The Woke Thread

[Revoltingest]

I know. But it's a shorter explanation than to lay down how "woke" is an extremely partisan term and one has to ditch a lot of reason and common sense to be "woke".

By personally identifying as woke,
I endeavor to make it less partisan.

Who knows....if an old white guy can be woke, then
perhaps some day white guys could even jump & dance.

 

[Augustus]

Are you serious? Do you expect me to believe you or anyone else are not using this term in a sarcastic mocking way? I am beyond sceptical. The whole point of that word is to mock the idea of equal justice.

Sorry, I gave you too much credit.

You can't tell the difference between people who find a it a bit stupid to adhere to an ideology where a white person teaching Spanish is perpetuating "white supremacism", and people who use the term "****** lover".

They are obviously identical

 

[fantome profane]

Sorry, I gave you too much credit.

You can't tell the difference between people who find a it a bit stupid to adhere to an ideology where a white person teaching Spanish is perpetuating "white supremacism", and people who use the term "****** lover".

They are obviously identical

But if you are using the term “woke” to describe someone who thinks “a white person teaching Spanish is perpetuating "white supremacism" you are not only mocking that specific situation, you are mocking the idea of acknowledging of the racism that does exist.

Do you not see that “woke” being used in this context is mocking?

 

[Revoltingest]

But if you are using the term “woke” to describe someone who thinks “a white person teaching Spanish is perpetuating "white supremacism" you are not only mocking that specific situation, you are mocking the idea of acknowledging of the racism that does exist.

Do you not see that “woke” being used in this context is mocking?

"Woke" has a spectrum.
That former Spanish teacher is at the dysfunctional end.

 

[fantome profane]

"Woke" has a spectrum.
That former Spanish teacher is at the dysfunctional end.

There are obviously different levels of awareness. But what people seem to be doing when they is the word “woke” in a mocking way is to imply a lack of awareness. But this has the additional effect (sometimes unintended, sometimes intended) of discouraging efforts to increase awareness.

 

[Augustus]

But if you are using the term “woke” to describe someone who thinks “a white person teaching Spanish is perpetuating "white supremacism" you are not only mocking that specific situation, you are mocking the idea of acknowledging of the racism that does exist.

Do you not see that “woke” being used in this context is mocking?

No, you are mocking people who hold to ludicrous parodies of what constitutes "racism" and also people who have ridiculous ideas that will obviously be counterproductive.

You can do this while accepting that racism is a problem that we should do our best to reduce.

It's like any complex and subjective issue, people may agree on the end to be achieved, but disagree on the best way to achieve it.

If someone mocked the idea that tax cuts for the rich are the best way to reduce poverty and inequality, would you insist that this meant they are mocking the idea that we should try to reduce poverty and inequality?

 

[Revoltingest]

There are obviously different levels of awareness. But what people seem to be doing when they is the word “woke” in a mocking way is to imply a lack of awareness. But this has the additional effect (sometimes unintended, sometimes intended) of discouraging efforts to increase awareness.

I don't see the discouraging effect happening.
But, I do see that some who claim wokeness are merely
imagining that they understand more than they really do.

 

[Stevicus]

But if you are using the term “woke” to describe someone who thinks “a white person teaching Spanish is perpetuating "white supremacism" you are not only mocking that specific situation, you are mocking the idea of acknowledging of the racism that does exist.

Do you not see that “woke” being used in this context is mocking?

To be honest, I think the term "woke" tends to mock itself. It implies a person with a certain holier-than-thou attitude and they're somehow more aware or more enlightened than those who are not. It comes across as judgmental and sanctimonious - and in cases where someone thinks a white person teaching Spanish is "white supremacism," it's downright ridiculous and absurd. So, it's going to be mocked. It practically invites mockery.

I don't know why people can't just talk about things. It always has to have some melodrama or turns into some big presentation. Whatever happened to objectivity and academic detachment? People get too emotional about stuff - that's the main problem. If people would look at things logically, analytically, and unemotionally, we could come up with solutions to problems rather than perpetuate them.

 

[fantome profane]

To be honest, I think the term "woke" tends to mock itself.

I completely agree. But I haven’t seem many (or any) examples of people using this term to describe themselves. This word tends to be used to mock other people.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

I see the word "woke" used in this context as being a PC version of i learned not to be a racist jerk.

