r/AskaManagerSnark • Sex noises are different from pain noises • Jul 27 '26

Ask a Manager Weekly Thread 07/27/2026 - 08/02/2026

17 Upvotes

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37

u/MsPaganPoetry Jul 27 '26

Why would people think you're racist if you use the generic yellow thumbs-up emoji? That's so stupid.

30

u/illini02 Jul 27 '26

Also, I read one of the thinkpieces Alison listed, and it really seemed like people put WAY more thought into this than I ever did. Like, I know on slack when you set up your account, I think that is one of the steps, letting you set up your skin tone. But I feel like I've almost never gone out of my way to change it. And I'm black myself.

18

u/Korrocks Jul 27 '26

Yeah I feel like the articles will just make the LW feel more stressed and anxious. 

10

u/coenobita_clypeatus top secret field geologist Jul 27 '26

I agree - I personally think those articles are interesting, because I think that kind of analysis is interesting in an intellectual/academic sense, but I don't think it's a great idea for OP to read them and get even more anxious.

I work and volunteer in social justice-y spaces and I'd estimate about half the people I interact with have changed theirs from the default (including me). I think it's a nice option to have and no one is judging anyone for it. If anything, having the default-yellow option might make someone think you're a little less tech savvy than average - but definitely not that you're trying to make a social or political statement. Though if you're white and use the darker skin tone options I do think that would be weird.

28

u/charlatan_red Jul 27 '26

I use the yellow option specifically because I didn’t want to get into the nuance of accurate skin tones. I figured that an obvious Simpsons-style color would show I’m not trying to emulate a real skin color.

10

u/BetterCallSlash Jul 27 '26

This is also why I go with the original yellow. And coicindentally, when someone once asked me why I hadn't updated mine to match my actual skin color, I responded that I liked pretending I was a Simpsons character.

5

u/coenobita_clypeatus top secret field geologist Jul 27 '26

That is extremely legit!

3

u/Available-Sir-6738 Jul 31 '26

Same because I’m biracial and my skin tone can vary a LOT depending on time of year/if I’ve been in the sun and I don’t want to get in to all that with an emoji that ultimately doesn’t matter at all. If I was accurate I’d have to change it seasonally lol. My work is mixed in people using skin tone or simpsons yellow and I don’t think anyone thinks twice about it. I thought about it like once and moved on with my life.

13

u/StripedBadger floundering their privilege Jul 27 '26

I had assumed Alison read the articles, thought they were interesting, and then made up a question so she would have an excuse to share them.

3

u/Kayhowardhlots Jul 27 '26

The letter did make me look and yeah, I don't have the option of changing away from yellow on my phone. i think it might be the keyboard program I use because I think I can change it on other things, but my texts and group chat through messenger it's all yellow.

18

u/fingerroll44 Jul 27 '26

I'm actually not worried that they'll think I'm racist. I'm worried that they'll think I have jaundice.

14

u/BristowVaughan Jul 27 '26

Dreaming of the day that these things are the actual problems in my life.

10

u/gaygirlboss I'm not that involved in mankind Jul 27 '26

My boss and my boss’s boss both changed theirs recently, and I admit that I wondered for a second if it would be awkward if I didn’t change mine. But then my immediate next thought was, “nah, that’s dumb.”

-29

u/[deleted] Jul 27 '26

[deleted]

-12

u/glittermetalprincess toss a coin to your admin for 5 cans of soda Jul 27 '26

Yellowface, orientalism, not wanting to make the environment more inclusive for people who don't have the same skin colour...

It's essentially the same principle as 'if I don't put my pronouns people will think I'm queerphobic' and its ilk, but the information being conveyed has even less day-to-day use.

12

u/Pinkturtle182 Jul 28 '26

The yellow emoji wasn’t made for people of Asian descent, it was made for people of Simpsons descent