Social Justice Worrier

After browsing through various news websites, I have come to the conclusion that we in the West have succumbed to a highly pathetic, albeit dangerous, threat: allowing Political Correctness to override our sense of reason and order. And I don't mean PC in the original definition of the word as most people like to remind us — changing language so that it is not offensive or inappropriate — but rather in the more evolved sense: punishing those for making seemingly offensive or inappropriate comments and spreading it all over social media (SM).

It has become trendy to find offence at any opportunity and milk it for all its worth. SM is the preferred method of attack and things don't seem to be slowing down any time soon. Some might say "just don't use social media" but they forget one problem — SM has invaded all forms of Media to the point where regular media forms are indistinguishable any more from SM and the culture that it accompanies.

The sad fact of the matter is that the true victim of social justice warrior crusaders is social justice itself. Stories that make most people have to try hard to find offensive are gaining so much attention in media that serious social justice issues become diluted to the point that they are not taken seriously.

Example 1 — Kanye West faces backlash over Taylor Swift lyric attack

Example 2 — Meryl Streep faces backlash over ‘we’re all Africans’ comment

Example 3 — How the bimbos of breakfast TV disgraced themselves and feminism

Ex ample 4 — Stephen Fry lashes out after BAFTA ‘bag lady’ jibe

Example 5 — BAFTAs 2016: Rebel Wilson courts controversy with transgender joke

People living in non-Western cultures must be dying of laughter at the utter stupidity, weakness, gullibility and sensationalism displayed by those participating in the circus surrounding stories such as those above.

Therefore, I am not a Social Justice Warrior (SJW) but a Social Justice Worrier.

Seriously, where has our backbone gone and when will this utter madness end?

While I agree to a certain extent I do believe there is a line and when we cross it we should be called out. This does not mean one should be physically punished nor punitive monetary damages but when someone like Kayne West who enjoys millions of fans including young people who emulate and look up to him makes a brutish comment he should be told by those willing that he was wrong. I defend his right to say whatever he wants but when we cross the line we should be held accountable.

Comedians today have a tough job, things which made us laugh yesterday can end a career today. I remember a very un-PC television show I watched growing up called All in the Family which broke all sorts of barriers and would more than likely be boycotted today. Archie Bunker was a total idiot and it taught me how stupid bigotry was and is. I am surprised the show still survives today in reruns but I believe it was an important part in our history because it was honest and that is what is wrong with the PC police...one can no longer be honest without fear of reprisal.

a reply to: Dark Ghost

I think it must never be forgotten, that the reason that the PC brigade have so much power at the moment, is that for generations our societies have been rife with phobic, hateful, spiteful bastards, who have made life difficult for those who are different, or perceived as being significantly different to what was referred to as "the norm".

It is ridiculous that things have developed to the point where a comic genius and all round good egg, such as Mr Fry can be lambasted for a perfectly aimed, and not at all unjustified bit of friendly banter toward a friend at an awards ceremony.

However, there is absolutely no one to blame for this state of affairs, other than the generations of ignorant, gutter minded, weak, phobic cretins who shaped pre-existing social conventions in years gone by. There must be a balance, but I think that a period of re-adjustment is entirely natural, if somewhat aggravating.

Consider culture and society in the western world as a whole, from its beginnings, back hundreds upon hundreds of years, thousands in the case of my nation. I look upon the decades, centuries, and millennia since culture began to evolve in the west, as a period of growth. From the infancy of civilisation, to the years just recently passed which were our junior years, we now come to adolescence. We understand by now that behaviours we used to engage in, will no longer be tolerated, because we have reached a stage where we can no longer justify some of those behaviours by way of ignorance. We now know that things we used to do, are wrong. However, like an adolescent, we are not yet wise enough to realise, as a society, WHY those things were wrong.

