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.
Reminder that woke was originally used as a positive term.
Still is if you aren't a twat
Nowadays I prefer the term "correct".
Also a reminder that woke is used negatively by the same people who cannot tell the difference between badly photoshopped letters and a gang tattoo.
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.
My stupid ass: "why did the conservatives have an issue with Cathode Ray Tube TVs?"
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.
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
No reminder needed for me, but for those who might want to do a deep dive:
Whoa, fuck yeah Linus Torvalds
I'm just impressed they used 'couldn't care less' correctly.
english as a second language tend to be more careful with their usage of idioms
Man, fuck english idioms. Will never get over how "that's shit" = bad but "that's the shit" = good
Greater brevity: "Holy fuck!" Something bad happened. "Holy fuck!" Something awesome happened.
That's quite the example.
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
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.
Petition to rename Twitter again, to Twatter. I know, I know, my intellect is frightening sometimes. /s
There are people who have not called it Twatter from day one? Huh...
Saying a person is woke is like saying they are not a mindless sheep going through life asleep at the wheel.
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?".
it's basically everything you need to know about them
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.
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.
Just saw the recent south park episode- absolutely killed. Poor Cartman is nothing withoutout the woke 😢
So conservatives version of this is their deweaponization of the word nazi? Fuck this timeline.
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.
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
"Drawing Bayesian inferences after extensive sampling, I've determined that it's 99-percent certain that anyone who uses 'woke' as pejorative will turn out to be a fuckhead. Please don't blame me for pointing this out—it's just science." — Mike Godwin
Isn't woke used ironically? People who are 'woke' are not woke, but ignorant.
When did we decide that the worst people in the world get to decide what words mean
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
Isn't woke used ironically?
Short answer: No.
Long answer: nnnnnnnmmnmmnmnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnmmnmmnmnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnmmnmmnmnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnmmnmmnmnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnmmnmmnmnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnmmnmmnmnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
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.
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.
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).
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.
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