Dirtbag left

Last updated

The dirtbag left is a style of left-wing politics that eschews civility to convey a left-wing populist and anti-capitalist message using vulgarity. It is most closely associated with American left-wing media that emerged in the mid-2010s, such as the podcast Chapo Trap House .

Contents

Origins

Vulgarity is the language of the people, and so it should be among the grammars of the left, just as it has been historically, to wield righteously against the corrupt and the powerful.

— Amber A'Lee Frost,
"The Necessity of Political Vulgarity" [1]

The term was coined by Amber A'Lee Frost and is associated with her essay "The Necessity of Political Vulgarity", published in Current Affairs in 2016. [2] [3] While the essay does not directly use the term dirtbag left, it mounts a defense of politics that uses "vulgarity as a tool for fighting the powerful", citing libelles used to slander Marie Antoinette, Cohen v. California , and N.W.A's protest song "Fuck tha Police", among others. [1] Frost writes that vulgarity in itself is not "inherently subversive", but argues that the left must reclaim vulgarity "from the Trumps of the world", lest it be "handicapped by [its] own civility." [1]

The dirtbag left is most closely associated with the American politics podcast Chapo Trap House , which Frost co-hosted. Chapo emerged in 2016 in the context of the 2016 Democratic Party presidential primaries and subsequent presidential election. [2] It combines political analysis and punditry from a socialist perspective with elements of comedy and irony, in the style of a shock jock. [4] [5] Chapo gained attention for its criticism of both the Republican and Democratic parties, particularly what the podcast claimed was the Democratic Party's complicity with a conservative agenda. [3]

Beyond Chapo, media outlets that have been alternately linked to or described as dirtbag left include the podcasts Street Fight Radio , [6] TrueAnon , [7] Red Scare , [8] [9] [10] Cum Town , [11] the publications The Baffler and Current Affairs , [6] and internet streamer Hasan Piker, [12] These outlets are noted as presenting comedy as "applied to an ideological reading of the news of the day, with a particular focus on political feeling or style." [9]

Tenets and rhetorical style

The dirtbag left has been described as an anti-fascist, anti-conservative, anti-nationalist, anti-centrist, and anti-liberal ideology. [13] It has been linked to a variety of political stances, including anti-political correctness; [13] anti-inequality; [14] a disregard for civility; [13] opposition to the wealthy and support for redistributive economic policies; [15] [14] and support for both the 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns of Bernie Sanders. [14]

The Iraq War and 2008 financial crisis have been cited as particular radicalizing events for the dirtbag left. [16]

Rhetorically, the dirtbag left is noted as a vulgar, "bawdy offensive balance to cautious mainstream liberal politics", [14] with "a dismissive attitude towards the niceties of liberal political correctness" [15] that frequently direct insults and attacks through social media at specific public figures with political or economic power. [3] The Times (London) cited the rise of this rhetorical style as evidence of "the limitations of wokeness as a political force" and an example of the changing nature of politics on the internet. [15]

Despite the connotations of the term "dirtbag left", its use is not typically considered derogatory, with The New York Times calling the term "a defense mechanism that doubles as a nickname." [14] Self-identification with the term is indicative of the dirtbag left's tendency toward irony and self-deprecation, with Frost noting that the term "speaks to a lot of people who have been dismissed or chided by liberals for embracing vulgarity, eschewing sanctimony or piety, and refusing to be civil to the right wing", adding that the term "says something positive about what we do believe, and what we’re willing to ruthlessly fight for, regardless of established etiquette." [13] Chapo co-host Will Menaker joked that "if you sleep on a mattress on the floor and fuck in a sleeping bag, then you just might be the dirtbag left", [2] before explaining that he sees the dirtbag left as a "scurrilous and funny approach to left-wing politics" that contrasts "utterly humorless and bloodless" liberalism. [17]

Criticism

Writer Amanda Marcotte argued that the ideology is linked to "that male privilege of intimidating people into assuming you're cool" and comparing it to the television series Jackass . [14] Writer Jeet Heer argued that the dirtbag left is a form of "doomed to fail" dominance politics, arguing that "derision is useful for one half of politics—defeating the opposing party—but has nothing to say to the crucial other half of forming alliances that can govern effectively for the people." [6]

While right-wing misogyny often gets more attention, academics note that toxic masculinity within the dirtbag left has led to harassment of women and even resulted in a statement by the Democratic Socialists of America about sexism in its organization. [18]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Left-wing politics</span> Political ideologies favoring social equality and egalitarianism

Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy as a whole or certain social hierarchies. Left-wing politics typically involve a concern for those in society whom its adherents perceive as disadvantaged relative to others as well as a belief that there are unjustified inequalities that need to be reduced or abolished through radical means that change the nature of the society they are implemented in. According to emeritus professor of economics Barry Clark, supporters of left-wing politics "claim that human development flourishes when individuals engage in cooperative, mutually respectful relations that can thrive only when excessive differences in status, power, and wealth are eliminated."