Those things which are done in ignorance, and those which are done SPECIFICALLY to cause harm to those with whom we vary, are wrong. Those things which are said to deliberately, and not at all kindly or in fun, detract from a persons confidence or self worth, are wrong. We have not yet understood, collectively, the difference between appeasing the moronic idiocies of yesteryear, which would be wrong, and allowing for the growth of a healthy ability for everyone to be able to laugh at, and with themselves and their fellow human beings, which is a fundamentally necessary thing which must replace the unhealthy tropes and cultural memes of times past.

But as I mentioned, this is no different than an adolescent realising that continuing to play with his action figures, or her dolls for much longer will result in a developmental issue, but being unsure as to what to replace that past time with, or how to go about finding out, and thrashing about in unvoiced frustration at the void left behind in the meantime.

This is cultural adolescence, and as aggravating as it is, it may be that we have to wait until the acne dies down, and until our societies have broken their cherry, so to speak, before we ever expect to get any bloody sense out of them, what so ever.

It will end if and when the media ever get over their need for cheap stories.

Your example headlines make good attention grabbers, and people click on those sorts of links in order to feel outraged at 'Political correctness gone maaaaaaad!'

The actual numbers of people who believe these weird extreme positions is actually quite small, but they get all blown out of proportion because these days you only need to get 30 or 40 people agreeing with you on Social Media to create 'a movement' in the eyes of the media.

a reply to: TrueBrit

We were more mature and much freer 40 - 50 years ago. We're aging backwards as a society.

a reply to: Dark Ghost

I look at it a little different, not so much as being PC, but making all politics personal.

"Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people." -- Eleanor Roosevelt

I get most of my news from aggregate news sites, where articles are posted from all over the web. For too long, 90% of those articles are discussing people -- not news. Is it important that Kanye West dissed someone? Would it be just as good/bad if someone else did the same exact thing? Is it really any of my business anyway? And I have to ask myself, why on earth is this even on a news -- specifically, political news! -- site? (Not referring to the OP and ATS) I don't go to the entertainment section for political news, and I don't want entertainment news in my political news. But it's there. Because we are being conditioned to judge issues and events by the people and personalities -- not the merits of the issue.

Consider the Oregon Protest, and how much attention has been laser-focused on the individuals, but not what they are protesting... not the gross abuse of force and power by the feds against the people... not the political and economic implications and repercussions of foreign mining companies on our federal lands... Nope. It's all about the individuals and personalities involved, and how they are portrayed.

This isn't to say that the people involved in any story or issue are not pertinent, especially in terms of the actions they take, but that only speaks to and about that person.

a reply to: IridiumFlareMadness

Which "we" do you mean?

There are an awful lot of people who were most certainly not freer back then!

a reply to: Dark Ghost

I have an extremely simple, extremely effective counter to this perceived "problem." Here it is: "I don't care."

I don't care about any of these backlashes or offenses being taken. As such, it doesn't affect me, nor my perception of anything else whatsoever. Sure, the majority of people's lives are centered around a social media-based tween mentality and world-view, but so what? Let the masses wallow in their tiny little world if that's what makes them happy. Me - I couldn't care less.

a reply to: Dark Ghost

You know, it's taken a long time to get to a place where hate crimes are nearly insignificant in Western culture—maybe a few vandalisms and assaults here and there every year—and the criminals who commit those crimes are just as insignificant as the crimes they commit. Yet we hear about racism and bigotry around every issue.

If you wonder where all the racists have gone, look no further than the politically correct, who utilize the exact same racism or sexism. However, out of shame or something, they attempt to discriminate with it "positively", almost to disastrous effect.

It is no wonder they see racism everywhere and in everything—because they are racist. And the political correctness comes into play when they want to disguise their racism most.

originally posted by: Dark Ghost
It has become trendy to find offence at any opportunity and milk it for all its worth.

Orwell speculated that a future dystopian society would have two minutes of hate and he really wasn't far off. We now have our Daily Outrage which amounts to the same thing.

