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That's Life with Toby Young
Social commentator Toby Young joins Spectator Life's satirists to take a sideways look at the news.
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Word of the week: woke
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#6 Woke
[ wohk ]
To be actively aware of systemic injustices and prejudices
A person who becomes aware that their life is dominated by a web of systematic discrimination and oppression, can be described as ‘woke’. Typically, adherents move from a state of unconsciousness (un-woke) to one of awareness (semi-woke), culminating in a state of ‘injustice hyper-sensitivity’ (woke). Everyone can achieve woke consciousness, simply by interpreting their everyday life experiences through the lens of their position in the oppression hierarchy.
Experts, schooled in inter-sectional, post-constructivist theories of everything and nothing, are readily available to guide students. Once students have identified their oppression, they can gain kudos by referring to it in everyday situations and use it to explain seemingly unrelated events. In the unhappy event that a person becomes ‘woke’, only to find themselves at the top of the oppression hierarchy, they can use their ‘privilege’ to assist those fortunate enough to have victim status.
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