Within the week that is last New Zealand singer Lorde happens to be the niche of racist cyber-bullying on Twitter after an image regarding the 17-year-old singer and her boyfriend, James Lowe, was published to social networking. Odd Future rapper Tyler, the Creator Instagrammed a picture associated with few with all the caption “Hhahahahahah.” Lorde quickly dismissed their mockery, responding: “Was this supposed in order to make me personally feel one thing?” Tyler, the Creator then shot right back: “NOT ANYWAY, I was made by it LAUGH.”

Just just What might be therefore funny about Lorde’s boyfriend? Judging from social networking, the problem is that he’s Asian.

Following the hip-hop that is controversial remarks hit the internet, fans of 1 Direction and Justin Bieber joined up with in mocking Lowe on Twitter and Instagram. Their inspiration? an unfounded rumor that Lorde called http://www.cams4.org/female/granny/ those musicians “ugly.” When it comes to fans, criticizing Lorde’s boyfriend’s look has provided a way of retaliation.

This backlash is also indicative of the lingering stigma against dating Asian men, fueled by prejudice and racial stereotyping although it might just look like another case of ordinary teen cyber-bullying.

Typical opinions called Lowe a “chinese type of ostrich boyfriend” or even a “ching chong boyfriend,” comparing him to Mao Tse-tung and longer Duk Dong from “Sixteen Candles.” One Twitter individual quipped, “Come back into us if your boyfriend does look like PSY n’t gone incorrect.” Others left remarks hitting underneath the gear, since it had been.

In a product for Jezebel, Lindy West argued so it’s not only that James Lowe is unsightly; it is that their relationship violates the norms of that which we anticipate from dating — and what kinds of people we start thinking about appealing. Continue reading →