Hands down, the best place on the internet — if you want to see civilians and celebs get celebrated or dragged — is Black Twitter. It was the first to come after an ex-NFL player who questioned Jill Scott’s beauty. It was the first to offer the #ThanksgivingClapBack as a coping mechanism for annoying relatives on turkey day. And it was the first to declare that Black people would get their superpowers on Dec. 21, 2020 (okay, that didn’t happen, but maybe some of us will get telekinesis this year).
Even if you don’t rock with Black Twitter, everyone knows to show up for the hilarious commentary, memes, and nicknames (Miss Rona, for one). Comedienne and Home Economics star Sasheer Zamata enjoys Black Twitter’s unmatched shenanigans when catastrophe strikes. “I love how fast we are when it comes to the jokes," says the Saturday Night Live alumna. "We’re so used to creating humour out of tragedy. It’s appropriate that when we have mass tragedy, we are the ones who bring the humour."
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In the latest episode of Go Off, Sis, the podcast from Refinery29’s Unbothered, the hosts connect with Zamata about collaborative TV show environments and the fallout when Black creatives get their ideas snatched on social media. “There’s room for regulation. How can you track who says what? You can. People’s names are right there [on Twitter] and there’s a timestamp,” Zamata offers.
Co-host Ineye Komonibo says followers go nuts on Twitter because there aren’t any rules. “We're gonna say whatever we wanna say — for better or worse — which means there’s gonna be a lot of hot takes. A lot of arguments,” she says. "And if you’re on the outside, know your place. Be a fan. Spectate. Retweet. Laugh in the thread, but you can’t contribute.”
To hear about shadow-banned Black content, comedians as truth-tellers, and influencers robbing Black culture, listen to the full episode, below.
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