[Tubby Isaacs]

One of the regular offenders here.

[Arrowhead]

I suspect we're going to see plenty more of that sort of nonsense over the next few years, especially if Johnson stays at the helm.

"Woke" seems like such a weird, internet-memey phrase to enter the lexicon this past year or so, and I'm convinced a significant proportion of the population still have absolutely no idea what it actually means. Plus, it looks so odd when being uttered in public by middle-aged Tory MP's or their cheerleaders, as if they are trying to appropriate some sort of messageboard slang they've heard is popular with da yoof. What are they going to adopt next I wonder, "Cowabunga, dude"?

[Andy McDandy]

I've always thought that it's used as a slur, much like David Starkey's "the whites have become black" comment in the wake of the 2011 riots. Dog whistle of miscegnation there too. Trendy white people backing the blacks over "their own kind". Culture war with us or against us stuff.

[The Weeping Angel]

For all their banging on about Culture Culture the right are quite happy to practice it when it suits them.

[Bones McCoy]

I consider it a rebrand of "PC gorn mad" because anybody uttering "PC gorn mad" was clearly 2 bob short of a picnic.

[Malcolm Armsteen]

Don't you mean they weren't the sharpest knife in the woods?

[MisterMuncher]

I've always thought that it's used as a slur, much like David Starkey's "the whites have become black" comment in the wake of the 2011 riots. Dog whistle of miscegnation there too. Trendy white people backing the blacks over "their own kind". Culture war with us or against us stuff.

The right has always lived in the belief that all social justice and equality campaigning is inherently false, foisted on the out-groups by external white (or more usually Jewish) agitators, to the end of race treachery. This is how they're dealing with "woke" being a specifically black concept in origin.

[Bones McCoy]

Don't you mean they weren't the sharpest knife in the woods?

Quite:

Only playing with a three bob note.

[Spoonman]

Essentially...

"Woke" = Anything I don't like.

[Malcolm Armsteen]

"Woke" = "Not a rude, obstreperous shit."

[Boiler]

What upsets me is I know a few individuals who bang on about "woke", completely oblivious to the fact they benefited from it.

[davidjay]

What upsets me is I know a few individuals who bang on about "woke", completely oblivious to the fact they benefited from it.

Rather like the well-off, middle-aged, middle-class friend of mine who is forever talking about how discriminated-against he is.

[Bones McCoy]

Oxbridge accepting more state school applicants.
Some of the privately educated who "missed out" are applying to Ivy League schools in the USA.

Something must be done - grumbles the Times.

https://twitter.com/search?q=Oxbridge&s ... cal=trends

[Boiler]

Whilst listening to Any Questions the other night, one panellist remarked that Cummings was a typical humanities student, a bit in awe of those who understand computers and maths and data.

Which is odd, because I thought humanities students tended to look down their noses at us rude mechanicals...

[Andy McDandy]

He strikes me as someone who read Freakonomics and thought he'd discovered the Rosetta stone.

Yes, data and statistics are useful, and you can make some insightful discoveries by analysing data in interesting ways. But the way "data" has become almost a religion among some (I'm a librarian and there are plenty in my trade going down this path) misses the point.

Interesting facts get people's attention. If you're trying to influence people, it's a good way of getting through to them. And yes, it's a bit macho, similar to twats describing themselves as food technologists, because cooks are a bit girly. But Cummings - to me at least - seems like a guy with no plan beyond cause chaos. No real goals, no endgame. An over-promoted braggart with some connections and a lot of ego.

[Tubby Isaacs]

I think she's playing to the crowd there.

Isn't the problem likely to be the Conservative Party rather than "Oxbridge humanities".? How many people at Oxbridge support the Tories? Not all that many, I shouldn't think, given the problems the party now have with the well-educated. Plenty of humanities graduates seem to do well enough at professional exams, which aren't renowned as being easily bullshitable.

[Tubby Isaacs]

He strikes me as someone who read Freakonomics and thought he'd discovered the Rosetta stone.

Exactly.

I think within that group there's a particular type- inonoclast libertarian cuts through the squares.

[Bones McCoy]

Whilst listening to Any Questions the other night, one panellist remarked that Cummings was a typical humanities student, a bit in awe of those who understand computers and maths and data.

Which is odd, because I thought humanities students tended to look down their noses at us rude mechanicals...

There is the other type.
They want to be a fellow traveller, but lack the aptitude for the hard stuff, so try to get in as a "futurist" or "ideas guy".
Bad news for them is there is a handful of vacancies, all filled by science guys with communication skills.

Those that don't give up, usually end up in H.R. where they can cause misery for all those nasty clever folk.

[RedSparrows]

Any humanities student worth their salt neither sneers at scientists nor doubts the validity of their subject, and sees its true value, not its commercial value.

[Andy McDandy]

He strikes me as someone who read Freakonomics and thought he'd discovered the Rosetta stone.

Exactly.

I think within that group there's a particular type- inonoclast libertarian cuts through the squares.

Either Loaded or FHM had a section called "pub ammo" back in the day, full of spurious, no context given factoids to wow your friends with. You know, 57% of sheep are left handed sort of thing. I can imagine him devouring stuff like that.