What does "woke" means ?

We asked CPAC attendees what they think 'woke' means. Their answers were all over the place

  • The word "woke" has quickly shot to the forefront of Republican politics in recent years.
  • It's been used to describe a sweeping array of topics — essentially anything Republicans don't like.
  • We asked CPAC attendees what they thought the word means. Their answers revealed little consensus.

NATIONAL HARBOR, Maryland — In 2023, the word "woke" seems to be at the top of conservatives' minds.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a likely 2024 presidential contender, has declared that his state is "where woke goes to die."
Rep. Jim Banks of Indiana has floated the idea of an "anti-woke" caucus in the House.
And a Department of Labor rule pertaining to socially-conscious investment decisions, derided by the right as "woke," has teed up what will be the first veto of Joe Biden's presidency.
But at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) — a yearly confab where the Republican Party's most die-hard activists and political hangers-on hear from conservative influencers and politicians — the precise definition of the ubiquitous word remains elusive.

"That's tough. Let me think on it. Give me like two minutes to come up with something good," said Johnny McEntee, the CEO of a right-wing dating app that explicitly declares that "other dating apps have gone woke."

The word "woke" originally emerged from African American vernacular English, signifying a general awareness of systems of injustice
. But in recent years, the word has been co-opted by the right, often used as a catch-all term for progressive policies, ideas, and ways of thinking.
And among the right-wing gathering's attendees, the word seemed to encompass seemingly everything that conservatives dislike about the world.

"My opinion is: they're trying to wake up what shouldn't be woken up," said Daniel Francis, 58, who said he'd traveled from his home in Southern Colorado to promote an organization that puts on rodeos for active duty service members and veterans. "They're stirring the pot in the wrong direction."
For Francis, who said he homeschools his own children, the word "woke" invokes the idea of a system of education that's stoking divisions between groups. But it's also the driving factor behind a broader set of policy concerns — and the Republican Party, in his view, isn't doing enough to combat it.
"I think the woke side is kind of keeping the border open," he said. "I mean, that's what they want."

'Political corruptness'

Wokeness was also on the lips of the conference's speakers, who used the word in a variety of contexts.

Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama spoke at a panel on Thursday about "Sacking the Woke Playbook," where he made sweeping claims about a left-wing agenda to uproot existing gender and sexuality norms, declaring at one point that "they want one gender."

Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor and one-time US ambassador to the United Nations, declared wokeness to be a "virus more dangerous than any pandemic" in her speech on Friday, ultimately closing by urging attendees to "save our country from weakness and wokeness."

McEntee, the dating app CEO, eventually settled on "political correctness" as an apt synonym, saying that President Donald Trump — McEntee's former employer — had "opened everybody's eyes" to the issue.
"You know, we shouldn't be banning words," McEntee added. Asked for clarification on which words were being banned — and by whom — he demurred, citing the fact that he was there to promote his dating app.

"Political correctness" appeared to be the most popular short-hand among attendees.

Nigel Farage, the erstwhile Brexit leader and former European Parliament member who could be seen walking around the conference on Friday, told Insider that wokeness meant "a level of political correctness that is totally extraordinary."
"If we don't agree with someone, we try and ban them or cancel them," he added.

James Winship, 68, a Virginia man dressed up as George Washington and holding a flag he said he carried on the mall on January 6, 2021, told Insider that "woke" was substituted for "political correctness" because the term sounded too much like "political corruptness."

'Everything's gotta be a hyphen-this, hyphen-that'

Others offered more expansive — and dark — definitions.

Joe Pinion, a Newsmax host who was the GOP nominee for Senate in New York in 2022, defined the "gospel of woke" as the notion that "all things in America are bad" while speaking at a panel about how conservatives might win young voters.

Jackson Stallings, a 21-year-old student attending the conference, said he saw wokeness as a combination of "this transgenderism thing," leftism, and critical race theory.
"I think it's all directly connected," he said.

