overcautious masses took at face value because she is, like generations of evil western imperialists, white.
Sacco, barely the first to write humorous tweets on racial stereotypes, cannot be more racist than her villifiers on Twitter, several of who cryptically call her a "racist white [expletive]". Aids is no laughing matter, but perhaps the joke was about ignorance and prejudice – the exact things that have turned Sacco's careless tweet into an emblem of racism and insensitivity.Sacco, barely the first to write humorous tweets on racial stereotypes, cannot be more racist than her villifiers on Twitter, several of who cryptically call her a "racist white [expletive]". Aids is no laughing matter, but perhaps the joke was about ignorance and prejudice – the exact things that have turned Sacco's careless tweet into an emblem of racism and insensitivity.
It's been eight years since Wainaina published "How to Write About Africa". I wonder what he would have to say about l'affaire Justine Sacco. He will agree that his acerbic commentary on western media is still relevant. With its rigid idea that a white person's joke must essentially be racist, the discourse on Justine Sacco is playing to Wainaina's script. For we have learned from his essay that "The biggest taboo in writing about Africa is to describe or show dead or suffering white people" How can she be a victim if she is white?It's been eight years since Wainaina published "How to Write About Africa". I wonder what he would have to say about l'affaire Justine Sacco. He will agree that his acerbic commentary on western media is still relevant. With its rigid idea that a white person's joke must essentially be racist, the discourse on Justine Sacco is playing to Wainaina's script. For we have learned from his essay that "The biggest taboo in writing about Africa is to describe or show dead or suffering white people" How can she be a victim if she is white?
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