Social justice warrior (commonly abbreviated SJW) is a pejorative term for an individual who promotes socially progressive views, including feminism, civil rights, and multiculturalism, as well as identity politics. The accusation that somebody is an SJW carries implications that they are pursuing personal validation rather than any deep-seated conviction, and engaging in disingenuous arguments.
Source : Wikipedia
In recent years, the phrase Social Justice Warrior (SJW) took a took a sharp turn from being a complimentary term for someone who champions the right for the minority or the traditionally oppressed, to become a derogatory name for a person who pursues the same issues the serve their personal agendas and for self-promotion, and generally an annoyance in any social media platform.
Whether the name-calling in any particular case is justified or not, I see this as a sign of the human race that is becoming increasing cynical and paranoid of people who speak up against traditionally mainstream political and social opinions.
But what worries me are trends as illustrated by the example below I extracted from a Malaysian social forum:
Translation of the quoted post "Just watching one episode and you are already complaining why a white couple could have a black kid. It's revealed in later episodes."
The discussion was about the recent Netflix remake of Lost in Space where one of the child of the obviously Caucasian Robinson family, is an African American.
(Image credit : Netflix)
*SPOILER ALERT*
It is revealed later that the child was from the mother's earlier marriage.
*END SPOILER*
The author of the post was not impressed by the explanation and accuses the show producers of being SJWs.
As much as I disapprove of people who aggresively promote any political or social movement for personal gains , regardless of liberal or otherwise; What I am more concerned about are people in the other camp trying to promote genuine bigotry on their part, using names like SJW/liberal snowflakes etc. to attack their critics.
In the above forum screenshot example I posted, casting an African American to play a family member in a caucasian family may appeal to the African American demographic, but it is not like if the whole family was caucasian means it will invoke the wrath or boycott from said demographic. How did a commercial decision by the show producers suddenly became a crusade for social justice?
Ohmigosh an Asian in Breakfast at Tiffany! SJWs working hard since 1961! Oh wait that's a caucasian actor playing an Asian, in an extremely distasteful manner I might add. (Image credit : Paramount Pictures)
I, too, hate it that more and more Hollywood productions are casting useless Chinese characters in their movies so they can cash in at the Chinese market, but there is no social crusade in that, it's all about the money.
This is not the only instance I've seen accusations like this. Off the top of my head is the Rose character in Star Wars The Last Jedi, where the filmmakers were accused of pursuing the feminist agenda and saying it's OK to be fat. So I guess by casting Carrie Fisher, the filmmakers are on a holy crusade against age-ism?
(image credit : Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.)
Racists will be racists, like sexists, age-ists etc. etc. Except now they feel they are vindicated by this trend and are more emboldened to air their views at every single opportunity with the slightest of relevance, confident that the Internet will back them up. You know, instead of putting up a proper argument, they resort to name-calling and derail any potentially productive discussion.
To these people, grow the eff up. Sometimes an opinion is just and opinion. Most people I know have no interest in any feminist/masculinist or whatever-ist movement. You can do or say whatever you think is morally and ethically upstanding, but you certainly don't need to be an ass about it.
Finally, personally I think of those true SJWs and bigots to be the two sides of the same coin. Watching their exchange on the internet is like receiving an overdose of hypocriticsm.
