Update: when i originally posted this diary, I used the title, “BernieBro has TWO Meanings - It is ALSO a Hateful Slur, Just Like the N-word and the F-word.” The point I was trying to make is that all three words can be used as slurs, “an insinuation or allegation about someone that is likely to insult them or damage their reputation.” I believe this statement is true. I chose the N-word and the F-word as “examples of slurs,” they were the first ones that came to my head, most likely because they are quite vile and used frequently.
I did not say, and it was never my intention to say, that BernieBro is “just as bad” of a slur as the F-word or the N-word. That is not my belief in any way shape or form, and I apologize for the misunderstanding. I have nothing but admiration for the perseverance of PoC and those in the LGBTQ communities, and consistently act in ways to support them and denounce those who would do otherwise.
Gawker posted an interesting article this week called What Is a BernieBro? For those who care deeply about such things, the author, J.K. Trotter, is a man. Trotter provides a brief history of the word, then asks
So what is a BernieBro? Language is a malleable thing, so for now we’ll defer to the definitions laid down by other outlets. Here’s what we know about the BernieBro so far:
The opinions of various lame-stream media professionals are then given, which generally seem to fall into two buckets; let’s call them category A and category B, and review:
CATEGORY A Slate’s Amanda Hess defines the BernieBro as “a white, male Bernie Sanders supporter who haunts Internet comment sections” but who also capable of “orchestrating pile-ons on Hillary Clinton’s Facebook page and firing off tweets reducing Clinton and her supporters to their vagina.” Later on, Hess notes that “Everything that Bernie Bros have been accused of doing is something I’ve seen from One Direction fans on Twitter.” Mashable’s Emily Cahn* says the BernieBro is “young, white and predominantly male” and is frequently responsible for sending “messages [which] are oftentimes derogatory and misogynistic [and] geared at Clinton supporters (or anyone who disagrees with Sanders for that matter).”The gist of these definitions seems to be:
| BernieBro noun noun: BernieBro; plural noun: BernieBros 1. a white male Bernie Sanders supporter who makes sexist attacks against Hillary Clinton and her supporters out of hatred for women |
Nothing really surprising here, right? This is the definition with which most of us are familiar.
CATEGORY B The Baffler’s Amber A’Lee Frost refers to the BernieBro as “the supposedly sexist, white, and male Sanders fan who is polluting his campaign with unrestrained hatred of women” but dismisses the term as a exaggerated fantasy concocted by the Democratic establishment: “While sightings of the species are remarkably rare (even in this age of screengrabs), the feminist pundit class insists that Bernie Bros are everywhere.” Alternet’s Adam Johnson claims that while “BernieBro” once referred to “a cohort of intense, sexist Bernie Sanders fans on social media who harass journalists they deem not adequately pro-Sanders,” it has since morphed into “an overused smear” and “the worst kind of thought-terminating political label.” The Intercept’s Glenn Greenwald calls BernieBro (well, the narrative, if not the actual term) “a cheap campaign tactic masquerading as journalism and social activism,” a “smear,” and “a blatant, manipulative scam.”The gist of these definitions seems to be:
| BernieBro noun vulgar slang noun: BernieBro; plural noun: BernieBros; 2. Derogatory term for anyone, male or female, who is a Bernie Sanders supporter and criticizes Hillary Clinton in any way, including those that are not the slightest bit sexist |
This is the definition that I want to highlight in this diary. This is the second meaning of the word, the one that is a hateful slur, the one that is often tossed out by Clinton supporters.
noun noun: slur; plural noun: slurs an insinuation or allegation about someone that is likely to insult them or damage their reputation. "the comments were a slur on the staff"| synonyms: | insult, slight, slander, slanderous statement, aspersion, smear, allegation; informal smack talk "a gross slur” |
The word BernieBro has two very different definitions.
The first describes a male bully who is victimizing Hillary Clinton and her innocent supporters in sexually predatory ways The other flips the roles around so that the person uttering the word is now the offender, a bully who is insulting Bernie Sanders and his innocent supporters.Does anybody see a bit of a problem here?
Because there are two vastly different definitions, great confusion can arise anytime the word is used. For example, several diaries have been observed on the reclist recently, apparently written by Clinton supporters who do not seem to understand that this word actually has two quite different meanings.