Other attendees also homed in on gender and sexuality issues as being central to what defines "woke," including Susan Vandeberghe, 65, who was volunteering for CPAC after traveling to the conference from Michigan.
"Well, I don't have a problem with anybody being gay or anything like that," she said, adding that she had a gay nephew. She went on to name Pride Month, transgender athletes competing in sports, drag queens, and sex education in school systems as key examples of wokeness run amok.
"I'm not against anybody having those feelings, and it's more accepted now than ever before," she said. "But they're taking it to an extreme like no other."

Robyn Erickson and Mary Phelps, two 68-year old volunteers with the #WalkAway movement — which purports to represent former Democrats who've become Republicans — spoke generally of what they see as division and the misuse of history.
"Everything's gotta be a hyphen-this, hyphen-that," said Phelps, arguing that America should be a "melting pot" and that people are "hyper-focused on certain facets and using them to start conflict."
Erickson, a chef who noted that her company "tries to remind us of diversity, inclusion" on a weekly basis, made a culinary analogy.
"Like, when you make spaghetti sauce or chili, it's better the second day," she said. "Because it's all blended. It's come together."
https://www.businessinsider.com/cpac-woke-gender-history-tuberville-ramaswamy-2023-3?r=US&IR=T


The truth is, on the Right, "woke" is the new "socialist/communist/marxist" it's just a word you throw to people, ideas an concept you don't agree with as an insult.
In their minds, calling something "woke" is game-over, we won.
In their minds, it's a political cheat-code : all you have to do is to find when say it, once you've said it you won
 
Thanks for the educational material from all the way over there, Johan. I think Wokies may be hard to define but like beauty it’s in the eye of the beholder and you know one when you see one. Wokies can range from outlandish and impossible to ignore to overly corny and easy to sidestep.

 

Torre82

Moderator \ Jannie
Staff member
I had a few minutes.
It was.. right and wrong.
The word itself is going to be in a history book, now.
I feel like..
\thinks
I feel like when my mother told me to read mein kampf so that i would know how the enemy thinks.
And i feel like the definition of the word will change daily.
And i think of Bill Burr.
Somehow someone.. heard woke from their black friend and it came a thing.
I feel like it's an oversimplified filter.
I feel like... We simply can't enjoy anything, anymore.
I feel woke.
I guess.
Because i can see the problem and still feel helpless to a word said by a news channel like it defines my entire 40 years.
Or however old i am, now.i stopped counting.
 

gmase

Nattering Nabob of Negativism
If you are near Coventry CT, then it means breakfast. https://wokebreakfastct.com/
85945778-4C8F-4313-9815-475E4FC9B2AB.jpeg


Woke has replaced Snowflake as the conservative pejorative for people who disagree with them. Why did they need to change? Republicans started acting like Snowflakes so a new term was needed. They can’t accept the other guy winning.
 
Woke has replaced Snowflake as the conservative pejorative for people who disagree with them. Why did they need to change? Republicans started acting like Snowflakes so a new term was needed. They can’t accept the other guy winning.

You are not woke any more than I am a QAnon person. You and me disagree on politics all the time but not once have we ever referred to each other in either of those terms. Seems like we both have a history of poking fun of extremists from both sides. I'm OK. You're OK. The daily foreign interloper can take a long walk off a short plank though.
 
When this term became popularized, initially the meaning of this term was when an individual become more aware of the social injustice. Or basically, any current affairs related like biased, discrimination, or double-standards.

However, as time passed by, people started using this term recklessly, assigning this term to themselves or someone they know to boost their confidence and reassure them that they have the moral high grounds and are fighting for the better world. And sometimes even using it as a way to protect themselves from other people's opinion, by considering the 'outsider' as non-woke. While people that are in line with their belief as woke. Meaning that those 'outsiders' have been brainwash by the society and couldn't see the truth. Thus, filtering everything that the 'outsider' gives regardless whether it is rationale or not.

And as of now, the original meaning is slowly fading and instead, is used more often to term someone as hypocritical and think they are the 'enlightened' despite the fact that they are extremely close-minded and are unable to accept other people's criticism or different perspective. Especially considering the existence of echo chamber(media) that helped them to find other like-minded individuals, thus, further solidifying their 'progressive' opinion.
1st paragraph
"Damn bro, I didn't realize racism is such a major issue in our country! I'm a woke now!"

