Opinion: Stay woke. Stay mad.

A protest sign and a pearl necklace. Art by Ellie Starr.

Before America’s overwhelming embrace of conservatism was evident in elections, it was visible on Pinterest. It was palpable, as the queerness associated with cottagecore became secondary to the aestheticized oppression of tradwifery. It was clear, as “health conscious” and “crunchy” fell to the side to reveal anti-vax and anti-science ideologies. It was striking, as “old money” trended and a lifestyle only possible for beneficiaries of generational wealth labor exploitation was pedestalled. It was bone-chilling, as TikTok’s “what kind of pretty are you?” content fed into racist, eugenicist thinking. It was evident, in the way recent trends praised hyperfemininity, health, work and traditionality. It was so disgustingly obvious. 

This shift towards conservatism has been particularly notable among Gen Z, the once proclaimed “woke generation.” Survey data from the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) shows that 58% of Gen Z men (ages 18-27) reported voting for Trump. While young men are more likely to support Trump than young women, women, too, are susceptible to the conservative push. While some commenters claim Gen Z’s embrace of conservatism was predictable, many pollsters, journalists and politicians were shocked. “This demographic transformation challenges long-held Democratic Party assumptions about younger generations forming an “ascendant majority” that would secure their electoral future,” reports Adeola Adeosum from Newsweek. 

In some ways, the return to conservatism was logical, although not inevitable. Gen Z had the pressure of fixing the world, combating climate change, and leading the revolution placed upon them from an early age. School shootings have become common in the past two decades, climate destruction has continued to run rampant, doom scrolling has taken over, and the pandemic forced young people online in the desperate hope of connection. Life often feels hopeless. The world is bad, and it’s only getting worse. The left offers no respite from this misery; it demands action but provides only infighting and infographics in return. By contrast, the unabashed, hedonistic hate of the new right promises a simpler life. 

The current media ecosystem provided the perfect circumstances for such conservatism to take hold. People are increasingly distrustful of mainstream media, instead seeking out influencers with strong personalities who provide the facade of authenticity. These influencers “tell it like it is” or “stand up to cancel culture.” They speak directly to people who feel wronged or left behind by the progress of society. To white men and women, these commenters rail against affirmative action and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), encouraging their audience to blame people of color and other marginalized groups for the lack of success in their own lives. To marginalized people, right wing commenters sell the lie that aligning with power will get you power, convincing minorities that conservatism is meritocratic and those who are smart or respectable enough can achieve equality. They’re selling a fantasy, a vindictive path to the “American Dream.”

It’s easy to see how disaffected youth seeking community, disenfranchised people, and unhappy WASPs are taken in by charismatic conservative figures. However, this isn’t reason for the left to lose hope. In some ways, the left’s culture of hopelessness did the right a favor by priming people for their false promises and convenient fiction. (To be clear, Trump’s policies were always going to help rich, white people. But for everyone else — poor white people, people of color and other marginalized groups — the right’s beautiful lies were just that.)

So yes, in order to combat the wide appeal of the right, the left needs hope. Not the Obama era hope of years past — everyone is too jaded and cynical for that. Now, we need to be fueled by our rage. The current political climate is devastating, tragic and traumatic. However, we cannot let our sadness consume us or make us inactive. As challenging as it may be, the only path forward is to channel that pain into anger, and that anger into action. Conservatism benefits from its promise of the American Dream, so the left must do the same. Let us be radical, let us imagine a genuinely good world, not one where people must vote for the “lesser of two evils,” and let us envision a future worth fighting for. 

The failure of Kamala Harris’ 2024 presidential campaign is a key example of the pitfalls of the current Democratic Party. Many people who voted for Harris did so not because they wanted to but because they had to. The Biden administration failed many of the progressives who voted for him, and Harris made no attempt to distance herself from that. In fact, she ran a fairly moderate campaign. The campaign featured prominent Republicans, conservative immigration policy, and an unwillingness to defend trans people or condemn Israel’s violence attacks on Palestinians. The Democratic Party seemed to be attempting to appeal to moderates and Republicans while taking the votes of displeased-but-willing progressives for granted. 

Clearly, this didn’t work. 

In times of political polarization or social conservatism, the left often moves center to adjust. While some may position this choice as politically necessary, it’s honestly just spineless. This shift abandons society’s most vulnerable groups. This ideology puts those people in danger and positions them as a necessary sacrifice for a greater good. But it’s a great good that will never come. 

Conservative fabrications, like the model minority myth, are intentionally captivating. There are a few minorities who have had great success on the right, tokenized and held up to show that there is room for everyone in the ideology of exclusion. However, these cases are exceptions to the rule. These people will be tossed aside when they no longer serve their party. Aligning oneself with the oppressor may serve individuals in the short term, but it does nothing to protect marginalized groups in the long term. Don’t distance yourself from those more marginalized or less normative than you, whether for momentary gain or the illusion of approval. Rally together for sustainable change, working towards legal rights and social acceptance. 

Maybe this appeal is unnecessary at Willamette University, where “blue hair and pronouns” abound. But even here, it's important not to let our “liberal bubble” keep us from addressing policies and engaging in community organizing, rather than simply complaining.

We must push back against conservatism. Legally, socially, even aesthetically. Don’t succumb to the lie that to be passionate is to be cringe. Don’t let the right co-opt alternative subcultures to appeal to an incel goth girl fetish. Don’t just look punk; be punk! Push back against the status quo. Don’t forgo your radicalism for momentary acceptance. Don’t stop being angry. Rest, but don’t give up.