Professional victim

{{langnav}}
'''Professional victim''' is a [[snarl word]] for someone who seems to be making their living off something negative that happened to them. It is commonly used to discredit [[feminism]] and [[social justice]] and the legitimate concerns brought to light by those movements. This is in essence an [[escape hatch]] to evade the necessarily uncomfortable questions brought up by those people. 

The term "victim mentality" is also used in [[psychology]], to denote an unrelated condition wherein people display low self-esteem, refuse to take personal responsibility, and see the world as always being "against them" (and thus the reason for their unhappiness).<ref>Judith Orloff, [http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/emotional-freedom/201210/strategies-deal-victim-mentality Strategies to Deal with Victim Mentality]. Psychology Today, 1 October 2012.</ref> However, in the absence of compelling evidence, accusing someone of being a "professional victim" is an [[appeal to motive]] fallacy.

==''Professional''==
What is supposed to categorize the people who this term is used on is the constant use of victimhood as advantageous to their own lives. For example: [[Anita Sarkeesian]] has been harassed out of everywhere and eventually went on to do several presentations, talks, and even got a spot on ''[[The Colbert Report]]'' about this subject.<ref group=note>[https://twitter.com/femfreq/status/527257569874542592 For the record, they came to her.]</ref> Calling her a professional victim is essentially saying she is milking her harassment for personal gain.<ref group=note>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kHOn1UsWao This video] is an example of such an accusation. The author claims that Sarkeesian disabled comments on all her videos ''except'' the one for her KickStarter campaign, because the torrents of undeserved abuse in those comments might convince more people to donate out of sympathy.</ref>

==The cycle==
It typically works in a four stage cycle.
#Person is made a victim of some sort and says something about it.
#Person is harassed about problem or something they said about it.
#Person is then given a chance to speak on less of a free-for-all scenario to not be drowned out amongst all the vitriol.
#Go To 2.

==The irony==
You know, they wouldn't be such professional victims if you didn't make them into one.

==Actual examples==
All of that said, there are people who are professional victims. Collecting insurance money is predicated on being the victim of some sort of mishap, which has proven to be quite tempting for many fraudsters. People with {{wpl|Münchausen syndrome}} by definition deliberately misrepresent themselves as victims, and often there is some personal gain to be had.<ref>Garfield, Bob. "[http://www.onthemedia.org/story/munchausen-internet/ Munchausen by Internet]." ''On the Media''. WNYC. Sept. 25, 2015.</ref> Then there are a few who knowingly and maliciously lie about themselves in various ways; {{wpl|Treva Throneberry}}, the con artist who got one person wrongfully convicted of statutory rape and multiple people wrongfully arrested for the same, was one such person.

These people, though, are not usually the ones people have in mind when bandying about the term "professional victim". Actively claiming to be a victim of something that didn't happen or intentionally harming oneself for the specific ''purpose'' of being a victim is one thing, getting oneself on the wrong side of vitriolic hatred simply for attempting to bring some sanity to a discussion is quite another. Given how simple this distinction is, it is unclear why so few people seem to grasp it. Oh well.

[[Donald Trump]] made this into his [[worldview]].<ref>[https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/01/conservatism-reaches-dead-end/617629/ The Conservative Cult of Victimhood: Trump was a perpetrator who thought himself a victim, and American society has indulged that same illusion among Trump supporters.] by David Frum (January 11, 20210 ''The Atlantic''.</ref>

==Other forms of this term==
"Grievance group" or "grievance-mongerer" is another form of this trope, used frequently by [[Michelle Malkin]].<ref group=note>For example in her 2004 article "[http://web.archive.org/web/20150220233700/http://articles.philly.com/2004-04-26/news/25365364_1_espionage-cases-guantanamo-al-halabi Capt. Yee's whiny sympathy circle]" and 2011 blog "[http://michellemalkin.com/2011/08/17/flash-mobs-grievance-stokers-and-raaaaaacism/ Flash mobs, grievance-stokers, and RAAAAAACISM!]" and 2008 blog "[http://michellemalkin.com/2008/05/01/may-day-may-day-all-purpose-left-wing-grievance-day/ May Day, May Day: All-purpose, left-wing grievance day; West Coast port shutdowns expected; in-your-face illegal aliens in Chicago; 29 ports down; Los Angeles fizzle]"</ref>

"Victim feminism" - used by feminist writer Naomi Wolf to describe women "seek[ing] power through an identity of powerlessness...on the basis of feminine specialness instead of human worth."<ref>[http://www.ifeminists.net/introduction/editorials/2004/0324campbell.html  Naomi Wolf: Power Feminist or Victim Feminist? ]</ref>

In 2014, conservative columnist [[George Will]] of ''The Washington Post'' attracted controversy for suggesting that colleges grant rape victims "a coveted status that confers privileges".<ref>"[http://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2014/07/victim-george-wills-rape-column-grotesque-191402.html Victim: Will's rape column 'grotesque']." ''Politico'': July 1, 2014. See also George Will, "[http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/george-will-college-become-the-victims-of-progressivism/2014/06/06/e90e73b4-eb50-11e3-9f5c-9075d5508f0a_story.html Colleges become the victims of progressivism]." June 6, 2014.</ref>

Arthur C. Brooks of the [[American Enterprise Institute]] wrote, in a ''New York Times'' essay: "...victimhood culture makes for worse citizens — people who are less helpful, more entitled, and more selfish."<reF>Brooks, Arthur C. "[http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/27/opinion/sunday/the-real-victims-of-victimhood.html The Real Victims of Victimhood]." ''New York Times'': Dec. 27, 2015.</ref>

==See also==
*[[Blaming the victim]]
*[[Persecution complex]]
*[[Tokenism]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note|2|80%}}

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

[[Category:Snarl words]]

Categories: Snarl words