Neither of these characters know what that means because John Deering and John Newcombe don’t know what it means. And it’s not even a difficult concept. “Micro” meaning small, “aggression” meaning a hostile act. The word is used to describe the many small acts that, each on their own, seem too insignificant to worry about or call out but which, added together, form a pattern that makes a person’s life measurably worse.
For example, if one person calls you by the wrong name one time, you’d probably let that go. It’s a simple mistake that means nothing. If half the people you meet call you by the wrong name half the time then, to you, it is a recurring issue that will bother you more and more every time it happens. But to each of those people, each instance is still only one little mistake that you shouldn’t get worked up over. The difference between their perspective and yours makes any reaction on your part seem justified to you but wildly disproportionate to them. That’s what makes microaggressions so insidious.
Deering is constantly down on public schools, and frankly, he has no idea what he’s talking about. And of course, what he has Zack say is also meaningless — and utterly out of touch with what actually happens in public schools. But hey, it is fiction.
This seems to be a hot topic for this strip, yet I don’t really see it often anywhere else. Not sure what the story is behind it, would be interested knowing why the strip writer is so hung up on it. They are a real thing though, microaggressions, maybe not in the context of this strip. Things like assuming (and blatantly asking/procrlaiming) an asian person only eats rice or a black person knows how to dance or a hispanic person speaks Spanish, etc etc. No, it’s not often overtly offensive behaviour, but it’s just real butthole stuff ya know. That sort of below the radar insult stuff. There’s an entire demographic that would never understand why it’s wrong though, and so just whatever.
Templo S.U.D. about 5 years ago
Touché, Mrs. B. (Would Zack being called “pumpkin” by her also be a microaggression?)
Mathew Walls Premium Member about 5 years ago
Neither of these characters know what that means because John Deering and John Newcombe don’t know what it means. And it’s not even a difficult concept. “Micro” meaning small, “aggression” meaning a hostile act. The word is used to describe the many small acts that, each on their own, seem too insignificant to worry about or call out but which, added together, form a pattern that makes a person’s life measurably worse.
For example, if one person calls you by the wrong name one time, you’d probably let that go. It’s a simple mistake that means nothing. If half the people you meet call you by the wrong name half the time then, to you, it is a recurring issue that will bother you more and more every time it happens. But to each of those people, each instance is still only one little mistake that you shouldn’t get worked up over. The difference between their perspective and yours makes any reaction on your part seem justified to you but wildly disproportionate to them. That’s what makes microaggressions so insidious.
blunebottle about 5 years ago
Bang on the money, honey! [Mrs. Belmont]
Tue Elung-Jensen about 5 years ago
HA! Don´t mess with the elderly.
jpayne4040 about 5 years ago
Sadly, she is quite right.
cdward about 5 years ago
Deering is constantly down on public schools, and frankly, he has no idea what he’s talking about. And of course, what he has Zack say is also meaningless — and utterly out of touch with what actually happens in public schools. But hey, it is fiction.
HappyDog/ᵀʳʸ ᴮᵒᶻᵒ ⁴ ᵗʰᵉ ᶠᵘⁿ ᵒᶠ ᶦᵗ Premium Member about 5 years ago
I don’t like being called “honey”, but that’s just me. To some it’s a term of endearment, so why label it a form of agression?
jdlivaudais about 5 years ago
I thought this one was just funny, until i read the comments. Now I think it is funnier!
Jethro Flatline Premium Member about 5 years ago
This seems to be a hot topic for this strip, yet I don’t really see it often anywhere else. Not sure what the story is behind it, would be interested knowing why the strip writer is so hung up on it. They are a real thing though, microaggressions, maybe not in the context of this strip. Things like assuming (and blatantly asking/procrlaiming) an asian person only eats rice or a black person knows how to dance or a hispanic person speaks Spanish, etc etc. No, it’s not often overtly offensive behaviour, but it’s just real butthole stuff ya know. That sort of below the radar insult stuff. There’s an entire demographic that would never understand why it’s wrong though, and so just whatever.