Update: Some old people have discovered the internet. Fox 8 followed up on this weekend's hilarity with a new story: "Controversial 'You Mad Bro' Sign Decoded?" Included was this gem: "Controversy over a sign held up after a high school football game could be a sign of the times. Young people using web-centric lingo IRL (in real life) to people who don't speak the language."
So, yes, after everyone cried racism over a harmless and misinterpreted use of "web-centric" lingo someone thought to look up just what the hell it actually meant. Good thing they got angry and called the media before doing that, otherwise we wouldn't all have this story as an example of their competence as human beings and educators.
Barrett and Painesville Schools Superintendent Dr. Michael Hanlon agreed this is a language lesson for all."I think the impact on a person or a group of people based on a statement can have an unintended consequence," Hanlon said.
Coffee said he now knows the phrase is an internet term, but he's not convinced that's the whole story.
"I am still of the opinion that there was racial undertones, overtones, to the comment based upon the culture of our community we live in," Coffee said.
And sidetones, and diagonaltones, and dialuptones, and tophattones, and whatsagoogletones, and ifyoulistentoblacksabbathbackwardtheytellyoutokillyourselftones.
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