Apple’s newest update, IOS 8.3, introduced hundreds of new emojis. Now users can pick and choose between various shades of white and brown emoji skin color. A new and wider range of skin tones was designed to better reflect the numerous ethnicities around the world.
A more Simpsonesque yellow replaced the previous generic “white” emojis. While the original emojis are still available, Apple included more colored emojis to promote diversity. The update also includes same-sex partners, diversified sports emojis, and dozens of new flags.
IOS 8.3’s emoji update came with the intention to solve the “white dominance” problem of Apple’s emojis, but as the old adage follows: No good deed goes unpunished.
Celebration quickly turned to calamity. Some people rejoiced and celebrated this victory of racial inclusion. However, others continued to express their disgruntled concerns. Soulless gingers cried, “Where are the emojis with the red hair? We have feelings too.”
No one can doubt that the new golden emojis look more like a feverish yellow. It’s almost as if the emojis’ kidneys are failing. Or they look like they received the Midas touch but Midas touched them in wrong places. Are they supposed to represent the general public?
I don’t know about Apple, but I’ve never seen a yellow person. And if Apple intends for these yellow emojis to represent my people (for those who don’t know, I’m Asian), that’s going to cause problems. Now I personally don’t mind, but it could upset other people in the community.
In the words of the late, great Notorious B.I.G., “More emojis, more problems.” That may or may not be accurate. Nevertheless, while Apple intended for these emojis to solve the racial issue in their keyboard, they created more problem than solutions.
The criticism over IOS 8.3 goes to show that Apple will never solve the racial problem. I don’t blame society, only certain individuals of society for employing the well-intentioned new range of emojis in discriminatory contexts.
Blaming Apple for racism following the release of the new emojis is like screaming, “White supremacy” at Club Penguin for a complementary white belly present in all of their penguins. Okay that’s a bad analogy, but hopefully you get what I’m trying to say.
Let’s stop pretending that Apple is to blame for the negativity surrounding the new emojis. It’s the users that are using them in a controversial light.
There will always be someone who questions the motives of big businesses, but can we please drop the stigma that all companies are in it for the money? If an organization can promote their brand while promoting tolerance within society, why is that such a bad thing?
With the hundreds of new emojis available, there is still no taco emoji. Now that’s the real issue here, but I guess that’s something Apple doesn’t want to taco about.
