Featured Image Credit: Channel 4/Instagram/@noholdenback
Topics: Celebrity
Ali Condon
Kathy Burke is urging people to get a handle on what the term 'woke' actually means, calling out people who mistakenly use it.
The comedian spoke about the painfully overused word in her new docu-series about young people today.
She pointed out that older generations are fiends for describing active, informed young people as 'woke' and trying to turn it around into an insult, and said that it 'gets on her f***ing nerves'.
After meeting with a climate activist for Kathy Burke: Growing Up, she mused: "I think activism is a part of being young, and it’s important that the young show us what their p***ed off about.
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“It’s not a fad and it’s not ‘wokeism' - Can I just say, that gets on my f***ing nerves."
Burke then paused her train of thought to call out people who use 'woke' as a negative term, ranting: "They’re calling you ‘woke’ if you call out bad things, basically.
"If you’re not racist, you’re woke. If you’re not homophobic, oh, you’re woke. Be woke, kids. Be woke. Be wide awake and f***ing call it out."
I don't know when or why people started to think that calling young people 'woke' was an insult, but they might want to Google the term before they try it again.
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The term woke took off online a few years ago, and has since appeared in official dictionaries.
Collins Dictionary defines ‘woke’ as: "Someone who is woke is very aware of social and political unfairness.”
That's why people were so confused earlier this week when Amanda Holden described the late, great Paul O'Grady as someone who 'was not woke in any way'.
Holden's comments caused quite the backlash, with many taking to Twitter to express their dismay. One user said: "What an awful tribute. Does Amanda Holden have any clue what the word 'woke' means. [O'Grady] was a socialist and a drag queen who fought for LGBTQ rights and against austerity. Ask Amanda what woke means."
Another wrote: "I can’t work out whether she doesn’t know what woke means, or simply doesn’t know who Paul O’Grady is."
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Someone else commented: "Amanda Holden on Paul O'Grady: ‘He didn't have a woke bone in his body.’ That would be the drag artist, AIDS campaigner, LGBTQ+ hero and anti austerity critic Paul O'Grady. FFS.”
That's about as woke as you can get.
Even O'Grady himself had spoken about being woke before his passing.
In an interview with The Sun back in 2020, he said: "I’m married to a ballet dancer, I’ve got a daughter, two grandkids and was married to a Portuguese lesbian barmaid. It doesn’t get much more woke."
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In the wake of Holden's awkward blunder, people have praised Burke for actually understanding what the term means.
"Applause to the great Kathy Burke," wrote one viewer.
"This one's for @AmandaHolden," joked a second.
A third raved: "All hail @KathyBurke. If anyone ‘accuses’ you of being woke, say thank you and feel proud. Giving a s**t is being weaponised. Caring about social injustice shouldn’t feel like an insult. Go woke or go home."