As for calling people out - Lord, it's such an obnoxious trait. I'm not talking about actual bigotry like the deliberate use of racial slurs, but all the micro-agression BS or quotes out of context, jokes or any form of nuance. It isn't about the issue at all, or eliminating racism or homophobia or what have you, but asserting one's own moral superiority. Funny thing is, the people I've personally known who are quickest to call someone out have always been the least generous, empathic caring people and they rarely have any close friends outside their little enclave of people exactly like them.

originally posted by: Dark Ghost
After browsing through various news websites, I have come to the conclusion that we in the West have succumbed to a highly pathetic, albeit dangerous, threat: allowing Political Correctness to override our sense of reason and order. And I don't mean PC in the original definition of the word as most people like to remind us — changing language so that it is not offensive or inappropriate — but rather in the more evolved sense: punishing those for making seemingly offensive or inappropriate comments and spreading it all over social media (SM).

It has become trendy to find offence at any opportunity and milk it for all its worth. SM is the preferred method of attack and things don't seem to be slowing down any time soon. Some might say "just don't use social media" but they forget one problem — SM has invaded all forms of Media to the point where regular media forms are indistinguishable any more from SM and the culture that it accompanies.

The sad fact of the matter is that the true victim of social justice warrior crusaders is social justice itself. Stories that make most people have to try hard to find offensive are gaining so much attention in media that serious social justice issues become diluted to the point that they are not taken seriously.

Example 1 — Kanye West faces backlash over Taylor Swift lyric attack

Example 2 — Meryl Streep faces backlash over ‘we’re all Africans’ comment

Example 3 — How the bimbos of breakfast TV disgraced themselves and feminism

Ex ample 4 — Stephen Fry lashes out after BAFTA ‘bag lady’ jibe

Example 5 — BAFTAs 2016: Rebel Wilson courts controversy with transgender joke

People living in non-Western cultures must be dying of laughter at the utter stupidity, weakness, gullibility and sensationalism displayed by those participating in the circus surrounding stories such as those above.

Therefore, I am not a Social Justice Warrior (SJW) but a Social Justice Worrier.

Seriously, where has our backbone gone and when will this utter madness end?

Oh god, there are 1000 more examples. I could give 100 from just my personal life and my work in the social impact world (Which has a far higher percentage of so-called social justice warriors).

I am all for social justice, but "social justice" has gone too far with becoming ideological, dogmatic, beyond reason or criticism, and so on. Any criticism or even gently constructive feedback from allies can bring extreme reactions, including social ostracization. If one works in some kind of political, social impact, government, or NGO work, it can have professional consequences.

I just got in a huge debate and possibly lost a friend at work, in my very political office, because my friend (an African American SJW that worked on the Obama campaign) stated on FB that only white people can afford high-level unpaid internships (let's say UN, political campaigns, fortune 500 companies, etc) and that's why he hasn't got ahead.

I told him privately that this was inaccurate and this was related to social class and income, not race. He said that his personal experience was that people that could engage in such internships all had one thing in common, being white. I informed him that I personally knew elite non-white people from all over the world in NYC who not only could and had done unpaid fellowships or internships at places like the UN but also had enormous economic resources, more than many white people. I also informed him that there are a lot of low-income white people who cannot afford unpaid internships.

He then shut down and told me that I sounded "like those 'all-lives matter'" people, implying that I am denying his racial and "lived experience" and that I might even be a closet racist myself. This is how criticism, even very logical and even-handed, is dealt with now by much of the social justice community.

I've come to hate such discussions, as not only are they irrational but if my opponent is a minority, it doesn't matter if they are wrong or right, they are right in the eyes of SJW's and their "lived experience" trumps any argument, even if the data or macro-evidence doesn't support a given assertion.

a reply to: Dark Ghost

Nothing worse then a person who thinks they're so enlightened to the cause of justice that they can't possibly be wrong about anything.

Horseshoe theory is a good example