Is the okay symbol okay to be on the big finish website?

Theres no simple facts, its an opinion and you have every right to hold that opinion. I strongly disagree but we’ve both said our peace.

This was more for everyone else, those uninformed and those who aren’t clued in on internet culture. There seemed to be people confused and i don’t think your explanation highlighted the issue in enough detail or impartiality to clear that confusion which the article does more than you or i could. People can make their own mind up on the matter, or not care, but it is a serious topic that in my opinion deserves its own thread due to the severity of the claim.

Well, as I said initially: this is all deeply stupid.

What matters, ultimately, is that it's language that connotes hate. The whole point of a dogwhistle is that it needs to be something that is readily identifiable to people "in the know," but doesn't raise any red flags among those who aren't--the language must be innocuous in order to function as a dogwhistle.

I don't know if the OK symbol will ever becomes as ubiquitous to white supremacy as the frog, let alone the swastika, and I doubt it... but it's important to remember that things shit. At one point in time, only 10% of swastikas were used to connote fascism: this number only increased. Even today, it's not at 100%--but all the same, when you see a swastika in an "innocuous" context, the taint of nazism is still present.

it's more "American a culture" in general now than simply "Internet Culture." The Capitol building wasn't attacked by angry tweets, after all.

As for the "facts," I'm sorry but there's really no room for a difference of opinion here: if a thing is used to symbolize hate, it is--by definition--a hate symbol. No matter how or where it originated.

But I agree that it's important to discuss these things and educate our communities, especially in the larger anglophone world, where many people may propagate dog-whistles inadvertently (which is part of the purpose).

....

At the end of the day, it's just one of those things you simply need to be aware of, especially navigating online communication.

EDIT:
It occurs to me that we haven't addressed the specific premise of this thread: is it okay for Big Finish to use the OK symbol on their website?

I think it's problematic and personally I'd rather they didn't, but ultimately I don't think it's a big deal. As I said initially, it's only an accidental reference--and isn't really something I'd notice without Big Finish calling attention to American white supremacy. Big Finish is also based in the United Kingdom, (presumably) servicing primarily the U.K. market: I would not expect them to be aware of the seedier aspects of contemporary American culture, nor would I expect them to be reactive to it, in the same way I would not expect Big Finish to speak out about the pattern of police violence against POC in my home country. But, still, in the Internet Age we are all communicating across the globe, so while a certain degree of provincialism is to be expected, it's not necessarily something to endorse.

My initial issue--the point I originally attempted to make--is that Big Finish' use of the OK symbol demonstrates an ignorance of American white supremacist culture, which makes their attempts to appropriate the language of American white supremacy as coding in their narratives feel superficial and unearned.

Oh FFS it’s a normal hand gesture
People have used it for decades
Hair because a couple of idiots have used it doesn’t mean it should be banned

Maybe I’m just ignorant on current affairs but this is the first time I’ve ever heard of the symbol supposedly having any other meaning outside of the usual ‘OK’ connotations.

Maybe it’s just not a thing on this side of the pond as I still see plenty of people use it here and not bat an eyelid. Far too many for them all to be White supremacists. Or at least I doubt it.

Definitely not a thing of controversy in the UK...

Just like they did with milk a couple years ago.  There's so much discussion of co-opting, to co-opt something the out-group also has to let it happen and honestly I don't think that with something like Big Finish or anyone using it as an emoji in a proper context would ever be thought of as being pro-white supremacy.  It's honestly ridiculous

I feel like there's two answers here: one, BF is too niche, I think, for it to be meaningfully embroiled in any kind of co-op by right-wing nuts. I don't think it makes a strong-enough start point for discussion, and i don't think it warrants much concern.

And two, to people who dismiss the co-opt altogether, in a broader cultural sense outside BF's boundaries: would you give the same defence to the likes of swastika? When you see it, is your first thought, under any circumstance, 'Oh yeah, ancient Indian symbol of peace'? Language and symbology evolve, regardless of the merit of said evolution. We must be mindful not to be dismissive.

And the okay hand sign with your palm towards you is a cry for help in China...
Really, if we let others get away with hi-jacking perfectly ordinary non-verbal communication we will be stuck in perpetual terror of doing the wrong thing.

Which presumably is what they want. Okay is okay by me, wherever it is.

I'd argue the swastika was different as as it stands now this co-opting is by a fringe group of right wingers.  Yeah sure language evolves but it's up to the rest of us not to allow some internet nutjobs to take a symbol and make it hateful.