Ask Lemmy

I posted this in another thread, but this short video explains the coconut reference.

Basically, it comes from a speech she gave in May 2023 at a White House event about Hispanic excellence. In her speech, she also touched on how the democratic party can better support young leaders by understanding the context they grew up in.

This led into her personal anecdote from her mother, saying:

“My mother, she would give us a hard time sometimes, and she would say to us ‘I don’t know what’s wrong with you young people. You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?! (Laughs) You in exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you.’”

This basically took off and got mixed up with the whole “pill meme” terminology. Those that wanted Biden to pass the torch to Kamala started saying they were “coconut-pilled” and the rest is history.

Here's an explainer: https://www.npr.org/2024/07/21/g-s1-12556/kamala-harris-coconut-tree-meme-context-unburdened

This is interesting to me as a complete outsider to these elections, but having known ‘coconut’ to be used as a slur against non-white ethnicities who act the same as the average white oppressors of history despite us presuming them to know better. Coconut ie 🥥 brown on the outside white on the inside…. This is something mentioned a bunch in the recent uk elections especially with the whole Palestine situation happening

Clearly this is a different reference judging from other comments here but thought it was interesting. Don’t suppose they’re trying to reclaim the word before it’s used against them.

Assuming you mean "why?" not "who?"

Harris gave a speech where she said this:

https://youtu.be/ZiRSLYV1X4A

I guess you needed the context... ;)

Tankies settled on their most devastating slogan yet.

Watch as the west crumbles before their overpowered speech impediments!

👻👻BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

You just fall out of a coconut tree?

It's the same calling Asian "Banana" and Black "Oreos"

Whatever the color on the outside, it's all white on the inside.

I know she was using the word in a speech a lot cause I heard it in a bunch of soundbites. Not sure the context as regards her speech.

It's a meme based on a goofy thing she said. People are making meme edits of it on TikTok.

Could be something common amongst Jamaicans? It's odd, nonetheless.

“My mother used to — she would give us a hard time sometimes, and she would say to us, 'I don't know what's wrong with you young people. You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?'” Harris said with a laugh. “You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you,” she continued.