Nebraska's Mascot Loses Hand Gesture Used Since 1974

[Demovictory9]

Nebraska's Mascot Loses Hand Gesture Used Since 1974
In recent years, the 'ok' sign has been read by some as a white power reference



The hand gesture that the University of Nebraska's mascot has been making since 1974 has been changed after that gesture took on new meaning about five years ago. For decades the Herbie Husker mascot formed an "OK" hand gesture by placing his thumb and forefinger together to form an O. But some hate groups adopted the gesture as a sign for white power, with the three straight fingers being read as a W and the circle and wrist next to them fashioning a P, reports the Flatwater Free Press. The mascot now shows his index finger raised in a "number one" gesture.

The Anti-Defamation League states that while "use of the okay symbol in most contexts is entirely innocuous and harmless ... In 2017, the 'okay' hand gesture acquired a new and different significance thanks to a hoax by members of the website 4chan to falsely promote the gesture as a hate symbol, claiming that the gesture represented the letters 'wp,' for 'white power.' Used by many on the right—not just extremists—for the purpose of trolling liberals, the symbol eventually came to be used by actual white supremacists as well," it continues, per the AP.

CNN quotes the university as saying "the concern about the hand gesture was brought to our attention by our apparel provider and others" and so the school began reworking the logo in 2020. "The revised logo is now the only Herbie Husker mark available to licensees," it notes.

https://www.newser.com/story/316290/nebraskas-mascot-loses-potentially-problematic-gesture.html

[cadoman]

1. please don't let them take thumbs up next

Otherwise I have no fallback to gesticulate affirmation.

[rampartc]

4. i've been using "thumbs up."

but, "ok" is still ok (except in the tiny hand of a deplorable)

[captain queeg]

2. TFG has sort of messed that one up but it's not ruined yet.

[cinematicdiversions]

3. Sorry but this is clearly a stupid overraction.

We don't want to be accused of falling for a trolling gag so we are falling for a trolling gag?

I mean seriously. Reading comprehension people you are a university. Certainly someone there can read.

[Kid Berwyn]

5. No joke about the Reich.

The picture was taken at Kavanaugh confirmation hearing. She sat behind him and let fly the White Power sign that she said she didn’t even know she was letting fly.

https://abovethelaw.com/2018/09/woman-who-never-heard-of-white-power-symbol-until-this-week-goes-right-back-to-using-white-power-symbol/