‘Woke.’ The dreaded term. So overused in online media discourse that it’s transcended its original dictionary definition. It’s used now to describe films, utilising representation to pander to a certain demographic that agree with this ideology. The repercussions of producing Television or film increasingly motivated by a political agenda is a deeper issue that really needs more than a limited word count to fully explore. But what is certain is the trigger-happy application of the term, lazily used to critique something, has formed a vacuum of shallow criticism that’s growing among internet critics.  

One of the recent shows dismissed as “insufferably woke” by internet critics, is the recently concluded fourth season of Amazon’s “diabolical” satire, The Boys. The fourth season has been polarising to say the least, especially on the internet which thrives on arming itself with pre-generated hate over TV shows. Opinions have ranged from cautiously optimistic to aggressively hateful, but it was hard to find people who embraced it as a worthy season. Online critics were primarily upset with the way the show leant further into its satirical critique of right-wing conservative attitudes and gradually abandoned its irreverent depiction of superheroes, (an element that made it such a popular show in the first place). It’s hard to deny that the show is leaning into its provocative social commentary more than ever, but to just dismiss it as ‘woke’ misses the broader context of what its satire aims to accomplish. 

Satire, by nature, is meant to be provocative and critical, using humour and irony to expose flaws in individuals, institutions, and ideologies. The Boys does this with the contemporary political climate in America, exploring how celebrity worship can easily be exploited to manipulate ideologies. Ignoring what the show has to say about troubling matters, which the show tends to juggle (not delicately, mind you), by tossing it aside as ‘woke,’ encapsulates the current issue tearing through modern criticism. The idea that their opinion does not need to be elaborated further, because ‘woke’ says all you need to know, dismantling any further discourse. 

Even I, a fan who has bothered countless housemates through praising the show incessantly, was disappointed to feel that I was generally mixed on the season. It seemed uncharacteristically aimless and lacked the strong characterisation the show usually has. New characters were introduced only to be immediately forgotten, and plot lines were blurred to the point I could not tell which one was the main focus. When I went online to see what other people were thinking, I was disheartened to find that everyone was preoccupied with pointing out how ‘woke’ the show had become. “Frenchie isn’t gay!!! Why is he dating a man!!” comment sections ranted. Countless amounts of videos were made discussing the seasons politics – by people who hadn’t even watched the season!?  

Fans were quick to point out however that the show has always held these views and featured the same commentary toward conservative attitudes. This became the rallying cry for the defenders of the new season. “They didn’t realise that the show was commenting on them all along!” But to me, the show wasn’t trying to demonise conservatives. It was warning us about letting ideologies grow violent and forceful, how unchecked power can lead to authoritarian violence. The season boxed in a depressing political climate in the United States, while being able to create its own antagonistic response online, almost mirroring both sets of political attitudes on the show.  

Dismissing the season as ‘woke’ represents the problem with online criticism — constant conflict over opinions and refusal to understand anyone’s way of thinking. It’s been unfortunate to watch the internet’s effects on criticism. The response to this season offers only further disillusionment. 

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