The concept of being “woke” has become a significant part of social and political conversations, and while it originally meant being aware of social injustices, it has taken on new dimensions, sometimes leading to bizarre or extreme actions. We’ve listed 19 of the most absurd things people have done in the name of being woke.
Cancelling Historical Figures
According to The New York Times, the idea of “cancelling” people is a “fear-mongering specter of wokeness,” including historical figures who have come under intense scrutiny, with many being “cancelled” for actions or beliefs that were commonplace in their time. Statues have been toppled, buildings renamed, and parts of history erased rather than contextualising them.
Renaming Everyday Objects
In the quest to be more inclusive, some have taken to renaming everyday objects. For instance, there have been calls to change the name of manholes to “maintenance holes” to avoid gendered language. While the intention is to promote gender neutrality, many find these changes unnecessary and overly complicated.
Banning Certain Words
With an effort to be more sensitive, some people advocate for banning certain words entirely, such as “crazy” or “lame” which are flagged as offensive to mental health sufferers or those with disabilities. While the aim is to promote respectful language, it can lead to overly policed conversations and a climate of fear around word choice.
Over-Correcting Language
In addition to banning words, there’s also a trend of over-correcting language. This can mean using awkward or overly complex terms to avoid any potential offence; for instance, replacing “pregnant women” with “pregnant people” to include trans men and non-binary individuals. While inclusivity is important, these linguistic gymnastics can sometimes obscure clear communication.
Tokenism in Media
To appear woke, some media companies engage in tokenism, adding a token character of a minority group to their line-ups. While representation is crucial, tokenism can feel insincere and patronising, as it often doesn’t involve meaningful stories or developed characters but rather a box-ticking exercise.
Virtue Signalling on Social Media
Social media is rife with virtue signalling, where people loudly proclaim their wokeness to gain approval or appear morally superior, and this often involves posting hashtags, sharing articles, or criticising others online. While raising awareness is good, virtue signalling can be hollow and performative, lacking real action or commitment to causes.
Over-The-Top Trigger Warnings
Trigger warnings have a valid place in protecting vulnerable individuals from potentially distressing content, however, some institutions have taken this to extremes, applying warnings to classic literature, art, or even everyday conversations. This can dilute the effectiveness of trigger warnings and make it difficult to navigate normal discourse.
Cultural Appropriation Accusations
The line between cultural appreciation and appropriation has become increasingly blurred. People have been accused of cultural appropriation for things like cooking food from different cultures or wearing certain hairstyles, and while respecting cultural heritage is important, these accusations can sometimes stifle cultural exchange and enjoyment.
Eco-Woke Extremes
Being environmentally conscious is crucial, but some take eco-wokeness to absurd levels, which includes judging others harshly for minor infractions, like using a plastic straw or driving a car occasionally. Such extreme attitudes can alienate people and make environmentalism seem inaccessible, or even fanatical.
Overhauling Classic Stories
Classic stories and films have been re-evaluated and sometimes altered to fit modern woke standards, such as rewriting plot points or changing character backgrounds to be more inclusive. It’s important to update stories to be beneficial, but it’s important to maintain their original context and integrity.
Hyper-Political Correctness
Political correctness is intended to avoid offending marginalised groups, but hyper-political correctness can lead to absurdity, and examples include avoiding terms like “blind spot” in favour of “non-seeing zone” to avoid offending visually impaired people. This overcorrection can make everyday interactions feel strained, to say the least.
Renaming Holidays
Some have advocated for renaming holidays like Christmas to “Winter Festivities” to be more inclusive of non-Christian beliefs. While inclusivity is valuable, this can feel like erasing cultural traditions and ignoring the significance these holidays hold for many people around the world.
Policing Personal Preferences
In the name of wokeness, personal preferences can come under scrutiny, too, as someone might be criticised for their taste in music, films, or even food if it’s perceived to support problematic elements. This can create a culture of judgement and restrict personal expression.
Overly Safe Spaces
Safe spaces are designed to protect individuals from harm, but some have taken this concept too far. Creating environments where any form of disagreement or challenge is discouraged can hinder open dialogue and personal growth, instead of balancing safety with the ability to engage in meaningful discussions.
Critiquing Children’s Books
Even children’s books are not exempt from woke scrutiny; classic tales have been criticised or altered for containing outdated or non-inclusive messages. Yes, it’s important to teach kids about diversity and acceptance, but rewriting beloved stories can sometimes be seen as overkill.
Extreme Dietary Demands
Some people insist on extremely specific dietary requirements in the name of being woke, such as rejecting foods associated with certain cultures to avoid appropriation. While respecting cultural significance is important, these demands can often be impractical and overly restrictive.
Objecting to Compliments
In an effort to avoid reinforcing stereotypes or objectifying people, some have taken to rejecting compliments altogether, where complimenting someone’s appearance might be seen as reducing them to their looks. While intentions are good, social interactions can be more awkward as a result.
Policing Fictional Characters
Did you know that even fictional characters have come under fire for not being woke enough? Whether it’s their race, gender, or behaviours, characters are scrutinised to an extreme degree. This can limit creative freedom and result in less diverse storytelling, ironically achieving the opposite of what was intended.
Over-Apologising
In the quest to be as woke as possible, some individuals find themselves over-apologising for things they didn’t even do. Apologising on behalf of entire groups or for historical events can come across as insincere and unnecessary, detracting from genuine expressions of remorse and solidarity.