Social democracy is a political, social, and economic philosophy within socialism that supports political and economic democracy and supports a gradualist, reformist and democratic approach towards achieving socialism, usually under a social liberal framework. In practice, social democracy takes a form of socially managed welfare capitalism, achieved with partial public ownership, economic interventionism, and policies promoting social equality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Left-wing populism</span> Political ideology that combines left-wing politics and populist rhetoric and themes

Left-wing populism, also called social populism, is a political ideology that combines left-wing politics with populist rhetoric and themes. Its rhetoric often includes elements of anti-elitism, opposition to the Establishment, and speaking for the "common people". Recurring themes for left-wing populists include economic democracy, social justice, and scepticism of globalization. Socialist theory plays a lesser role than in traditional left-wing ideologies.

Progressivism is a political philosophy that holds that it is possible to improve human societies through political reform or through government mandates. As a political movement, progressivism seeks to advance the human condition through social reform based on purported advancements in science, technology, and social organization. Adherents hold that progressivism has universal application and endeavor to spread this idea to human societies everywhere. Progressivism arose during the Age of Enlightenment out of the belief that civility in Europe was improving due to the application of new empirical knowledge to the governance of society.

The term professional–managerial class (PMC) refers to a social class within capitalism that, by controlling production processes through occupying a superior management position, is neither proletarian nor bourgeoisie. Conceived as "The New Class" by social scientists and critics such as Daniel Patrick Moynihan in the 1970s, this group of middle class professionals is distinguished from other social classes by their training and education, typically business qualifications and university degrees, with occupations thought to offer influence on society that would otherwise be available only to capital owners. The professional–managerial class tend to have incomes above the average for their country, with major exceptions being academia and print journalism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Popular front</span> Coalition of different political groupings

A popular front is "any coalition of working-class and middle-class parties", including liberal and social democratic ones, "united for the defense of democratic forms" against "a presumed Fascist assault". More generally, it is "a coalition especially of leftist political parties against a common opponent".

Bernie Bro, collectively Bernie Bros, is a term coined in 2015 by Robinson Meyer of The Atlantic as a pejorative to describe young male supporters of presidential candidate Bernie Sanders in the 2016 United States presidential election. The term remained in use for the 2020 United States presidential election.

<i>Chapo Trap House</i> American socialist political podcast

Chapo Trap House is an American socialist political comedy podcast launched in March 2016. The show is hosted by its three co-founders: Will Menaker, Matt Christman, and Felix Biederman. Amber A'Lee Frost and Virgil Texas joined as recurring co-hosts in November 2016, though the latter left the series in May 2021. Chris Wade has produced the show since November 2017, following the departure of original producer Brendan James. Chapo Trap House is aligned with the dirtbag left, a style of contentious left-wing political discourse that eschews civility in favor of casual, blunt, often vulgar expression.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kyle Kulinski</span> American political commentator (b. 1988)

Kyle Edward Kulinski is an American political commentator and media host. Kulinski is the host and producer of The Kyle Kulinski Show on his YouTube channel Secular Talk and is a co-host with his wife Krystal Ball on the progressive podcast Krystal Kyle & Friends.

Matthew Bruenig is an American lawyer, blogger, policy analyst, commentator, and founder of the left-leaning think tank People's Policy Project. He was a blogger for the American think tank Demos covering politics and public policy and has written on issues including income distribution, taxation, welfare, elections, the Nordic model, and funds socialism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Progressive Party (South Korea, 2017)</span> Political party in South Korea

The Progressive Party (Korean: 진보당), known as the Minjung Party (Korean: 민중당) until June 2020, is a left-wing progressive and nationalist political party in South Korea. The party was formed by the merger of the New People's Party and People's United Party on 15 October 2017.

<i>Street Fight Radio</i> Podcast

Street Fight Radio, or Street Fight was an American politics and humor radio show and podcast founded in June 2011 and hosted by Bryan Quinby and Brett Payne. The show produced three distinct episodes per week. In addition to producing the radio show and podcasts, through its Patreon, Street Fight Radio also published a monthly zine and additional video content.

<i>TrueAnon</i> American politics podcast

TrueAnon is an American political podcast hosted by Brace Belden and Liz Franczak. The podcast focuses on left-wing analysis of political issues and events, particularly those concerning deceased financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The title of the podcast is a parodic reference to the QAnon conspiracy theory.

<i>Red Scare</i> (podcast) American culture and comedy podcast

Red Scare is an American cultural commentary and humor podcast founded in March 2018 and hosted by Dasha Nekrasova and Anna Khachiyan.

<i>Cum Town</i> American comedy podcast (2016–2022)

Cum Town was a comedy podcast that was hosted by New York City-based comedians Nick Mullen, Stavros Halkias, and Adam Friedland, and produced between 2016 and 2022. During its run, it was consistently one of the most popular podcasts on Patreon and concluded as one of the top 25 comedy podcasts on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. In July 2022, it was succeeded by Mullen and Friedland's spin-off podcast and interview show The Adam Friedland Show.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">People's Party (United States, 2017)</span> Minor political party in the United States

The People's Party is a self-described progressive political organization in the United States aimed at "forming a major new political party free of corporate money and influence."

