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Can anyone explain “woke” to me

(63 Posts)
Flossieturner Thu 14-Nov-19 10:36:52

I am used to feeling that I live in a foreign country, as I am baffled by a lot of the speech that the youngsters use. Quite often the word that used is the total opposite of its original meaning. For example my GC saying the chocolate cake she had was so dirty, meaning delicious.

These words are now appearing in print and leave me totally baffled. I read an article about Boomers at war with Generation Z which I just about get. The problem was the word ‘woke’ which seems to be everywhere.

So wise Boomers, what the heck does it mean?

Gonegirl Thu 14-Nov-19 17:53:09

I think it's considered sick to use words like woke - it slaps and lets people know how aware you are of social issues

Whaaat??? confused

Gonegirl Thu 14-Nov-19 17:44:25

*

Gonegirl Thu 14-Nov-19 17:44:06

*susiewoozie, how old are you?

Gonegirl Thu 14-Nov-19 17:42:26

I can't understand anything in this thread.

suziewoozie Thu 14-Nov-19 17:03:19

Ginny it does mean that but it’s also moved on. If you called me woke I’d not be pleased as in my book, it involves posturing and probably not well informed. But we don’t need to use the word do we?

suziewoozie Thu 14-Nov-19 17:00:27

And let’s hear it for Meghan again - anyone would think she was the only example of wokeness in the UK. If you want a better example look at the LDs launch this afternoon of their position on all things trans. That’s serious woke.

JenniferEccles Thu 14-Nov-19 16:27:38

I think Meghan is a classic example of an hypocritical ‘woke ‘ person in that she claims to be so concerned about the planet and ‘climate change’ yet is perfectly happy taking private jets on various holidays.

So she is woke but only when it suits her.

Actually that just about sums up the attitude of them all with the possible exception of the saintly Greta I suppose.

Ginny42 Thu 14-Nov-19 16:25:04

I thought I knew what it means, but now I'm not so sure. I'd better not use it, so I don't offend someone. I thought it means awareness of social injustices. How can such a small word have such huge inferences and capacity for giving offence?

lemongrove Thu 14-Nov-19 16:23:48

I don’t either.....but oh wait! Could it be that you disagree with Urmstongran on the subject of Brexit Suzie so you decide to be disagreeable about her choice of ‘woke’ subjects?

Merlot ?

suziewoozie Thu 14-Nov-19 16:16:37

Then you are not very ‘woke’

kittylester Thu 14-Nov-19 16:10:34

But, maybe the rest of us don't, suziewoozie, I don't.

suziewoozie Thu 14-Nov-19 14:22:56

I think you know what I mean Urm

Urmstongran Thu 14-Nov-19 14:06:18

Why ‘strange’ suziewoozie??

suziewoozie Thu 14-Nov-19 13:42:36

This is interesting
theconversation.com/where-woke-came-from-and-why-marketers-should-think-twice-before-jumping-on-the-social-activism-bandwagon-122713

merlotgran Thu 14-Nov-19 13:42:00

Yep! Round here it means you're not asleep.

suziewoozie Thu 14-Nov-19 13:37:47

Really merlot?

merlotgran Thu 14-Nov-19 13:36:23

I was about to suggest you ask Meghan Markle and she'll write the answer on a banana but Urmstongran beat me to it.

It's the only example I can think of.

rosecarmel Thu 14-Nov-19 13:24:01

President Obama said (in so many words..) that if all you're doing is casting stones, then you're not woke, and what you're doing couldn't be considered activism but judgement-

So woke would mean offering both solution and insight-

suziewoozie Thu 14-Nov-19 13:09:47

I don’t think people describe themselves as being woke- more other people describe what they’ve said.

Callistemon Thu 14-Nov-19 13:05:29

I think it's considered sick to use words like woke - it slaps and lets people know how aware you are of social issues.

hmm

suziewoozie Thu 14-Nov-19 12:55:25

How strange that that was the first example you came up with Urm

Urmstongran Thu 14-Nov-19 11:21:14

And Meghan writing those daft messages on bananas last year for sex workers. ‘You’re special’ etc. Jeez.

suziewoozie Thu 14-Nov-19 11:03:22

African-American origin I believe and racial injustice to start with ( and sexual harassment latterly).

suziewoozie Thu 14-Nov-19 10:58:59

I don’t actually like it as a word to use - even though I sometimes use it in exasperation but always I’ve realised in relation to trans issues. I think it’s when the feely bit of an issue somehow trumps the bigger picture and there’s little evidence of logical thought. Two recent examples - Always were being woke when they decided to take the female symbol of their sanitary packaging and second, Mand S announcing that men could use women’s changing rooms if that made them feel more comfortable. Neither of those examples are hypocritical, they are just damn stupid and defy rational thought.

Flossieturner Thu 14-Nov-19 10:56:39

So have I got this right. It started as referring to issues that were currently in the public conscience but now and insult for being too aware of them. Any one know how it originated?
People being woken up to these things perhaps?