Turns out, "woke" is not just grammatically incorrect.
There’s more.
A slang term cited as a mantra for social awareness, #staywoke beckons the uninitiated to stay awake. To gain true understanding of social issues and structure one’s perception around the fineprint.
But what happens when the “woke” person is packaged in just lustrous jingbang? You carefully unpack the parcel to stare into unfilled space.
The "woke bro", a certain kind, is one such fly perched on the wall that we are beginning to notice only now. The man who identifies as a "feminist", the kindred spirit who doesn’t hesitate to punch his fist in the air with a burnt bra in one hand and an Android in another that’s just tweeted out a #MeToo in solidarity.
The C-Word
He is brethren to 21st century sellability.
He has understoood that women’s issues have contained themselves for too long and can now only seek justice through volcanic eruptions of indignation and solidarity.
What he hasn’t understood is "consent". Even though he loves peppering his sentences with it.
He has understood that "feminism" is no longer esoteric...to be supported by a select few. The movement has lent itself to the masses. And this particular woke bro, like many others, banks on the aam admi for his daily fodder.
The Loopholes
How does one, then, watch out for the woke bro who masquerades as a feminist? The one who rarely leaves loopholes in any elevator pitch?
He has trained himself to lament. The dismal state of affairs in the country, the sexism that plagues it, the abuse women are subjected to online... the list is endless. He stands up for his female friend when she speaks about instances of sexual misconduct. He posts regularly on Facebook about how men and women are now equal and that the pay-gap infuriates him.
But the fair-weather feminist in him makes it perfectly legitimate for him to steal a laugh when he bumps into the South-Delhi-Girl meme doing the rounds on the internet. (Or perhaps guffaw at a "rape joke" masquerading as harmless humour.) The girls are portrayed as vacuous, insipid women who have nothing more to them than their clothes, high-end private clubs and make-up.
The internet loves to hate women and thereby confirm its most derogatory suspicions about them.
When the woke bro laughs along with it, the misogynists win.
The C-Word Again!
The woke bro holds doors open for women. His chivalry overwhelms him when he gets the door and waits patiently for her to get in/out first. The catch is... he doesn’t do the same for men.
The Dangers Of Oblivion
He asks a woman out on a date that bears all semblance of tradition and good conduct, engages her in conversation, has his manners in place and perhaps even talks about how proud a "feminist" he is.
But somehow manages to misunderstand consent, and forces himself upon her. It is difficult to fathom how a "feminist" can remain so oblivious when goodwill and faith are placed in him repeatedly. But his advances remain clueless.
From the second her face starts to cringe, her body grows limp, she voices her discomfort... it is ON him.
There is no signal that can be taken for granted.
The Need To Think And Then Rethink...
There are no ‘mixed signals’. There are, perhaps, repeated attempts to salvage a date, however flawed that might be.
Can he afford to remain oblivious in the face of such mental and physical discomfort?
Perhaps Pink has taught the woke-bro that “No means no.’’ But that’s only flowery and meaningful when he is talking about Simone De Beauvoir over chai and chakna.
Does it hold equal weight when he is on a date?
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)