Does that make 5 interpretations?

Heh...perhaps.
Well, for what it's worth, I was never a racist jerk, but I've learnt to be more actively aware of racism, and cultural differences, including how I might contribute to them at times.
Much the same with gender equality, etc.

I have never ever thought of myself as 'woke', but labels are commonly ill-fitting generalisations. I just find that particular one distasteful. Not even 100% sure why, but I think it feels moralistic to me. Like atheists who want to call themselves 'brights' or even 'freethinkers'.

Not my style, I guess.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

I'm so annoyed with them capitalizing "Black" but not "white". That's actually a tactic that has been used by white supremacists online for decades, but in reverse. I guess it's okay when the liberal establishment does it, though.

I can see it now, someone like me who prioritizes consistency and clarity getting in trouble because Black and white is not consistent, and Black is not a proper noun. If the Black is capitalized, there needs to be some more stuff with it to capitalize.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Are you serious? Do you expect me to believe you or anyone else are not using this term in a sarcastic mocking way? I am beyond sceptical. The whole point of that word is to mock the idea of equal justice.

There's nothing justice about it. Creating inequalities is not justice. Pretending some people can't be racist while everyone of a certain group is has nothing to do with justice. Screaming cultural appropriation is not justice. And they are very hypocritical about it.
Truly, they have a great many things in common with Conservative Evangelical Protestants. Original sin, mountains of guilt, shaming harmless activities, and tons of homogeny and hypocrisy.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

perhaps some day white guys could even jump & dance.

Gene Kelly is the dancer.
And white men don't need to jump when they can shoot like Larry Bird.

 

[Quagmire]

I hereby grant you the right to call yourself "woke".

Cool! Can I be a wookie? It's only two more letters.

 

[Stevicus]

Cool! Can I be a wookie? It's only two more letters.

 

[Kooky]

To be honest, I think the term "woke" tends to mock itself. It implies a person with a certain holier-than-thou attitude and they're somehow more aware or more enlightened than those who are not.

IIRC it originated in the Black community during the 1960s, to denote a person who was aware of the numerous areas of racial discrimination Black people still found themselves in and actively working in antiracist politics. Sorry to kill the buzz.

 

[Stevicus]

IIRC it originated in the Black community during the 1960s, to denote a person who was aware of the numerous areas of racial discrimination Black people still found themselves in and actively working in antiracist politics. Sorry to kill the buzz.

So, you were intimately familiar with the Black community during the 1960s?

 

[Kooky]

So, you were intimately familiar with the Black community during the 1960s?

You don't need to be intimately familiar in order to glean such a basic level of knowledge from widely available media on the issue.
I literally did a couple of Google searches and found a number of essays and articles on the subject by fairly reputable sources.


Are you claiming that people can only have knowledge of something they are intimately familiar with?
If so, in what way are you intimately familiar with the modern online leftist community, and in what capacity are you capable of talking about "wokeness" when you do not consider yourself past of modern leftist "woke" culture?

 

[Stevicus]

You don't need to be intimately familiar in order to glean such a basic level of knowledge from widely available media on the issue.
I literally did a couple of Google searches and found a number of essays and articles on the subject by fairly reputable sources.

Care to link any of these essays and articles?

But just for the record, is it correct to say that you are not Black, you did not live during the 1960s, and you've never lived in the United States? Yet, you presume to speak on their behalf and chide others for "never being exposed to racism"? When have you ever been exposed to racism? (I'm speaking of real world, not online.)

Are you claiming that people can only have knowledge of something they are intimately familiar with?
If so, in what way are you intimately familiar with the modern online leftist community, and in what capacity are you capable of talking about "wokeness" when you do not consider yourself past of modern leftist "woke" culture?

The "modern online leftist community"? What is that? I grew up in lower class surroundings, and I live and work alongside America's underclass, which is much more diverse than the starkly "black and white" world that you portray (which is indicative of only knowing through articles and essays, without having direct personal experience or knowledge). I support and advocate for working people - something that today's "modern online leftist community" has made a much lower priority. I often wonder whether they even qualify as leftists, as many appear to be racial nationalists of a different paradigm. That would make them rightists, not leftists.

 

[Revoltingest]

Cool! Can I be a wookie? It's only two more letters.