It's all pretty similar to what I experienced in the late 80s-early 90s. I originally heard the term "politically correct" as something that people on the left used to ironically comment on those more extreme than themselves, but then right-wingers like Rush Limbaugh started using it to bludgeon everyone on the left indiscriminately.

At least nine times out of 10 someone being called a SJW means I'll probably enjoy or at least learn from their feed. For example, the extent of extrajudicial killings of African American people in the US really isn't reflected on the news. SJWs made me aware of it (with cites). It matters. I'm glad I know, and I wish I could do more than hit "reblog".

And then there are the others. I remember a debate (as much as one can debate on Tumblr--I hate the conversation mechanism as much as I love the gifs) about a woman who dressed in traditional Indian (subcontinent) garb for a wedding. Someone saw the pictures and called her out for appropriating Indian culture. It turned out the bride in question was Indian, just with very light skin and eyes, and the person calling her out was a white American. The conversation grew pretty heated.

Kind of the way "feminist" was (still is) used to mean something horrible, instead of someone who would just like to be treated fairly?

Tom nails it. Social justice warrior is used the way 'politically correct" used to be used. Ugh.

Folks on the left are eejits for leaving themselves open for the same rhetorical maneuvers again and again.

Kind of the way "feminist" was (still is) used to mean something horrible, instead of someone who would just like to be treated fairly?

Except that's more like the way some folks use "liberal" like it's an insult when really it's just a designation. I feel like feminist and liberal are both completely valid terms and we just need to own them as actually being the correct terms and refuse to let the right define them away as useless insults that no good-thinking people would want to be associated with.

Except it's not just used by rightists, though they're the most common users. I think the phrase's appearance is worth at least a second or two's consideration that the target may be one of those over-the-top activists that always get put on the news to make the whole notion look bad. Just because they're a cliché does not mean they're not real and something to take into account. The audience is not just the people who think like you, it's the undecided folks in "middle America" who don't have the same resources for education.

Except that's more like the way some folks use "liberal" like it's an insult when really it's just a designation. I feel like feminist and liberal are both completely valid terms and we just need to own them as actually being the correct terms and refuse to let the right define them away as useless insults that no good-thinking people would want to be associated with.

"Social justice warrior" sounds so cool, though. Like a Valkyrie. But I get what you're saying.

It turned out the bride in question was Indian, just with very light skin and eyes, and the person calling her out was a white American.

You know, I read things like this and think, well, I might have said something. And then I wonder where the line is when you're not a member of the group being -- I don't want to say "oppressed," but it's the only thing coming to mind. Because, shit, if I saw someone doing blackface, I would say something to them. That's not okay. I guess it's a matter of degree, not kind?

At least nine times out of 10 someone being called a SJW means I'll probably enjoy or at least learn from their feed.

Same here. A bunch of people I read on Tumblr are SJWs of one type or another, and they're honestly the ones I get a lot of news from.

The other type of SJWs? Eh, they're very invested, very enthusiastic, and (generally) very young. They haven't learned that sometimes getting outraged over everything isn't the answer.

They haven't learned that sometimes getting outraged over everything isn't the answer.

You want to hug them and pet them and have them sit somewhere comfy for a couple of years until their brains settle. But older, more cynical activists know these kids are their best tools.

And then I wonder where the line is when you're not a member of the group being -- I don't want to say "oppressed," but it's the only thing coming to mind. Because, shit, if I saw someone doing blackface, I would say something to them. That's not okay. I guess it's a matter of degree, not kind?

That may be it. I think you need to be really clear you know what's going on before jumping in, and (generally speaking) things like blackface have pretty clear lines drawn. But sometimes appropriation can be a bit fuzzy. There's a wide variety of people on the Indian subcontinent. Heck, there's a wide variety of people in a lot of ethnic and cultural groups. So assuming someone is just a clueless white person wearing an ethnically associated outfit because they think it's cool, well, that's a lot of assumption going on. And where do you draw the line? If I were to marry someone of another culture, and my spouse-to-be's mom asked me to wear a piece of her wedding garb I'd see wearing it as respectful, not appropriative (assuming it wasn't part of some MiL power play, which is a whole other issue).