BernieBros Haunting Sanders Campaign. Media Is Taking Notice. Bernie: "We Don't Want That Crap," andDenial is unhealthy and damaging, BernieBrosIn one of these, the diarist points out that Sanders has unmistakably denounced the “Bernie Bros” phenomenon, and “was quick to call it ‘disgusting’.” Then, the diarist elaborates further,
This is a real problem for the Sanders campaign. I wrote a diary last night, where Judy Reardon criticized Sander supporters disgusting behavior at a Democratic unity dinner in New Hampshire. She was immediately attacked on Twitter.
The BernieBros have a bad reputation and the Sanders campaign will need a full court press to control them. Good luck with that.
Look closely at the words above. Do you see what this diarist has done? They conflated the two definitions of BernieBro! They take advantage of the fact that there really are some number of sexually offensive assholes among Sanders supporters, and then they use that truth to imply that most everyone who supports Sanders is one of those assholes.
Can we agree that blaming the many for the actions of a few is wrong? As progressives, don’t we believe such logic is wrong?
Even though the terrorists on 9/11 were Muslims, don’t we believe that it is wrong to blame ALL Muslims for those heinous deeds? If so, is it really ok to infer that most or all Sanders supporters are sexist jerks because of the actions of a few?
What were Sanders exact words when he denounced the Bernie Bros?
xSanders on his Bernie Bros via @jaketapper and CNN pic.twitter.com/xLQ74P3gMB
— Sam Stein (@samsteinhp) February 7, 2016Can we agree that Sanders is using the first definition of BernieBro here? He is denouncing the behavior of any white male Bernie Sanders supporter who makes sexist attacks against Hillary Clinton and her supporters out of hatred for women. I would hope that all Democrats would agree that such behavior is reprehensible, outrageous, and vile.
Can we agree about what Bernie did not say?
| He did not say that Sanders supporters should refrain from criticizing Hillary Clinton in any way shape or form. He did not say that criticism of Hillary Clinton is sexist by definition because she is a woman, and therefore is disallowed. |
When HRC supporters unthinkingly toss out the word BernieBro and apply it freely to anyone who disagrees with them, I become very angry. When used in this way, the word becomes a vile slur, as objectionable as other slurs that are cast against other persons and/or groups,
I am a woman, and for you to call me a word that refers to white males that are making sexist attacks is unfair and outrageously insulting. Yes, BernieBros exist but that does not mean I am one just because I support Bernie Sanders.
“While sightings of the species are remarkably rare (even in this age of screengrabs), the feminist pundit class insists that Bernie Bros are everywhere.” - The Baffler’s Amber A’Lee Frost
Making false accusations that individuals are sexist and misogynists simply because they don’t share the “correct” political beliefs is also reprehensible, outrageous, and vile. The false accusations need to stop.
“BernieBro” has ... morphed into “an overused smear” and “the worst kind of thought-terminating political label.”
Using this word both demonizes and insults Sanders supporters. making legitimate debate on the issues almost impossible. Imagine trying to have a rational debate with someone who frequently used the N-word or the F-word in their conversations, especially when you are part of the group being slandered. Demonizing “the other” is a strategy used to dismiss legitimate points on legitimate issues without addressing them.
BernieBro (well, the narrative, if not the actual term) [is] “a cheap campaign tactic masquerading as journalism and social activism,” a “smear,” and “a blatant, manipulative scam.”
- The Intercept’s Glenn Greenwald
What I find especially galling is the self-righteousness of those who misuse the term; it reminds me of right-wing Christians who feel so very persecuted when they aren’t getting their own way. While some may think that the fight to put a woman in the White House is a righteous cause, there is nothing righteous or admirable about making false accusations or insulting and demonizing one’s opponent.
Bernie Sanders has come out publicly and denounced the behavior of a subset of his supporters. Good for him.
It would be lovely if Hillary Clinton would do the same, and publicly denounce the behavior of a subset of her supporters who are making false accusations in a cheap attempt to win political points.
Further Reading:
- WOW. Before the "Bernie Bro," Clinton supporters created the "Obama boy." No, seriously.
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