Today I’m supposed to revisit the 5th post that I made on this blog. This was my 5th post. I was–and still am–interested in how online discourse communities dealt with sensitive issues, and these bingo cards seemed an interesting coping mechanisms for communities grappling with the very real pain that comes in the face of racist, sexist, homophobic, sizist, ableist–the list goes on–speech. The bingo card is a handy meme; easily identifiable in American culture, the card provides a humorous space in which to minimize the impact of hurtful speech by placing it in the most banal context. The user of the card becomes the player of a game, and each painful barb becomes a badge of sorts.
I should really spend some more time thinking and writing about the Bingo card meme and the use of humor and gaming as a way to deal with contentious online discourse. Perhaps in my free time…
Anita DeRouen 