White Boy Summer: A Harmless Phrase Co-opted by Hate Groups

Detroit, Michigan United States of America
Chet Hanks popularized the term 'White Boy Summer', which was later co-opted by hate groups.
The term has been used to recruit new followers, organize protests, and encourage violence against marginalized communities.
Thousands of posts using the phrase 'White Boy Summer' have appeared on Telegram in 2024.
White Boy Summer: A Harmless Phrase Co-opted by Hate Groups

Chet Hanks, the son of renowned actor Tom Hanks, has found himself in the midst of a controversy after his term 'White Boy Summer' was adopted by hate groups.

The phrase 'White Boy Summer' gained popularity after Chet used it on social media in 2021 as a playful and fun term for white boys who celebrate beautiful queens of every race. However, the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism (GPAHE) reported that the term has been co-opted by far-right extremists to promote hate and bigotry.

According to GPAHE's report, thousands of posts using the phrase 'White Boy Summer' have appeared on Telegram this year. The term has been used to recruit new followers, organize protests, and encourage violence against marginalized communities such as immigrants and L.G.B.T.Q people.

Chet Hanks addressed the controversy in an Instagram post on July 3, 2024, where he clarified that 'White Boy Summer' was meant to be fun and playful, and condemned any use of the term to support hate or bigotry.

Despite Chet's clarification, some extremist groups continue to use the term 'White Boy Summer' as a rallying cry for their hateful ideologies. It is important for individuals to be aware of this and not be swayed by divisive rhetoric.

The far-right is adept at bringing their hateful ideologies into the mainstream, especially through social media. The already-viral 'White Boy Summer' has proved to be the perfect segue for them to spread their bigotry to a wider audience.

It is crucial that we remain vigilant against such hate speech and work towards promoting love, kindness, and dignity for all.


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Confidence

85%

Doubts
  • Are there any counter-narratives or opposing viewpoints to consider?
  • Is it confirmed that all instances of 'White Boy Summer' being used are by hate groups?

Sources

94%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Tom Hanks' son Chet condemns bigots using his 'white boy summer' phrase to spread hate: It's 'deplorable'

PageSix News Vanessa Serna Thursday, 04 July 2024 03:26
  • Unique Points
    • Tom Hanks’ son Chet condemned the use of his phrase ‘white boy summer’ to promote hate and bigotry.
    • Chet Hanks created ‘white boy summer’ as a fun, playful term for white boys who celebrate beautiful queens of every race.
  • Accuracy
    • Chet Hanks created 'white boy summer' as a fun, playful term for white boys who celebrate beautiful queens of every race.
    • Far-right extremists have co-opted the term 'white boy summer' to spread hate and bigotry against certain groups of people.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (95%)
    The author is making an appeal to authority by quoting the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism report that far-right extremists have been using 'white boy summer' to promote hate and bigotry. However, this does not constitute a logical fallacy as long as the author is accurately reporting the information from a reputable source.
    • ]The far right is adept at bringing their hateful ideologies into the mainstream, especially through the use of social media, and the already-viral White Boy Summer has proved to be the perfect segue for them to spread their bigotry to a wider audience.[/
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

86%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

How Tom Hanks’s Son Spawned a Hateful Meme Online

The Name Of The NZ Prefix. I PWA NZI.P.Was Dropped. Steven Lee Tuesday, 02 July 2024 17:49
  • Unique Points
    • Thousands of posts using the phrase 'white boy summer' have appeared on Telegram this year
    • The phrase has been used to recruit new followers, organize protests, and encourage violence against immigrants and L.G.B.T.Q people
    • It represents an unapologetic embrace of white heterosexual masculinity at the expense of women and people of color
    • Jack Posobiec, a podcaster linked to white supremacists, waved a 'white boy summer' banner at a Turning Point USA event attended by former President Trump and several members of Congress
  • Accuracy
    • Chet Hanks used the phrase ‘white boy summer’ in a post in spring 2021
    • The phrase ‘white boy summer’ has been adopted by white supremacists and hate groups
    • Thousands of posts using the phrase have appeared on Telegram this year
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (85%)
    The article contains an appeal to authority and a dichotomous depiction. It also mentions inflammatory rhetoric but does not directly quote any instances of logical fallacies by the author.
    • . . . the phrase has since mutated into a slogan for white supremacists and other hate groups, according to a report published on Tuesday by the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism, an organization that tracks the spread of racism.
    • Increasingly, the meme has moved from the fringes of the internet into the political mainstream in the United States and elsewhere around the world, one of the group’s founders, Wendy Via, said.
    • Jack Posobiec, a podcaster whom the Southern Poverty Law Center has linked to white supremacists, waved a banner with the words “white boy summer” on it at a gathering for Turning Point USA, a conservative group, in Detroit last month.
  • Bias (80%)
    The author does not explicitly express bias in the article. However, the article reports on how a phrase used by Chet Hanks has been adopted and distorted by hate groups. The author's tone is neutral and factual in reporting this information. However, the article does mention that 'white boy summer' has been used to recruit new followers, organize protests and encourage violence against immigrants and L.G.B.T.Q people, which could be seen as implying a negative connotation towards those groups.
    • It’s been used by far-right groups to recruit new followers, organize protests and encourage violence, especially against immigrants and L.G.B.T.Q people.
      • Thousands of posts using the slogan ‘white boy summer’ have appeared on the Telegram app alone this year.
      • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication

