Found on Facebook, with editorial commentary by yours truly.
Also, I wasn’t aware inventions could be homosexual. Probably explains that alluring rattle my space heater makes.
Addendum: Okay, everyone’s pointed out what I was hoping was the case: that this was some kind of epic Poe-ing. Still, that’s the whole point of Poe’s Law: that it should not be especially surprising to find people out there in the world calling for the destruction of computers by holding up signs that have a URL on them. This is exactly the sort of hilarity you’d expect to see coming from the Westboro crowd with no irony whatsoever.
26 comments
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Ing
December 23, 2009 at 10:34 am (UTC -6) Link to this comment
I really hope that's a Poe.'Who cares if he saved us from Hitler" is about as close as you can get to the morons from Marvel comics who are all "Grrr mutants" despite mutants saving them from giant men from space who want to kill them on a weekly basis.
Nicole
December 23, 2009 at 10:43 am (UTC -6) Link to this comment
I am fairly sure that this sign is meant as sarcasm. Alan Turing, who was instrumental in winning world war two was prosecuted and anc convicted of homosexuality in England in 1952. He committed suicide in 1954. In 2009 Gordon Brown publicly appoogized for Turings treatment after the war.
tracieh
December 23, 2009 at 10:45 am (UTC -6) Link to this comment
So, I have to open myself up here to fair criticism of "stereotyping"–but I'm gonna say it: I suspect the person carrying the sign is a self-loathing lesbian, based solely on the fact that I consider that to be one manly looking woman. And I declare that haircut demonstrates it's not accidental.
Kazim
December 23, 2009 at 11:07 am (UTC -6) Link to this comment
I suspect a Poe. If it was real then she probably wouldn't have made reference to Turing's value in winning World War II.
Joshua
December 23, 2009 at 11:11 am (UTC -6) Link to this comment
I'm pretty sure that sign is a joke. I've seen that poster before and always presumed it was from some counter-protester of some sort.
DavidCT
December 23, 2009 at 11:17 am (UTC -6) Link to this comment
It makes about as much sense as banning Wagner's music just because Wagner was a despicable human being. She seems a bit late in the game to be banning computers (van Neumann machines). I wonder what other gay contributions we should be doing without. @traciehShe is a little butch but the message sucks even if she were cute.
Fordi
December 23, 2009 at 11:21 am (UTC -6) Link to this comment
This woman was part of the protest group demanding an apology from GB to Alan Turing.The sign was pretty obviously meant as sarcasm. I'm kind of shocked that you missed it.
elentir
December 23, 2009 at 11:23 am (UTC -6) Link to this comment
After googling the stickers she is wearing, I cam e across this explanation which indicates she is trying to be ironic and is supporting gay rights: http://www.reddit.com/comments/22ka1/destroy_the_computer_photo
Guy
December 23, 2009 at 11:26 am (UTC -6) Link to this comment
I've seen this before and it has definitely been verified as a parody.
Guy
December 23, 2009 at 11:27 am (UTC -6) Link to this comment
I've seen this before and it has definitely been verified as a parody.
Benedikt
December 23, 2009 at 11:28 am (UTC -6) Link to this comment
I wasn't able to quickly find the link but that image in general is definitely being used in one of those online sign-generators. That, of course, doesn't mean that this particular variation of it isn't the original source image, but I think it's a good guess that it isn't.
Felosele
December 23, 2009 at 11:43 am (UTC -6) Link to this comment
This is satire. The sticker refers to agreeing with the SJC(Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts)- the court which ruled in favor of marriage equality.
Andrew Louis
December 23, 2009 at 11:46 am (UTC -6) Link to this comment
Not to mention the fact, Kazin, if you look up the full size image, the woman (clearly a lesbian) is holding a rainbow flag.
Shane
December 23, 2009 at 12:03 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
As Nicole said, Turing was "convicted" of homosexuality and endured "treatment" through chemical castration and female hormone which resulted in his apparent suicide a couple years later. This sign may very well be a Poe trying to raise awareness of Turing's contributions during the war and his appalling treatment afterwards.
Alexander S
December 23, 2009 at 12:06 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
Definitely a poe. Here's the full image: http://www.photobasement.com/go-home-and-destroy-yourself/she'd holding a rainbow flag
Elipson
December 23, 2009 at 12:08 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
Looks like the ??? part is a web address to http://www.myage.us, but the website has gone offline and Google doesn't have a copy saved it seems. Oh well
Guillaume
December 23, 2009 at 12:37 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
Must have been superposed, surely. Homophobes are not that knowledgeable.
Ken Chamberlain
December 23, 2009 at 1:09 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
Wonder where this demonstration took place, and it's purpose.
Whateverman
December 23, 2009 at 1:14 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
Is there a source for this picture? The URL (www.myage.us) appears to be invalid. Does anyone know when it was taken, or the context involved?
BathTub
December 23, 2009 at 1:15 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
Yes this is Sarcasm (and old). The stickers are pro gay marriage. And the version you are using specifically cut out the rainbow flag she was carrying. http://sperone.free.fr/images/extraz/PICS17/gaycomputer.jpg
BathTub
December 23, 2009 at 1:32 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
Also MYAGE "Massachusetts Youth Activist Group for Equality"
BeamStalk
December 23, 2009 at 1:50 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
Well the web page on the sign doesn't exist, so can't check that.
James A. Brown
December 23, 2009 at 1:51 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
Agreed that it's a poe.Here's a link with a larger picture, showing the person holding a rainbow flag in the other hand.
Marcus
December 23, 2009 at 4:05 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
Poe's law is upheld again.
Ing
December 23, 2009 at 4:25 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
Fact checking courtesy of the INTERNETS!That said, the fact remains that you KNOW some people missed the point and nodded with "yup that Turner was a damn fag"
gamer-geek
December 23, 2009 at 5:07 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
While Google doesn't archive everything for posterity, archive.org does, and the wayback machine can show us several snapshots of the website that was referred to: http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.myage.usClicking on a few in the middle shows that it was indeed MYAGE = "Massachusetts Youth Activist Group for Equality"