Edited by Azizi Powell
On November 16, 2015, President Obama used the Black vernacular term "pop off" during his closing press conference on day two of the G20 Turkey Leaders Summit in Antalya, Turkey. This post provides a small sample of the reactions on Black Twitter, YouTube, and other online sites to President Obama's use of that term. This post also provides definitions of "pop off" as well as definitions of and comments about some related Black vernacular terms that are used in the featured comments.
The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, and etymological purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publishers of the featured videos on YouTube.
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WHAT "POP OFF" MEANS
Definitions from http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/pop+off pop off
1. Slang. to make an unnecessary remark; to interrupt with a remark; to sound off. Please don't pop off all the time. Bob keeps popping off when he should be listening.
2. Slang. to lose one's temper. Now, don't pop off. Keep your cool. I don't know why she popped off at me. All I did was say hello.
3. To speak thoughtlessly in a burst of released anger: The movie star popped off at the reporters who were hounding him.
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Additional definitions of/uses of "pop off" are found below.
"Pop off" is considered to be an African American Vernacular English term. References below to the Southside of Chicago (Illinois), also given as Chi-town, don't necessarily mean that the "pop off" term originated in that locality. But those references do mean that that term is most closely associated with the hood [Black poor and working class neighborhoods such as the Southside of Chicago.]
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TWO EXAMPLES OF ONLINE ARTICLES ABOUT PRESIDENT OBAMA SAYING "POP OFF"
From http://www.eurweb.com/2015/11/obama-says-folks-wanna-pop-off-in-a-speech-and-it-goes-viral-watch/
Obama Says ‘Folks Wanna Pop Off’ in a Speech and it Goes Viral
Nov 16, 15 [2015] by EURPublisher01
"U.S President Barack Obama speaks to the media during his closing press conference on day two of the G20 Turkey Leaders Summit on November 16, 2015 in Antalya, Turkey.
*The South Side came out of President Barack Obama today while addressing critics that he says “pop off” with their opinions about U.S. policy regarding ISIS.
The moment happened during a news conference at the G20 Summit in Antalya, Turkey following two days of talks with world leaders. The president was visibly annoyed by repeated questions about whether he had underestimated the power of ISIS, particularly in the wake of Friday’s attacks in Paris.
GOP candidates Ben Carson, Jeb Bush and Donald Trump have been criticizing the Obama administration for either being too soft, or showing ignorance with its current policy. Carson said Obama’s decision to withdraw from Iraq led to the formation of ISIS, and that he has intel about its link with China that Obama’s administration was unable to find. Trump proclaimed that he would “bomb the s**t” out of ISIS, and Bush suggested that any U.S. assistance to refugees fleeing the Middle East should be primarily focused on Christians, another idea that rankled Obama.
“That’s shameful,” Obama declared. “That’s not American. That’s not who we are.”
Obama said most of his critics are simply “talking as if they’re tough” and offering no real ideas.
“Folks want to pop off and have opinions on what they think they would do, present a specific plan,” he said.”...
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This excerpt was reproduced as it was found on that site.
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From http://blackamericaweb.com/2015/11/19/you-knew-it-was-coming-president-obamas-pop-off-dance-watch/ You Knew It Was Coming: President Obama’s ‘Pop Off’ Dance Nov 19, 2015
By EURweb.com
"You knew this was coming.
A video has surfaced on YouTube showing President Obama appearing to dance super hard to a music mix of him repeating “pop off,” spliced from his speech in Turkey earlier this week.
As previously reported, the president was referring to critics of his administration’s game plan in Syria when he said, ““Folks wanna pop off and have opinions on what they think they would do, present a specific plan.”
In the spoof video posted Wednesday, the audio was mixed by @JXCANNON. The video footage, edited by @ACThePlug, was taken in part from a previous video that appeared to show Obama in a victory dance during his “Osama Bin Laden Has Been Killed” speech."
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That video is given as Example #4 below.
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YOUTUBE VIDEOS
Example #1: Obama: "If Folks Wanna Pop Off..."
B_O Memes Published on Nov 16, 2015
Follow us on Instagram/Twitter/Vine: @B_ObamaMemes. Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/BObamaMemes.
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Screen caption: "When you bring the hood side of yourself to the white house."
