Defining Woke Is Actually Easy

The Meaning of “Woke”

The presenter argues that “woke” has shifted from its original use as a warning for Black Americans to stay alert to racist violence into a label associated with contemporary progressive politics. He says the term is often left undefined: critics may be dismissed as bigots, while some on the left describe “woke” as either a simple awareness of injustice or a meaningless insult.

“Woke” Storytelling in Dragon Age: The Veilguard

Using Dragon Age: The Veilguard as an example, the presenter identifies three features of what he calls “woke” storytelling:

• Identity becomes the central message rather than one aspect of a character.
• Contemporary social norms are imposed on a fantasy setting.
• The game treats some characters’ self-expression as sacred while depicting players’ preferences as suspect.

These are the presenter’s interpretations of the game and its surrounding culture.

Intellectual and Political Influences

The presenter traces this outlook to three intellectual and political strands:

Existentialism and Simone de Beauvoir

The presenter links the idea of defining oneself through choice, rather than inherited roles or characteristics, to modern theories of gender and identity. He argues that this emphasis on self-definition can make identity difficult to define and lead to demands that others affirm personal choices.

Post-Worker Revolutionary Politics

The presenter contrasts Marxism’s traditional focus on workers with ideas from Lenin, Jan Wacław Machajski, and the Frankfurt School. In his account, intellectuals increasingly sought revolutionary change through groups other than workers, including students and marginalized communities.

He also cites Herbert Marcuse’s “Repressive Tolerance” as a rationale for restricting views considered right-wing. The presenter argues that this helps explain what he sees as unequal standards for speech and expression.

Gramsci and Cultural Strategy

The presenter describes Antonio Gramsci’s emphasis on gaining cultural influence through institutions. He connects this approach to later concepts such as intersectionality and to the spread of diversity frameworks in universities, media, human resources departments, and game studios.

The Presenter’s Conclusion

The presenter cautions that this history does not imply a coordinated master plan. Instead, he argues that these ideas became part of the prevailing culture in some universities and were absorbed by highly educated professionals, who could adopt the associated assumptions without studying their intellectual origins.

He concludes that contemporary “woke” culture reflects the worldview of an educated professional class that, in his view, claims to speak for oppressed groups while gaining status and influence itself. As an example, he points to the adoption of “Latinx,” a term he says was promoted by professionals but used by relatively few Latino Americans. He also argues that game-industry writers and consultants can benefit from this politics even when ordinary players—or the groups it claims to represent—do not.

Presenter/contributor: Unnamed narrator from Toasty Gaming.