The following article outtakes from Leanne Italie of The Associated Press. While some may still be in the dark as to what the red and pink equal sign is, the article covers that aspect, however it is a bit trite in a sense that it questions the power of social media and sees people using this as a social moniker being a bit over the top. Over the top as in green in supporting the Arab Spring. Well for me, any expression of support for a cause – especially equal rights – can not be enough. So what if it won’t change the minds of minions. Who cares what bigots think? Its about support for equal rights. Sorry AP. This is one story with regard to social media that is not about cake and memes. Its about social change. Supported by social media. Go Martha.
NEW YORK — Bud Light said it with beer cans and Martha Stewart with red velvet cake as companies and celebrities from Beyonce to George Takei joined millions of social media users in posting and tweaking a simple red logo in support of gay marriage.
A square box with thick pink horizontal lines (the mathematical equal symbol) was offered for sharing this week by the Human Rights Campaign as the U.S. Supreme Court took up arguments in key marriage rights cases.
Martha Stewart’s Facebook page used a slice of red cake with white icing to make the image.
The image, replacing profile pictures on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Pinterest and elsewhere, is a makeover of the advocacy group’s logo, usually a blue background with bright yellow lines. The HRC made it available in red — for the colour of love — on Monday and estimated tens of millions of shares by Wednesday.
“It shows the enthusiasm and the passion,” said Fred Sainz, a spokesman for the non-profit in Washington, D.C.
Like viral campaigns of yore, supporting breast cancer awareness (pink), President Barack Obama (change your middle name to Hussein) and even Arab Spring (green), a bit of fatigue set in on some social media streams by those questioning whether such efforts serve to change any minds or, put simply, are plain annoying.
“My Facebook feed is a cascading esthetic nightmare. Thanks, equality,” Washington Post writer Dan Zak wryly grumbled on Twitter.
A photo of Justice Anthony Kennedy made the rounds with the quip: “Before we make a ruling, did enough people change their Facebook profile picture?!”
None of that mattered to the masses of same-sex marriage supporters. Some swapped matzoh for the pink lines as Passover got under way, or added frowny Internet star Grumpy Cat, who explained marriage equality would make her happy.
Bert and Ernie showed up against the red background. (They’re best friends with no plans to marry, according to Sesame Street.) Another version featured Paula Deen atop the red square and lines turned a shade of yellow akin to her favourite fatty ingredient and the tagline: “It’s like two sticks of butter y’all.”
Takei, a noted punster with nearly 4 million followers in Facebook, turned the equal sign into the division sign for those opposed to marriage equality.
Beyonce, with more than 44 million followers there, played it straight, leaving the logo alone and adding a personal message: “It’s about TIME!!! (hash)EQUALITY (hash)MarryWhoYouLove.
Fergie let the image speak for itself on Twitter, adding: “No words necessary.” Montana Sen. John Tester, a Democrat who endorsed same-sex marriage on Tuesday, put the logo up as his profile on Facebook while the clothing site Bonobos swapped its usual Facebook pic for the red square using fancy white pants for the equal sign.
Recent Comments