Does the OK Sign Actually Signify “White Power,” or What?

The answer is neither simple nor straightforward, which is why it’s such an effective trolling tactic

When held to the chest with the thumb on top, the OK sign also means “asshole” in American Sign Language. Its ambiguity is precisely why it’s so useful. Credit: Adan Perez/EyeEm/Getty Images

Last April, as you might recall, Kanye West had a bit of a media moment during which he tweeted a photograph of himself wearing a MAGA hat, prompting predictable outrage. (Recently, he issued an apology.)

The photo from Kanye’s viral tweet from April 25, 2018.

What does it mean for Kanye, who once sparked a very different sort of media moment by announcing on live television that “George Bush doesn’t care about Black people” to appear in a photograph in a MAGA hat with some guy—namely music industry executive Lyor Cohen (more about him later)—flashing the OK gesture?

Well, it’s complicated, which is what prompted Nick Douglas to write this post for Lifehacker back when it happened. To help explain why some people thought that flashing the OK sign in this photo was such a big deal, Douglas dug into the history of this hand sign as a meme:

Some time around 2015, the OK sign became popular among Trump supporters. Know Your Meme gives a meticulous history, showing its use by figures like Mike…