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submitted 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) by octopus_ink@slrpnk.net to c/microblogmemes@lemmy.world

Thanks to the commenter who reminded me that it's not bad to be reminded that the term is only a pejorative because conservative racists made it so.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woke#20th_century

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[-] crunchy@lemmy.dbzer0.com 110 points 2 months ago

Reminder that woke was originally used as a positive term.

[-] Stillwater@sh.itjust.works 119 points 2 months ago

Still is if you aren't a twat

[-] Pilon23@feddit.dk 57 points 2 months ago
[-] defaultusername@lemmy.dbzer0.com 15 points 2 months ago

Nowadays I prefer the term "correct".

[-] jsomae@lemmy.ml 5 points 2 months ago

I honestly don't see people using "woke" positively these days.

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[-] JumpyWombat@lemmy.ml 68 points 2 months ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)
[-] Blob9994@piefed.mitch.science 35 points 2 months ago

I think it's wild that the word 'woke' entirely replaced the selective outrage on the 2010s over "CRT," a bogyman that most white conservatives still cannot define.

[-] four@lemmy.zip 38 points 2 months ago

My stupid ass: "why did the conservatives have an issue with Cathode Ray Tube TVs?"

[-] Blob9994@piefed.mitch.science 9 points 2 months ago

Lol, yeah that was constantly the problem I had back then, especially since MAGA was using "CRT" as the scare word, and not nothing to mention that it means "Critical Race Theory," a phrase well in-line with other subjects in other fields, like Biblical Critical Theory.

[-] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 6 points 2 months ago

Because super smash brothers is woke

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[-] Charapaso@lemmy.world 11 points 2 months ago

See also: politically correct (PC) and social justice warrior (SJW)...all just fancy ways to call someone a commie pinko bleeding heart socialist. The Red Scare never really stopped, and neither did the Lavender Scare

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[-] octopus_ink@slrpnk.net 16 points 2 months ago

No reminder needed for me, but for those who might want to do a deep dive:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woke#20th_century

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[-] Tiger_Man_ 71 points 2 months ago
[-] NikkiDimes@lemmy.world 22 points 2 months ago

Whoa, fuck yeah Linus Torvalds

[-] echodot@feddit.uk 11 points 2 months ago

On top of all of that he used "I couldn't care less" correctly.

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[-] damdy@lemmings.world 15 points 2 months ago

I'm just impressed they used 'couldn't care less' correctly.

[-] Quill7513@slrpnk.net 22 points 2 months ago

english as a second language tend to be more careful with their usage of idioms

[-] floquant@lemmy.dbzer0.com 13 points 2 months ago

Man, fuck english idioms. Will never get over how "that's shit" = bad but "that's the shit" = good

[-] some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org 8 points 2 months ago

Greater brevity: "Holy fuck!" Something bad happened. "Holy fuck!" Something awesome happened.

[-] skisnow@lemmy.ca 6 points 2 months ago

That's quite the example.

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[-] RagingRobot@lemmy.world 40 points 2 months ago

The opposite of being woke is being asleep and oblivious to what's going on. It's crazy people say they aren't woke and think that's like a good thing lol.

It's like saying "I'm a fucking idiot" and being smug about it

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[-] Agent641@lemmy.world 33 points 2 months ago

It's easier too. You don't gotta constantly be vigilant for the next way the woke industrial complex is trying to indoctrinate you. Because they won.

They go me already. We're doing unisex bathrooms? Ok then. Eighty new variants of pride flag just dropped yesterday? Well there's a lot of new colour combos I'll forget in 30 seconds but alright. Pronouns can be wholly silent, like the P in Pterodactyl? I cannot comprehend how that works but sure it literally will never affect me in a negative way.

[-] Nebula@fedia.io 24 points 2 months ago

Petition to rename Twitter again, to Twatter. I know, I know, my intellect is frightening sometimes. /s

[-] forrgott@lemmy.sdf.org 7 points 2 months ago

There are people who have not called it Twatter from day one? Huh...

[-] skulblaka@sh.itjust.works 6 points 2 months ago

It's been Xitter (pronounced "Shitter") since the rebranding

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[-] Quadhammer@lemmy.world 23 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

If you're not woke your eyes are closed

[-] FuckFascism@lemmy.world 5 points 2 months ago

Or just plain stupid

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[-] Wilco@lemmy.zip 17 points 2 months ago

Saying a person is woke is like saying they are not a mindless sheep going through life asleep at the wheel.

[-] Psythik@lemmy.world 10 points 2 months ago

Yeah seriously I'll never understand how it's an insult. Conservatives call having empathy "woke" and I'm like "yes, yes it is woke. Your point?".

[-] Quill7513@slrpnk.net 7 points 2 months ago

it's basically everything you need to know about them

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[-] meep_launcher@sh.itjust.works 12 points 2 months ago

Just saw the recent south park episode- absolutely killed. Poor Cartman is nothing withoutout the woke 😢

[-] AniZaeger@lemmy.world 12 points 2 months ago

The same people also see being "progressive" as a bad thing. I swear, if they had they way, we still be amazed at the sight of fire while living in our caves.

[-] echodot@feddit.uk 8 points 2 months ago

Yeah but have you noticed how despite the fact that they normally hate progress and change because it makes their control harder, they're utterly obsessed with AI.

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[-] IhaveCrabs111@lemmy.world 8 points 2 months ago

So conservatives version of this is their deweaponization of the word nazi? Fuck this timeline.