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After saying "Folks wanna pop off".... President Obama said "If they think that their advisors are somehow better than the chairmen of my joint chiefs of staff, the folks who are on the ground. I wanna meet them."
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Selected comments:
Aundra the Esthetician, November 17, 2015
"Prez said, "Bring ya 'A' game when you step to me and the crew". Kablooey."
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"step to me" = in this context means "challenge me"
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A Daniel, November 17, 2015
"YEEEAH MAN! That's the man who I've been waiting to see!!"
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Cole Norum, November 17, 2015
Reply
"+A Daniel Yessir. Don't really agree that it's all "hood," but I love it. I get so caught up with the presidential race that sometimes I just stop and realize we're really not gonna see a president like this for quite some time. I'll miss him, that's for sure."
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A Daniel, November 17, 2015
Reply
"+Cole Norum Oh yes. I might like everything he does but I will miss this President"
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symbiote, November 17, 2015
"Real Chitown of you Mr. President...Ha!"
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Rodney Davis, November 18, 2015
Reply
"it came out! Lol"
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Ortho Tech, November 19, 2015
"The President says, "Folks wanna pop off," and everyone cheers him on, but how many of you know the question that was asked leading up to him saying this, the content of the speech he gave, or what the speech was even about? How many of you even care?"
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Deondre Davis, November 20, 2015
Reply
"Oh so you popping off now"
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Ortho Tech, November 19, 2015
Reply
"+Deondre Davis LOL! I guess everyone has to pop off every now and then."
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hicdee01, November 19, 2015
""Folks want to pop off...." he took it there. They better stop yapping their gums and present a specific plan."
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Example #2: President Obama "Pop Off"
Speak Yo Peace TV, Published on Nov 16, 2015
President Obama "Pop Off" on his sneak dissers
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Screen caption: “When the President hear about the sneak dissing”.
The video follows with a clip of President Obama’s comment, then scenes of Black people dancing to Dem Franchize Boyz's 2008 Hip Hop song “Talkin Out The Side Of Your Neck”.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Sneak+Dissin&defid=5143854 defines "Sneak Dissin" as "someone who's talking trash behind someone elses back."
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"Takking trash" - talking bad [not good] about someone; dissin, insulting someone, spreading negative gossip about that person
"Talking out the side of your neck" (or talking out the side of your head") means to talk nonsense. Read the definition given in the selected comments below.
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Selected comments:
Kitami Woome, November 17, 2015
"Obama is a Brother, he diddy bops when he walks and spent years in the Chi so him saying pop off does not surprise me. Best President ever!"
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Brother= Black man;
diddy bops - - Walks (struts) with swag, walks in a cool (hip) way which many young Black men do.
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Kathy Hardney, November 18, 2015
"Talkin' out the side of your neck Also known as having NO EARTHLY idea whatsoever of what you are saying because you are stupid."
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Example #3: Obama Responds To Paris Attacks! "Folks Wanna Pop Off & Have Opinions, Present A Specific Plan"
CallMeSB, Published on Nov 16, 2015
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Selected comments:
Jasonee Foster, November 17, 2015
"folks want to pop off... ! Word POTUS"
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"Word" = in this context, "Word" is an interjection that means "You're right." It has the same meaning or similar meaning as "Amen" and "Right on!"
POTUS President of the United States
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Richard Zippler, November 17, 2015
"I really like the side of Obama that we're seeing now that he's heading out of the presidency and doesn't have to eat congresses ass all the time."
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Rayvyn007, November 19, 2015
Reply
"+Richard Zippler I LOVE that he said how some republicans "pop off" at the mouth like they know better than him. Now we have Ted Cruz selling wolf tickets talking about, "Come say it too my face." LOL What does he think will happen if Obama said it to his face? Would he take a poke at him? The Secret Service would beat the sh-t* out of Ted."
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*That word was fully spelled out in that comment.
"Wolf tickets" = talking big but not backing it up, similar to "talking trash"
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Ladi Like, November 18, 2015
"obama keeping it real,,,,as usual."
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iplaytheclarinet, November 19, 2015
"he looking at the audience like please try me."
