Is the word SJW (Social Justice Warrior) overused?
If the term ever had a legitimate meaning, it was lost long ago. For as long as I can remember it's been used to solely to negatively label anyone who dares point out that any form of social inequality exists, usually used by those that couldn't care less and just want to bury their head in the sand. It's as if labeling someone a Social Justice Warrior instantly negates their argument, so that people can go back to pretending that everything is perfect.
What's the alternative to a Social Justice Warrior, anyway? Social Injustice Crusader?
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I posted this about feminism on youtube and I feel like it applies to SJW-ism too
I feel like the word "Feminist", much like "egalitarian", "mra", "sjw" and whatever else are mostly empty and meaningless. I've known people who think women would be better off in the kitchen call themselves feminists because they're against domestic violence. I've seen people say they're feminists because they want equal opportunity for all sexes, others because they want equal outcome. And then I've seen people call themselves feminists on tumblr because they unironically hate all men and think they're awful. No, really. I love that site and spend a lot of time on it, and the portion of people who have "cis men stay away/do not follow me" in their bios is scarily high. (also lowkey transphobic and hypocritical but whatever) So, what exactly does it mean when you say you're a feminist? You could be a misogynist or a misandrist. You could be a reasonable human being or an extremist. People's reactions to it that I've seen are also varied: Some on the right will hate you because they'll assume you're in the last group above, more extremist rightists will hate you even if you're just an "equal outcome" type feminist. People on the left will also hate you because hey, why aren't you specifically saying you're an INTERSECTIONAL feminist or you're just a male "ally" posing for sympathy. So all in all saying you're a feminist means nothing to me.
In other words tell me about your actual policy ideas instead of any names you may have for yourself and I'll be far more grateful
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I've seen people totally unironically call a literal neo-Nazi (complete with swastikas/Hitler worship on their profile) an "SJW" for saying "it's okay to be afraid of black people."
That was the point at which I realized that "SJW" is just code for "someone who says something I disagree with." I can't take anyone who uses it seriously.
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I've seen people totally unironically call a literal neo-Nazi (complete with swastikas/Hitler worship on their profile) an "SJW" for saying "it's okay to be afraid of black people."
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I've been called a SJW for saying I'm fine with the new Doctor Who being a woman, and even think it's a good idea.
So yes. It's completely meaningless now
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The Urban Dictionary's definition of Social Justice Warrior, according to Urban Dictionary is:
"A pejorative term for an individual who repeatedly and vehemently engages in arguments on social justice on the Internet, often in a shallow or not well-thought-out way, for the purpose of raising their own personal reputation. A social justice warrior, or SJW, does not necessarily strongly believe all that they say, or even care about the groups they are fighting on behalf of. They typically repeat points from whoever is the most popular blogger or commenter of the moment, hoping that they will "get SJ points" and become popular in return. They are very sure to adopt stances that are "correct" in their social circle."
I've seen people who legitimately care about police brutality and racial profiling to be labelled "SJW"s. I've seen people who care about hate crimes and harassment against LGBT community be called SJWs.
Do SJWs exist? Yes, they most certainly do, but now I think that these people have become conflated with actual activists who do those marches, raise that money, talk to the people affected by issues, and campaign for change, and I mean of issues that actually need to be addressed. If you talk about the obvious racism that non-white people face from cops --whether in the past or present -- you'll be called an SJW. Want a male video game character to have a boyfriend just to switch it up a bit? SJW. Want a film that talks about the life and experiences of a trans black woman? SJW (even though that would be a really interesting film to watch if done right).
What do you think? Have moderates and actual closeted bigots turned this word into a similar piece of cheap ammo like "Leftists" utilize the word "racist" and "homophobic" or is the word still relevant and carry weight?
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