[-] rockettaco37@lemmy.world 8 points 2 months ago

Oh god... Imagine actually accepting tolerance.

I swear that "woke" is what these fucking troglodytes say when they know they've lost an argument. It's like some sort of primal defense mechanism.

[-] UncleGrandPa@lemmy.world 6 points 2 months ago

The anti woke crowd .. hear that it is in someway anti racist

And dismiss it . They like their racism... It makes them feel important and powerful

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[-] JimVanDeventer@lemmy.world 4 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

It isn’t an insult. I don’t feel insulted by being called woke. I distribute a lot of harm reduction supplies and I get a lot of eye rolling, hard exhaling, shouldn’t they just take responsibility for themselvesing, I had hard times in my life tooing, etc. I am woke. Fuck you gonna do about it? Nazi wimps.

I feel insulted it is used in the name of bills designed to inhibit help to people in crisis. But I am (maybe) accidentally in a job that wasn’t meant to exist? I don’t seem to report to anybody? So I am going to do whatever I want until they fire me. And what I want to do is harm reduction and crisis intervention.

Edit: and since the Internet has maybe provided me with a soapbox, I will continue. You can seek help even if you aren’t homeless. It is better you do before that is even a possibility. If you feel substance use is diminishing your enjoyment of life, come for help.

I do understand hesitation. In some places, this costs money. Even in places these services are free, you feel shame. People are judging you. And — to be honest — a lot of healthcare providers are also judgemental. And I am currently in a small town of fewer than 2000 people. Your private business is maybe going to be everyone’s entertainment. Be strong. Once you do get into the mental health and substance use pipeline, we are mostly good and we are mostly there because we have big hearts yearning to help.

A lot of the reason I have opted to spend much of my time in the community is to overcome those barriers to access to help. Come say “hi”. I will say “hi” too. Maybe that is the first step. Worst case scenario is we were friendly to each other. Gross!

And if you are one of those skeptics who have said I am enabling substance users and let me know that opinion— even angrily — water under the bridge; you are not the first person experiencing substance related symptoms; we got you. Don’t let embarrassment stop you, please. Come back for help whenever you like. Seriously, I’m happy to help. I look forward to meeting you (again). And — if you don’t live near me — someone in your area is too.

[-] plyth@feddit.org 4 points 2 months ago

Isn't woke used ironically? People who are 'woke' are not woke, but ignorant.

[-] Gradually_Adjusting@lemmy.world 35 points 2 months ago

When did we decide that the worst people in the world get to decide what words mean

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[-] Blob9994@piefed.mitch.science 16 points 2 months ago

Isn't woke used ironically?

Short answer: No.

Long answer: nnnnnnnmmnmmnmnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnmmnmmnmnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnmmnmmnmnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnmmnmmnmnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnmmnmmnmnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnmmnmmnmnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

[-] spankmonkey@lemmy.world 16 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

I don't recall seeing it used that way. What I have seen is:

Positive: being woke is being aware of social injustices

Negative: conservatives use it as a slur to mean anything positive that involves people who are not white men

Ironic: calling normal everyday things woke, like taking showers or wiping your ass

[-] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 14 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

The term is a classic instance of "double speak". Twenty years ago, the running joke was of Libertarians calling anyone who still supported the idea of a federal government "Sheeple" and insisting that they needed to "Wake Up!" and come around to Ron Paul and Ayn Rand's point of view.

Ten years ago, "Woke" was a liberal term describing people who recognized the chronic threat of police brutality and state prosecutorial bias towards minorities.

Three years ago, the ultra-reactionary Houston pastor Ed Young launched a Church Awake campaign to counter what he believed was "Woke Culture" in the city.

The Atlantic's columnist thinks it is when you are obsessed with policing language. The ABC's columnists think it means being an educated black progressive. The Heritage Foundation thinks its when you manufacturer grevencies like checks notes the existence of slavery, I guess? The Kentucky AG thinks it means when transgender athletes are allowed to compete in high school sports.

What's it supposed to mean? Everything and nothing. It's a term of enlightenment and a pejorative seemingly both at once.

[-] Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world 10 points 2 months ago

The meaning is actually pretty clear. Being "woke" means being aware of social injustice, specifically the systemic racism in US society. Being anti-woke simply means that you outwardly deny said systemic racism but in reality it means you're condoning it.

[-] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 4 points 2 months ago

Being “woke” means being aware of social injustice

From the left-liberal perspective, sure. But Libertarians and far-right theocrats have also employed the term as a positive self-descriptor, insisting that they had a more enlightened and historical view.

Being anti-woke simply means that you outwardly deny said systemic racism

Racists have employed the term to mean they blatantly reject the history put forward by liberal scholars. It's a form of political denialism, not unlike climate change denial or holocaust denial.

The irony is in how reactionaries will embrace the term and its synonyms positively - Dark Enlightenment, Great Awakening, Objectivism, "Wake up Sheeple!" - to imply they're the ones who truly understand the victims of state persecution (inevitably, rich white cis/straight men).

[-] jsomae@lemmy.ml 4 points 2 months ago

Waving your hands and saying "woke is not an insult" will not stop it from being used as an insult. But we can counter by using MAGA as an insult.

[-] Quill7513@slrpnk.net 7 points 2 months ago

yup. but it also takes away their power when they're like "you're woke!" and you're like "oh, you really think so? that's wonderful"

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this post was submitted on 25 Jul 2025
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