this post was submitted on 22 Feb 2025
899 points (98.2% liked)
Science Memes
13066 readers
1181 users here now
Welcome to c/science_memes @ Mander.xyz!
A place for majestic STEMLORD peacocking, as well as memes about the realities of working in a lab.
Rules
- Don't throw mud. Behave like an intellectual and remember the human.
- Keep it rooted (on topic).
- No spam.
- Infographics welcome, get schooled.
This is a science community. We use the Dawkins definition of meme.
Research Committee
Other Mander Communities
Science and Research
Biology and Life Sciences
- !abiogenesis@mander.xyz
- !animal-behavior@mander.xyz
- !anthropology@mander.xyz
- !arachnology@mander.xyz
- !balconygardening@slrpnk.net
- !biodiversity@mander.xyz
- !biology@mander.xyz
- !biophysics@mander.xyz
- !botany@mander.xyz
- !ecology@mander.xyz
- !entomology@mander.xyz
- !fermentation@mander.xyz
- !herpetology@mander.xyz
- !houseplants@mander.xyz
- !medicine@mander.xyz
- !microscopy@mander.xyz
- !mycology@mander.xyz
- !nudibranchs@mander.xyz
- !nutrition@mander.xyz
- !palaeoecology@mander.xyz
- !palaeontology@mander.xyz
- !photosynthesis@mander.xyz
- !plantid@mander.xyz
- !plants@mander.xyz
- !reptiles and amphibians@mander.xyz
Physical Sciences
- !astronomy@mander.xyz
- !chemistry@mander.xyz
- !earthscience@mander.xyz
- !geography@mander.xyz
- !geospatial@mander.xyz
- !nuclear@mander.xyz
- !physics@mander.xyz
- !quantum-computing@mander.xyz
- !spectroscopy@mander.xyz
Humanities and Social Sciences
Practical and Applied Sciences
- !exercise-and sports-science@mander.xyz
- !gardening@mander.xyz
- !self sufficiency@mander.xyz
- !soilscience@slrpnk.net
- !terrariums@mander.xyz
- !timelapse@mander.xyz
Memes
Miscellaneous
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
References not everyone gets are a form of gatekeeping too just saying.
This is true. As an old non-techie woman on Lemmy, I miss a lot of them.
However, "Who gon check me, boo?" was comprehensible (and funny) to me even though I have no reference for it. Combined with the rest of the title, especially adding the profile images, her point is abundantly clear. I don't need to know where it came from to chuckle at it.
Edit: looking it up, it's very apt! Although I'm still not going to start watching any Real Housewives.
Her reference here is certainly more of a turn of phrase but the fact that shes defending pop culture references as communication while accusing of gatekeeping is what's more hypocritical. Especially since her reply isn't the title of an actual article.
A quick Google shows it's not only not just a turn of phrase but it's an apt pop (RHOA) reference to men refusing women their appropriate agency. Her title is facetious, but here's a real one:
https://www.everydaysociologyblog.com/2020/07/who-gone-check-me-boo-the-backlash-to-women-and-power.html
Or they might be just a sign of playfulness. They can present a barrier for those who don't know, but I doubt it's intentional, so I wouldn't call it gatekeeping.
Also, it's just a playful first half of the title. The other half explains the important stuf in a traditional way, so noone gets harmed, right?
In what way?
I think they’re referring to the implicit exclusion, since it amounts to an “inside joke” which lends to cliquish social dynamics. Gatekeeping proper usually connotes more intentional and targeted action, but I think that’s what they mean. Personally I try to be more selective than I once was, when using references in groups, for that very reason.
Shaka, when the walls fell...
Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra!
OMG the perfect reference!
For those interested, there’s an episode of Star Trek the plot of which revolves around an extreme example of this style of high context communication.
Zinda. His face black, his eyes red.
Not everyone watches or even can watch the same media. It assumes a lot of commonality between the writer and the reader. Is some Indian researcher going to know about some joke from The Office?
Getting the joke is not necessary for understanding the article and even the title has the explanatory other half, right? The joke is just a bonus, not gatekeeping.
If you dont understand the refrence you probably wont be able to tell if it's necessary for understanding the rest though. Sure youll understand the second line on its own but that doesn't necessarily mean the part you dont understand isn't important. For all the out of the loop reader knows, that's info is pertinent to the title too, how could they even evaluate if it is or isn't if they don't understand it. Less than half of English speakers had English as a first language, its still built up on needless pretense for the sake of what?
It's just a bit of fun. Scientific papers are mostly read by people who are familiar with the way titles like this work. Also there's no need to understand the whole title perfectly, titles are not that important. It's more like an id number. You read the abstract to see whether you're interested in the article.
Journal articles are one place where unknown references are expected and the poster should be citing them in a bibliography, even pop culture or joke references.