      96%

      The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
      (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

      A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

      Chet Hanks Speaks Out After Spawning White Supremacist Meme

      The Daily Beast Full Legal Name: IACI (NASDAQ: IACI) About Us URL:➆https://www.thedailybeast.com/company/about-us➉ Eboni Boykin-Patterson Wednesday, 03 July 2024 17:58
      • Unique Points
        • Chet Hanks took to Instagram to denounce racial hate amid reports that a catch phrase of his was adopted by hate groups.
        • Chet Hanks created 'white boy summer' as a fun, playful term for white boys who celebrate beautiful queens of every race.
      • Accuracy
        • The phrase 'white boy summer' has been adopted by white supremacists and hate groups
      • Deception (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Fallacies (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Bias (95%)
        The author uses language that depicts white supremacists as extreme or unreasonable when she describes them as 'hate groups' and 'racial hate factions'. She also implies that the adoption of the phrase 'white boy summer' by these groups is a negative thing, despite it being originally meant in a playful and celebratory way by Chet Hanks.
        • She also implies that the adoption of the phrase 'white boy summer' by these groups is a negative thing, despite it being originally meant in a playful and celebratory way by Chet Hanks.
          • The questionable phrase was a play on words from rapper Megan Thee Stallion’s ‘Hot Girl Summer’ song from 2019. But the phrase continued to gain traction in a different way. According to a report from the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism via NYT, the phrase has been circulated thousands of times on the far-right messaging app Telegram, which is often used to spread white supremacist ideologies.
          • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication

          97%

          The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
          (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

          A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

          Chet Hanks clarifies meaning of 'White Boy Summer' after release of hate speech report

          USA Today Edward Segarra Wednesday, 03 July 2024 00:00
          • Unique Points
            • Chet Hanks coined the term 'White Boy Summer', which was first used as early as 2021.
            • These extremist groups are using 'White Boy Summer' to spread propaganda, recruit new members and facilitate targeted hate campaigns including acts of vandalism and hate incidents.
            • Chet Hanks issued a statement on Instagram clarifying that 'White Boy Summer' was meant to be fun, playful and a celebration of fly white boys who love beautiful queens of every race.
            • GPAHE reported that 'White Boy Summer' has become a slogan for white supremacists and neo-Nazis.
          • Accuracy
            • The phrase 'White Boy Summer' has been adopted by extremist groups including the Proud Boys, White Lives Matter, Identitarian movement in Europe and neo-Nazi Active Clubs.
            • Thousands of posts using the phrase have appeared on Telegram this year
            • The phrase has been used to recruit new followers, organize protests, and encourage violence against immigrants and L.G.B.T.Q people
          • Deception (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Fallacies (95%)
            The author does not commit any formal or informal fallacies in the article. However, there is an example of a dichotomous depiction: 'white supremacists and neo-Nazis' are depicted as the only groups using the term 'White Boy Summer', while other groups using it are not mentioned. This does not significantly impact the overall score as it is a minor issue.
            • 'White boy summer was created to be fun, playful and a celebration of fly white boys who love beautiful queens of every race'
            • 'several extremist groups including the Proud Boys, White Lives Matter, the Identitarian movement in Europe and neo-Nazi Active Clubs are all using White Boy Summer to spread propaganda, recruit new members and facilitate targeted hate campaigns including acts of vandalism and hate incidents'
          • Bias (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication

          94%

          The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
          (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

          A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

          Tom Hanks’ son Chet stands by ‘white boy summer’ meme after post was linked to hate groups

          The Independent Lydia Spencer-Elliott Thursday, 04 July 2024 10:53
          • Unique Points
            • Chet Hanks coined the term 'White Boy Summer' on Instagram in 2021
            • The phrase 'White Boy Summer' has been used by hate groups including the Proud Boys and White Lives Matter
            • Chet Hanks defended his use of the term in an Instagram post on July 3, 2022
            • Chet Hanks stated that 'White boy summer was created to be fun, playful, and a celebration of fly white boys who love beautiful queens of every race'
          • Accuracy
            • The phrase 'White Boy Summer' has been used by hate groups including the Proud Boys and White Lives Matter.
            • Thousands of posts using the phrase have appeared on Telegram this year.
            • It represents an unapologetic embrace of white heterosexual masculinity at the expense of women and people of color.
          • Deception (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Fallacies (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Bias (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication