What is Allison Bailey's spaghetti briefcase?

[Drastic]

Like the title says really, I'm seeing it all over twitter today and I haven't got a clue what it's about.

Well I just googled it on Twitter and it seems to be from this thread. Not very funny and slightly surreal TRA skit. Apparently Allison has protested about it (can't see the protest). Either I'm missing a lot of cultural reference points or I just don't get this - can anyone help?

What's the racist trope about spaghetti in a briefcase? I read that 'skit' and totally failed to get it. I assumed the briefcase gag was about having a bag full of pasta instead of legal expertise. But I'd read that as a stereotype gag against an Italian lawyer, if I was reaching.

I'm feeling ignorant again.

I didn’t understand it either. Placemarking in case anyone has an explanation!

Allison quite rightly pointed out they were attacking her using racist tropes.

I'm racking my brain to see the connection, is it the spaghetti or the brirfcase that is the problem?

I don't think it's wise to dwell too much on the thought processes of those that think biological sex is a fantasy. TRA lala land bollocks.

Kathleen and Allison are incredibly smart women. To imply they are not is just ludicrous.

Briefcase full of spaghetti is a racist trope? How come?

It’s a minstrel trope of the bumbling, stupid, pretender who actually has food in their briefcase. The racism is the “joke” that a qualified Black professional is really an imposter who actually just eats and sleeps all day.

I read it as racist because they mocked Joanne Rowling’s accent? I could be way off base and very much wrong.

I was surprised to see Joanne Harris ‘like’ it and comment on it… but then I have learned quite a bit reading her tweets this week that lead me to think that she thinks it is fine in her position as Chair of the SoA to do things I would feel very unprofessional doing. So, I retract that… I am not surprised at all.

That does make sense.

And sexist and homophobic then as well too.

Ah thanks misstache. I knew nothing about that.

Kathleen and Allison are incredibly smart women. To imply they are not is just ludicrous.

The whole thing of mocking them for supposed stupidity/lack of professional ability is a massive giveaway isn't it. Clearly untrue but it's all they've got because they're unable to argue their case with evidence or logic.

It’s a minstrel trope of the bumbling, stupid, pretender who actually has food in their briefcase.

jesus. I’d never even heard of that but it’s unlikely to be a coincidence. (Because if that’s not the joke, what is the joke? )

And this reads like it was written by a teenager! Applying appropriate adjustments for TRAs, it was probably written by someone in their late twenties.

What are the routes of cultural transmission here? Presumably they aren’t sitting down to watch minstrel shows while patting themselves on the back about how enlightened they are unlike their stupid parents*?

*yes I know, they are a bit confused about the past.

I was extremely surprised to see that someone of Joanne Harris's standing would 'like' something that was clearly poking fun at other well-known and successful women. Incredibly unprofessional. I didn't understand the poke at AB, so thanks for that explanation.

Is the JKR thing supposed to make her sound like Voldemort? Been a while since I read any Harry Potter.

The Joanne Harris debacle is mindboggling. She seems to be bending over backwards to come over all reasonable and defend herself and say she hasn't done anything wrong. How can she then be so clueless as to go around liking nasty personal attacks on the people she's claiming to have no beef with???

It's like a 6yo who pretends to be getting on with his brother then smacks him one when he thinks you're not looking.

Where do they dig this 'humour' up from 😳

I spotted it straight away and of course the TRAs are having a field day on Twatter 'pretending' they've never heard of it.

My heart goes out to Allison for this vicious attack on her by Joanne Harris.

Thanks Misstache, it just baffled me. The writing was just so, so bad and TRA Twitter kept saying how funny it was. Clearly my grumpy post-menopausal terfyness has affected my sense of humour.

But yes, funny or not it's just an unpleasant pile on. Poor Allison, Kathleen and JKR. You are all still heroes.

It's a very well known nasty racist trope that goes way back, google is your friend.

Google is your friend

Not doubting you in this case, but the obvious Google searches don’t turn anything up. In general, I wish people wouldn’t normalise saying that.

Yes, that was absolutely shameful. I was quite shocked as the minstrel trope is degrading and instantly recognizable (to americans), google "Stepin Fechit" ...

But also google the great Paul Robeson a famous 1930s black US artist, activist and lawyer. That's whom admirable Allison Bailey should be compared to!

I'd never heard of it, ever. Maybe more well known in the states? Being charitable (if that's the right word) I suspect that they are motivated by nastiness rather than deliberate racism. But I guess it's a good 'gotcha' for anyone who wants JH to stfu. Wonder if she'll deign to respond.

But I guess it's a good 'gotcha' for anyone who wants JH to stfu. Wonder if she'll deign to respond.

It's not a gotcha at all, she knew exactly what she was dying when she wrote it.

Did JH write it? I thought she'd just liked it.

I think JH is blinded by her ideology but I doubt very much she would support something she understood to be racist, so I'm assuming she (like many of us on this thread) was clueless about that element.

being charitable (if that's the right word) I suspect that they are motivated by nastiness rather than deliberate racism

If it’s a recognisable trope to Americans, I think a more obvious explanation is that whoever wrote that is an American and knew what they were doing. It’s a very specific “joke” which is baffling to anyone who doesn’t know the racist context.

Can you even imagine what would happen to someone who insulted a black trans ally with a minstrel trope? And everyone who retweeted it or agreed with it?

(JH should lose her position with the Society of Authors anyway for endorsing writing that bad.)