<i>The West Wing Thing</i> American television podcast

The West Wing Thing is a progressive media analysis and commentary podcast created and hosted by the screenwriters Dave Anthony and Josh Olson. First uploaded in 2019–22, the series discusses the TV drama The West Wing (1999–2006) on an episode-by-episode basis, from a left-wing political perspective.

Extremely online, also terminally online or chronically online, is a phrase referring to someone closely engaged with Internet culture. People said to be extremely online often believe that online posts are very important. Events and phenomena can themselves be extremely online; while often used as a descriptive term, the phenomenon of extreme online usage has been described as "both a reformation of the delivery of ideas – shared through words and videos and memes and GIFs and copypasta – and the ideas themselves". Here "online" is used to describe "a way of doing things, not [simply] the place they are done".

Social democracy originated as an ideology within the labour whose goals have been a social revolution to move away from purely laissez-faire capitalism to a social capitalism model sometimes called a social market economy. In a nonviolent revolution as in the case of evolutionary socialism, or the establishment and support of a welfare state. Its origins lie in the 1860s as a revolutionary socialism associated with orthodox Marxism. Starting in the 1890s, there was a dispute between committed revolutionary social democrats such as Rosa Luxemburg and reformist social democrats. The latter sided with Marxist revisionists such as Eduard Bernstein, who supported a more gradual approach grounded in liberal democracy and cross-class cooperation. Karl Kautsky represented a centrist position. By the 1920s, social democracy became the dominant political tendency, along with communism, within the international socialist movement, representing a form of democratic socialism with the aim of achieving socialism peacefully. By the 1910s, social democracy had spread worldwide and transitioned towards advocating an evolutionary change from capitalism to socialism using established political processes such as the parliament. In the late 1910s, socialist parties committed to revolutionary socialism renamed themselves as communist parties, causing a split in the socialist movement between these supporting the October Revolution and those opposing it. Social democrats who were opposed to the Bolsheviks later renamed themselves as democratic socialists in order to highlight their differences from communists and later in the 1920s from Marxist–Leninists, disagreeing with the latter on topics such as their opposition to liberal democracy whilst sharing common ideological roots.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Frost, Amber A'Lee (August 25, 2016). "The Necessity of Political Vulgarity". Current Affairs . Retrieved May 5, 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 Tolentino, Jia (November 18, 2016). "What Will Become of the Dirtbag Left?". The New Yorker . Retrieved May 5, 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 Jones, Sarah (Fall 2018). "The Dirtbag Manifesto". Dissent . Retrieved May 5, 2020.
  4. ↑ Beauchamp, Zac (March 9, 2020). "The raging controversy over "Bernie Bros" and the so-called dirtbag left, explained". Vox. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  5. ↑ "The Post-Dirtbag Left". The New Yorker. July 23, 2021. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
  6. 1 2 3 Heer, Jeet (July 19, 2017). "The Dirtbag Left and the Problem of Dominance Politics". The New Republic . Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  7. ↑ Beckwith, Caleb (March 3, 2020). "Epstein Brain is for the People". San Francisco Museum of Modern Art . Retrieved April 30, 2020.
  8. ↑ Williams, Hannah (August 11, 2021). "Why Millennial Leftists Have Made a BBC Filmmaker a Cult Hero". The Atlantic. The Atlantic . Retrieved July 5, 2022.
  9. 1 2 Malone, Noreen (October 25, 2018). "Red Scare Leans Into Nothing". New York . Retrieved May 5, 2020.
  10. ↑ Power, Nina (March 7, 2020). "Oracles, perverts and the Dirtbag Left". The Spectator . London. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  11. ↑ North, Anna; Stein, Jeff (October 24, 2017). "Listen to what socialist women are saying about misogyny on the left". Vox . Retrieved May 5, 2020.
  12. ↑ "Socialist Twitch Streamer Says He's Changing Minds". May 20, 2019.
  13. 1 2 3 4 Semley, John (July 5, 2017). "The rise of the internet's 'dirtbag left'". Maclean's . Retrieved May 5, 2020.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Bowles, Nellie (March 1, 2020). "The Pied Pipers of the Dirtbag Left Want to Lead Everyone to Bernie Sanders". The New York Times . Retrieved May 5, 2020.
  15. 1 2 3 Marriott, James (April 21, 2020). "Goodbye woke liberals, hello dirtbag left". The Times . London. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  16. ↑ Koshy, Yohann (June 3, 2019). "'The Voice of the Dirtbag Left': socialist US comics Chapo Trap House". The Guardian . Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  17. ↑ Rhode, Jason (July 29, 2016). "Chapo Trap House are the Vulgar, Brilliant Demigods of the New Progressive Left". Paste . Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  18. ↑ Menon, Pratiksha; DeCook, Julia R. (2021), Powell, Anastasia; Flynn, Asher; Sugiura, Lisa (eds.), "The Dirtbag Left: Bernie Bros and the Persistence of Left-Wing Misogyny", The Palgrave Handbook of Gendered Violence and Technology, Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 375–393, doi:10.1007/978-3-030-83734-1_19, ISBN   978-3-030-83734-1, S2CID   245637556 , retrieved April 21, 2023
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.