They say “woke” like it’s a dirty word. What they really mean is “toxic woke,” that overcaffeinated cousin of genuine social justice. Woke started as waking up to injustices shoved under the rug, but somewhere along the line it got bundled with every Twitter pile-on and campus flash mob. Now, when conservatives hear “woke,” they picture performance art outrage and corporate virtue-signaling more than true equality. It’s no wonder the term has become a cudgel instead of a call to conscience.

Flip the lens and the left can’t shrug guilt-free, either. As soon as social justice became the hottest branding angle, everyone from sneaker companies to tech giants slapped “equity” across their ads. Cause-marketing turned into a lucrative hustle: social media influencers hawking protests like limited-edition sneakers, virtue-signaling merch popping up in every online store. When selling wokeness outpaces enacting real change, you’ve slipped into that toxic zone.

South Park’s “Stunning and Brave” episode nailed this absurdity with a sledgehammer of satire. It lampooned a populace so obsessed with identity checklists that nobody actually spoke to each other, emphasizing how performative purity sometimes drowns out real conversation. The jokes sting because they’re true: when zealotry takes center stage, nuance is exiled. Yet beneath the laughs lies a reminder that the issues being mocked still deserve our attention.

So here’s the tough love: to my fellow left-leaners, admit that sometimes wokeness morphs into its own brand of dogma, one that alienates allies and forfeits empathy for insta-clout. And to the moderates and conservatives waving “woke” as a one-size-fits-all insult, recognize that dismantling entrenched power isn’t a partisan fad. Social justice isn’t negotiable; it’s necessary. What is negotiable is how we pursue it.

Let’s pause and recalibrate. We can celebrate the root of woke, by lifting voices and correcting wrongs, while steering clear of echo chambers and hollow mantras. Acknowledge that nuance isn’t weakness but our best weapon against a polarized frenzy. Only then can we turn woke from a buzzword battle-axe back into a genuine movement for lasting change.