It’s been a few years since I did a racist Valentine’s post, so I thought it was time for another.
Vintage Black Americana Valentine, complete with watermelon and poor puns, via sienna42:
You don’t need to know that the maker of this vintage Valentine (available via Vintage-Mood-Swings) is Klinker Kraft Kard, Los Angeles (triple “k”s are always suspicious to me, especially when this card was made in 1932) to note the poor stereotypes of the “frugal” Scots who “save dates” via a Valentine with a calender:
This vintage Valentine’s Day postcard from D-L-Antiques-and-Collectibles is not only offensive to Asians, but who wants to be just another girl in a man “ports” in?
This next one from lut20 is racist for sure — but the reference to “ball and chain” has me a bit confused… It sure could be sexist, but then there are only men on the card, so…
The one that you say has you confused is a Chain Gang reference, back from when prisoners worked making gravel for roads. The card is trying (very very badly) to connect a chain gang reference to marriage/commitment (wife = ball and chain).
Love the post. We work so hard to forget this country’s racial past that we forget how totally soaked in stereotypes we are. As unreal as this stuff is all you have to do is watch the republican primary to see how alive and well the image of shiftless black folks is, and the new yellow peril, not so old from the old one.