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This Happened — March 3: Oscars Selfie

The Oscars selfie was a photograph posted during the 86th Academy Awards ceremony on this day in 2014, featuring several high-profile celebrities. It captured the selfie craze, and the obsession with celebrity culture.

Who took the 2014 Oscars selfie?

The selfie was taken by Bradley Cooper, with the phone of the host of the ceremony, Ellen DeGeneres, and included several other celebrities, such as Jennifer Lawrence, Lupita Nyong'o, Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Kevin Spacey, Brad Pitt, and Angelina Jolie.

Why did the 2014 Oscars selfie go viral?

The 2014 Oscars selfie quickly went viral due to the high-profile nature of the celebrities in the photograph, as well as Ellen DeGeneres' large social media following. Within minutes of being posted on Twitter, the selfie had been retweeted many thousands of times and it became the most retweeted tweet of all time at the time. The selfie also helped to boost Samsung's profile, as the smartphone brand was a sponsor of the Oscars.

Was the 2014 Oscars selfie pre-planned?

While it was later revealed that the selfie was pre-planned by Samsung and Ellen DeGeneres, the candid nature of the photograph and the spontaneous reactions of the celebrities helped to create a sense of authenticity and fun.

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Ideas

The Colonial Spirit And "Soft Racism" Of White Savior Syndrome

Tracing back to Christian colonialism, which was supposed to somehow "civilize" and save the souls of native people, White Savior Syndrome lives on in modern times: from Mother Teresa to Princess Diana and the current First Lady of Colombia, Verónica Alcocer.

photo of a child patient holding hand of an adult

Good intentions are part of the formula

Ton Koene / Vwpics/ZUMA
Sher Herrera

-Analysis-

CARTAGENA — The White Savior Syndrome is a social practice that exploits or economically, politically, symbolically takes advantage of individuals or communities they've racialized, perceiving them as in need of being saved and thus forever indebted and grateful to the white savior.

Although this racist phenomenon has gained more visibility and sparked public debate with the rise of social media, it is actually as old as European colonization itself. It's important to remember that one of Europe's main justifications for subjugating, pillaging and enslaving African and American territories was to bring "civilization and save their souls" through "missions."

Even today, many white supremacists hold onto these ideas. In other words, they believe that we still owe them something.

This white savior phenomenon is a legacy of Christian colonialism, and among its notable figures, we can highlight Saint Peter Claver, known as "the slave of the slaves," Bartolomé de Las Casas, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Princess Diana herself, and even the First Lady of Colombia, Verónica Alcocer.

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