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Malik Tyler, November 21, 2015
"Obama for president again preach it Obama"
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Rachel Stoutamire, November 21, 2015
"I bet folks in the audience were looking like "pop off? what does he mean by that????" LMAO"
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CallMeSB, November 21, 2015
Reply
"takes time to understand what it means for them #"
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Example #4: President Barack Obama's 'Pop Off' Comment Remix Video
@ACThePlug, Published on Nov 18, 2015
Remix track by @JXCANNON Video by @ACThePlug
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BLACK TWEETS ABOUT PRESIDENT OBAMA'S "FOLKS WANNA POP OFF" COMMENT
From https://twitter.com/deray/status/666292575809105920?lang=en [all from November 16, 2015, These comments may not be in consecutive order.]
deray mckesson @deray And Obama said, "If folks wanna pop off..."
[deray shows the video]
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lanell~ @crayton2004
"@deray my president is black [big smiley face icon] lol"
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Pamela Goodner @PamelaGoodner
"@deray Love my President! He was gangster today. They don't want none. If folks wanna pop off.... He tired of their madness!"
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everett cox @PhantomChaos
"@PamelaGoodner @deray Yes he's tired of all the first and second guessers in the media and the House and Senate. Put up or shut up he says."
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Julie the Lacerator @SamuraiKnitter
"@deray @Nettaaaaaaaa Haha, the body language. He is fed the hell up with these idiots."
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Alllady247 @Alllady247 Brooklyn, NY
"@deray Come with it or shut the hell up. Yes Mr. President"
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Nia Young @homewithnia
"@XLNB @deray that's that Chicago southside! Lol"
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Glowop @Onthalowkey
"@deray lol the hood never left"
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✵It Me✵ @xGooN187x
"Obama is straight G love that dude RT @deray And Obama said, "If folks wanna pop off..." "
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Edith Gaitho @MonroeG5
"@deray @Kisco75 Ha, that's my POTUS!"
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CJ @TRIIIPLETHREAT1
"@deray @MichaelSkolnik he is struggling everyday to contain his inner blackness. His last few months are going to be classic."
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Pamela Goodner @PamelaGoodner
"@deray Love my President! He was gangster today. They don't want none. If folks wanna pop off.... He tired of their madness!"
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everett cox @PhantomChaos
"@PamelaGoodner @deray Yes he's tired of all the first and second guessers in the media and the House and Senate. Put up or shut up he says."
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Mishi @MouthyMishi
"@deray @Nettaaaaaaaa I love how real he is now that he doesn't have to campaign again."
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In Hip Hop (influenced) culture, calling someone a gangsta, and/or a straight G (a real gangsta) are compliments which means that the person is "hard" and down with real life in the hood. In those contexts, "gangsta" doesn't (necessarily) mean a person who is engaged in illegal activities.
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AN ADDITIONAL YOUTUBE VIDEO SUMMARY
From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Nub4vt_blY "
Obama - If Folks Wanna Pop Off" Darrion Marz Published on Nov 17, 2015
"During a press conference this morning, President Obama used the term “pop off” in reference to people making uninformed and patently ridiculous claims about what should be done with France and ISIS. And, unless I go outside today and witness a Sojourner Truth hologram double dutching with Marilyn Mosby, I’m very confident in declaring that the Black president dismissively referring to his haters the exact same way Loretha Lyon or Draymond Green or your barber or your best friend or you would have will be the Blackest thing that ever happened this week.
So Black, in fact, that instead of attempting to determine and assess exactly how Black it was, I’m more interested in how “folks wanna pop off” found its way into the President’s lexicon. Does he possess a reservoir of culturally relevant slang terms and colloquialisms that he employs when White people aren’t around?
We know he code switches — we see it with every seven-step handshake, and his rendition of Amazing Grace during Rev. Clementa Pinckney’s eulogy is a first-ballot entry in the Code Switch Hall of Fame — but he’s also a 54-year-old man who hoops in Sam’s Club Nikes and tucks his shirt into his sweatpants. (No. seriously. He does.) He is, and will always be, cool in a macro sense. But, in micro sense, he, again, is a 54-year-old man who hoops in Sam’s Club Nikes and tucks his shirt into his sweatpants. This is not what cool people do. Cool people do, however, reflexively use “pop off” to address haters. President Obama is a paradox."
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This summary was reformatted to enhance reading clarity.
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