2nd paragraph
"I can't believe this. How are they so close-minded? Can't they see just how toxic our society is? The solution is so simple, yet they refused to change! I just don't understand!"

3rd paragraph
"Fatphobic?! Misogyny?! What's wrong with preferring a thin woman?! And she is morbidly obese for god sake! Why should I be attracted to her?! Why should I lower myself while she refuse to better herself?! These woke people are a bunch of ridiculous hypocrite!"
by IAmOneWhoShallNotBeName January 9, 2023

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Woke
 
Even a pack of sweaty perverts who also vote Democrat wouldn't allow these freaks around your kids. And if you did the political party you answer to is the least of your worries.

 

Mr. Daystar

In a bell tower, watching you through cross hairs.
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Woke

Woke

When this term became popularized, initially the meaning of this term was when an individual become more aware of the social injustice. Or basically, any current affairs related like biased, discrimination, or double-standards.

However, as time passed by, people started using this term recklessly, assigning this term to themselves or someone they know to boost their confidence and reassure them that they have the moral high grounds and are fighting for the better world. And sometimes even using it as a way to protect themselves from other people's opinion, by considering the 'outsider' as non-woke. While people that are in line with their belief as woke. Meaning that those 'outsiders' have been brainwash by the society and couldn't see the truth. Thus, filtering everything that the 'outsider' gives regardless whether it is rationale or not.

And as of now, the original meaning is slowly fading and instead, is used more often to term someone as hypocritical and think they are the 'enlightened' despite the fact that they are extremely close-minded and are unable to accept other people's criticism or different perspective. Especially considering the existence of echo chamber(media) that helped them to find other like-minded individuals, thus, further solidifying their 'progressive' opinion.
1st paragraph
"Damn bro, I didn't realize racism is such a major issue in our country! I'm a woke now!"

2nd paragraph
"I can't believe this. How are they so close-minded? Can't they see just how toxic our society is? The solution is so simple, yet they refused to change! I just don't understand!"

3rd paragraph
"Fatphobic?! Misogyny?! What's wrong with preferring a thin woman?! And she is morbidly obese for god sake! Why should I be attracted to her?! Why should I lower myself while she refuse to better herself?! These woke people are a bunch of ridiculous hypocrite!"
by IAmOneWhoShallNotBeName January 9, 2023
 
Thanks for the educational material from all the way over there, Johan. I think Wokies may be hard to define but like beauty it’s in the eye of the beholder and you know one when you see one.
Ummm...yeah...:LOL:...this might as well be a statement that says, "I have no fucking clue what it actually is".

It's basically a cope out scare word for right wing idiots to label basically anything they don't like anymore. If they didn't do that they would have to resort to arguing about substantive policy issues or fact based reality, and since they almost always lose out on all those raging against the "woke" is all they have anymore.





I don't use the term, because usually only idiots do anymore, but what it means to me? "Woke" means actually caring about injustices, ignorance, or lies told against marginalized and minority groups. It's pretty simple really. It makes me wonder why so many are against it.
 

gmase

Nattering Nabob of Negativism
Let's ask the author ....
https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-brie...struggles-to-come-up-with-definition-of-woke/

“So, I mean, woke is sort of the idea that ... this is going to be one of those moments that goes viral. Woke is something that is very hard to define and [in the book] we have spent an entire chapter defining it ...It is the sort of understanding that we need to totally reimagine and reduce society in order to create hierarchies of oppression ... Sorry, it is hard to explain in a 15-second sound bite.”

Given the traditional definitions of 'woke', creating hierarchies of oppression does not seem to be an objective.

\\

The majority of a rural Colorado school district's board resigned because the community wanted to keep critical race theory and SEL (social emotional learning) out of their schools. Those against CRT and SEL make up the most interesting and irrelevant examples ...

Parent: "We do not want boys being told that they can be girls or girls that they can be boys. We do not want to support mental illness that says children can identify as cat or dog,”

Truth: "We are not teaching critical race theory, nor are we indoctrinating kids about non-traditional lifestyles,”

https://www.denver7.com/news/local-...er-majority-of-elizabeth-school-board-resigns
 
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