smirking merchant | #TranslateHate
smirking merchant
meme \ t'hə 'smərkiNG 'mər-chənt \
: an antisemitic cartoon portraying a Jew based on stereotypes and tropes
WHY IT’S ANTISEMITIC:
Visually, the smirking merchant cartoon, also known as the happy merchant meme, relies heavily on derogatory Jewish stereotypes — a large hooked nose, a scheming smirk and pose, frizzy hair, and grimy beard (see Jewish features).
As the most popular antisemitic image online, the smirking merchant is also used to symbolize both traditional and modern-day tropes, including Jewish control over the world, Jewish greed, Holocaust denial, and a general blame for white supremacy hot topics like “race-mixing,” feminism, and the LGBTQ community.
While originally created as part of a racist and antisemitic cartoon, the smirking merchant joined other bigoted memes — e.g., antisemitic versions of trollface and Pepe the frog (see Pepe the frog) — on popular, far-right sites like 4chan, 8kun (previously 8chan), and Gab.
