Actor Tim Allen has faced backlash over his recent comments about ‘woke’ culture, and the so-called “wokees” have responded in the best way.
What is ‘woke’ culture?
Well, it actually refers to people who have an awareness of societal problems such as racism and inequality.
Despite this, some celebrities, deemed ‘boomers‘ — usually from an older generation, have flipped the meaning on its head.
And now, especially on social media, the term is used as an insult to the younger generation who try and speak up for what’s right.
This usually goes hand in hand with the term ‘cancel culture’, which you’ve undoubtedly heard floating around the internet over the last several years.
Now, there’s good and bad in every movement, and the extreme is never a positive.
Cancel culture has amassed a dark cloud around its meaning, and is often used as a form of ostracism.
This has been a worry of comedians and celebrities in the public eye, nervous about saying the wrong thing and being ‘canceled’ because of it.
And while everyone should be held accountable for saying something that causes deep offense (especially those with a large following online)…
It does blur the line between free speech and censorship.
And recently Tim Allen made a joke about this ‘woke’ generation on Twitter, but it didn’t land the way he thought it would…
The ’90s star has been pretty open about his opinions and said back in 2018 that it’s an “icy time” for entertainers.
He made his thoughts known during the Television Critics Association’s press tour…
“I’ve been a comedian for 38 years and I’ve never seen it, like Lenny Bruce said at the Purple Onion, ‘We’ve gone backwards.’ There are things you can’t say. There are things you shouldn’t say. Who makes up these rules? And as a stand-up comic, it’s a dangerous position to be in because I like pushing buttons. It’s unfortunate.”
But it’s his recent comment on Twitter that got everyone talking…
One user wrote: “Using “woke” and “social justice warrior” as pejoratives are still the wildest shit to me. Utterly mind-bending that so many have latched onto the idea that “being aware and sympathetic to the plight of others” is this horrible thing causing the collapse of society or whatever.”
Another commented: “This is the boomerest boomer tweet of all time.”
While a third wrote: “Aren’t white men tired of pretending they’re victims?”
Allen’s tweet read: “Who is the face of woke. Do wokees have a club house in someone’s backyard or maybe a cute yet safe playpen somewhere?”
What do you think?