• Erika3sis [she/her, xe/xem]
      ·
      13 hours ago

      It's a reference to Seinfeld. The character in the top frame is Newman, "nemesis" of main character Jerry, the character in the bottom frame.

      When Jerry and Newman bump into one another, they are known to exchange greetings: "Hello, Jerry" — "Hello, Newman", usually said with a smug and/or contemptuous intonation. This is the recurring gag referenced in the top frame.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-O9xFnhlfM

      When Newman has pulled some sort of petty, vindictive scheme against Jerry, thereby causing Jerry some sort of vexation or misfortune, Jerry will often mutter "Newman!" with a clenched fist. This is the recurring gag referenced in the bottom frame.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9_8YxDQYCo

      I have never noticed Hexbear having any sort of particular beef with Finland, so I don't know what that's about.

      • Guamer [she/her]
        hexagon
        ·
        edit-2
        13 hours ago

        Hexbear/leftists tend not to like Finland for their history with the Soviet Union to clarify.

        • Erika3sis [she/her, xe/xem]
          ·
          13 hours ago

          I figured it was probably something to do with the Winter War, but I don't think it's necessarily right to say that disliking Finland is a "thing" because of that. But maybe that's just because I don't know what "disliking Finland" is actually supposed to mean.

          • Salmarez [he/him, comrade/them]
            ·
            12 hours ago

            It's more like the Finns never admit they helped genocide the Soviet Union alongside Nazi Germany. As a Finnish kid, you hear (a bullshit version) of the Winter War. Never about the fascist Finns helping the white Russians in the Russian Civil War, and never too much of the "Continuation War". Hell, the only war the Finns have won is the Lapland War, and you never hear about it, because it was against the Nazis!

            • casskaydee [she/her]
              ·
              12 hours ago

              Say what you want about the Germans but at least they pretend to be ashamed of their Nazi past. Finns will just straight up be like "yeah we allied with Nazis and we'd do it again if we could"