The sad little riot
One of the funniest images in this satirical novel is the scene where Macon throws a fiery trash can at a cop car and sets the car on fire. It's funny because it doesn't start a riot. It's just perceived as completely random. This is the perfect image for showing the nonsensical approach to racial reconciliation that stems from social justice warriors, completely disconnected from the real resistance, and completely ineffective.
The image of the tattoo
Tattoos are statements of identity, so when Macon decides to tattoo the day of the Rodney King verdict, it's like he's saying "I identify with that." It's an effective image to show how seriously Macon takes his activism, not because he cares for others, but because he wants a certain kind of identity.
The imagery of gun-waving
Macon is a radical, but he's also weak and shallow. This is shown in the scenes where he terrorizes white people by pulling guns on strangers. It also shows his motivation. He is not motivated by justice, but by personal power and personal gain.
The imagery of "the hood"
Another annoying image that characterizes Macon is his narrow-minded view of black people. When he says that he's kind of black, what he means is that he identifies with disenfranchised communities. He means that he's from ghetto, an idea which is offensive and ridiculous, but he even goes so far as to tell people that in order to make peace with their white guilt, they should drive into the ghetto and apologize to the 'hood.' This just shows that when Macon thinks of black people, he thinks of thugs and gangsters. Secretly, under the guise of social justice, he has slipped into a racist perspective about black people.
