# Woke mind virus

Woke Mind Virus, sometimes shortened to WMV, is a term used to refer to anything which is perceived to be closely connected to "wokeness" and left-wing politics with particular emphasis on actions or ideas that encourage the suppression of freedom of speech and anti-meritocratic ideals.
WMV is a neologism which has gained widespread use among politically right leaning or conservative pundits and audiences, most especially in the United States and after the early 2020s.

## Overview

Woke Mind Virus as a term has been widely used by politicians such as Ron DeSantis, entrepreneurs such as Elon Musk, and talk show hosts like Bill Maher. WMV as a term has been criticized as a politically charged or pejorative term that according the The New York Times, "...Is eating away at Republicans brains..." The term is used mostly by right leaning, conservative, Republican, libertarian, or sources other than politically left leaning sources.
Terms such as "structural racism", "patriarchy", "white privilege", "systemic racism", and "intersectionality" are all reported buzz words that signal subscription to a "woke mind virus" concept.

## Usage
### Elon Musk

The Woke Mind Virus term was first majorly popularized when used by Elon Musk on the X app (formerly Twitter) in December 2021. Musk has been a heavy and frequent user of the term since, including statements such as:
   Unless it is stopped, the woke mind virus will destroy civilization and humanity will never reached [sic] Mars.
Musk has stated that he believed also that Yale University is a "...epicenter of the woke mind virus attempting to destroy civilization." Musk has also attributed the homeless problem of San Francisco to the woke mind virus. The Washington Post reported that Musk partly bought twitter to "rid [the app] of 'woke mind virus'" Other commentators such as Bill Maher have used the WMV term as a derisive term used to describe a perceived widespread lack of critical thinking and easy or ready acceptance, primarily among youth, of far-left or progressive political ideas (at the sacrifice of humanity primacy considerations).
In a April 2023 interview between Maher and Musk, Maher asked Musk, "You have talked about this woke mind virus in really apocalyptic terms. You should explain why you don’t think it’s hyperbole to say things like it’s pushing civilization toward suicide. First of all, what is the woke mind virus?", to which Musk responded:
   I think we need to be very cautious about anything that is anti-meritocratic and anything that results in the suppression of free speech. So, those are two of the aspects of the woke mind virus that I think are very dangerous—that it’s often very anti-meritocratic and you can’t question things. Even the questioning is bad. So, you know, another way to … almost synonymous would be cancel culture...
The Atlantic reported Musk and X with the label of far-right in association with the use of the WMV term. Other sources have also stated that the term is a far-right term though Musk, a major proponent of the term, denies that he is either far-right or far-left, and that the term is not either. Musk also reportedly bought X in part as a reaction to his daughter's transition as a transgender person and Musk's interpretation of her far-left political beliefs being "infected with the woke mind virus." After being booed by the audience of standup comedian Dave Chappelle in 2022, Musk reupped his rhetoric stating, "The Woke Mind Virus Is Either Defeated Or Nothing Else Matters."
On the Lex Fridman podcast Musk called the WMV a "civilizational threat".

### Other uses

Florida Governor and former presidential candidate, Ron DeSantis has frequently used the term.
Vanity Fair has a story under the "Woke Mind Virus" label. USA Today said that the term "woke" had been "co-opted by GOP activists" Left-wing economist Paul Krugman has stated defended wind energy farms saying that, "...the bigger picture, I’d argue, is that renewable energy has become a victim of the anti-woke mind virus."
Some sources have argued that "red America" has "declared war on Corporate America" as a result of "wokeness" and the "woke mind virus."
Critics of Netflix streaming service claimed that "woke mind virus" concerns around left-wing political agendas being woven into the plot of various programs was hurting the service's reach and viewership.