Daily Mail Woke Story ISN’T

Many years ago, Larry Lamb, at the time editor of the Murdoch Sun, sent a memo to staff outlawing the use of what he considered unnecessarily crude language. “Do not use words like BOOBS, KNOCKERS, SCREW and FANNY … do not use BLOODY unless the context requires it … Use English” was his message. If only today’s Mail titles were so hot on language misuse.

Under the less than benign leadership of their editor in chief, the legendarily foul mouthed Paul Dacre, those titles have been gorging orgiastically on misusing one word merely to dog-whistle their readers. Which means we’re talking about the W-Word, as in WOKE. Today’s Daily Mail has produced a superb example of how our free and fearless press misuses this term.

As is usual with the Mail, the headline tells readers what they are expected to think before actually bothering to read the supporting article. “Thought policing couldn’t get more farcical? Now mail officer dons jacket to experience menopause … WOKE STUNT ROW OVER MET TERROR CHIEF’S ‘HOT FLUSH VEST’”. Misuse of WOKE. With another misuse waiting in the wings.

“Britain’s anti-terror chief was accused of going woke last night after wearing a menopause jacket at work … Matt Jukes donned the garment, which has heat pads to simulate hot flushes, in a meeting to mark Menopause Awareness Month”. Misuse of WOKE again. With a retired former senior cop also misusing WOKE, probably because his comment was written for him.

So far, so Daily Mail Slow News Day. And so pretentious, with the article being claimed as an “exclusive”, most likely meaning that no-one else wanted to run it, and there is a strong possibility this means it is merely editorial propagandising. But what it tells us best is that the Mail wants to embed the equivalence of WOKE and SOMETHING BAD in its readers’ consciousness.

That requires language misuse, as WOKE has two definitions, neither of which fits the Mail’s rant. One, the more minor definition, means “well-informed, up to date”, while the other, more major definition, is “alert to injustices in society, especially racism”. What the man from the Met was doing was neither of these things. The Mail meant Political Correctness.

I'm not f***ing racist, I employ blacks and Jews, c***

So why say WOKE? As Jon Stewart might have said in response, two things here. One, the Mail is seeking to implant WOKE as a catch-all term to tell their readers something bad is happening. As a result, providing enough instances of WOKE in very large letters are put before those readers, future uses of the word will induce an almost Pavlovian reaction of hatred.

And Two, by hijacking the term, the real definition of WOKE becomes lost, papered over, hidden from reader view. Worse, correct use of WOKE induces a hate reaction - against those who are concerned about societal injustice and especially racism. It’s a win-win for the Mail titles - they get to demonise whatever they choose, while downplaying injustice and racism.

That is why the Mail, and other right-leaning papers, keep on misusing terms like WOKE. This is not a mistake, not an accident, and most certainly not some kind of blundering and howling at the moon from the Vagina Monologue and his unfortunate underlings. Being able to keep their readers both frightened and ignorant, while demonising awareness of injustice and racism, are the equivalent of a new Holy Grail among the authoritarian right.

All those years ago, even at the Murdoch press, editors like Larry Lamb wanted to use English. Dacre and his wretched editors have dispensed with such minor inconveniences. Other titles are following suit. But they would do well to remember who said “When I use a word, it means just what I choose it to mean”. That was Humpty Dumpty, in Through The Looking Glass.

He ended up having a Great Fall. The Dacre equivalent will be worth the wait.

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