What is Dark Woke & should the left embrace it? An explainer

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez smiling at a press conference with dark woke eyes meme applied

Nikki Aye for Pride.com (AOC: Ron Adar/shutterstock)

A new trend has been sweeping across social media as anti-conservatives try to figure out how to deal with the proliferation of MAGA and every awful thing they stand for. While traditional Democrats may still be pushing the idea of reaching across the aisle and finding a way to bring a fractured country together, this online faction is taking the gloves off and going "Dark Woke."

There aren’t strict boundaries in place for what qualifies as Dark Woke, which has likely played into uncertainty about what it stands for, and if it’s something to be embraced.

According to The Guardian, the idea began trending following an interaction between Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the woman behind the alt-right social media account @LibsofTikTok, Chaya Raichik. Raichik suggested Trump should sue Ocasio-Cortez for saying she didn’t want to "celebrate rapists" by attending events surrounding the inauguration.

"Oh, are you triggered? Cry more," Ocasio-Cortez replied, throwing a once-popular phrase among the right back at them.

This type of response has become more common online in recent years, as conservative influencers have had public meltdowns about Pride displays, trans people drinking beer, and anything else that offends their delicate sensibilities.

In a lot of ways, this feels like the core of what’s behind Dark Woke — treating MAGA the exact same way they’ve been treating everyone else. And if that means kicking civility to the curb, then so be it. Sorry, Michelle Obama, they went low and we’re meeting them right there in the dirt.

"my Grandma voted for Trump so i made sure she fell down the stairs."

"my all time favourite #DarkWoke post."

"#DarkWoke origins."

"adding this to the #DarkWoke canon."

"#DARKWOKE"

"i like that #DarkWoke is going mainstream cuz it really vindicates my idea that you gotta force your oppressors into submission."

"deport everyone until only the native americans are left #DarkWoke"

"#darkwoke financial movement"

But no movement is a monolith, and some people embracing Dark Woke seem to have ditched the "woke" part in the process. Instead, they’re using this "gloves off" approach as an excuse to throw out slurs and uncomfortable mockery, as long as it’s aimed at MAGA.

This particular approach has already drawn internal controversy and resulted in people losing interest. Not because they believe we need to keep pretending civility is still the law of the land, but because it just doesn’t accomplish anything other than othering our own and treating their identities as something to be mocked. Rightwingers already do that for us, so why help them out?

But it’s entirely possible to embrace Dark Woke without becoming a wannabe edgelord who’s lost the plot. As one person on X pointed out, it’s kind of even an internet-centric repackaging of punk.

The debate over the finer points of what constitutes Dark Woke and what may or may not go too far will continue, but getting lost in that right now feels like missing the point.

The bottom line here is that people are tired of Democrats continuing to act as if we still operate in a society where decorum, rules, and rationality prevail. That’s a fantasy world. Whatever has been unleashed with MAGA and the re-election of Trump isn’t something that can be dismissed with a vote and a campaign donation. At least not while maintaining the status quo.

So the question becomes what do we do about it? How do we operate in a world where misinformation spreads like wildfire, fascists and bigots feel empowered by our leaders, and it takes something outlandish and shocking to cut through all the noise and algorithms?

Is Dark Woke part of the answer? Who knows. All people do know is that something has to change.