The newest trend in dating is called “Wokefishing,” and it’s alarming people on social media.
What’s happening:
People are pretending to act progressive or “woke” when they start to date people in hopes of meeting someone who would normally discount them because of their political ideals.
How does it work? Someone pretends to be progressive politically so they can score the big date with someone who normally would turn them down.
Here’s how Vice explained it: “People masquerade as holding progressive political views to ensnare potential partners.”
- Wokefish can pretend to be “protest-attending or “anti-racist,” according to Vice. They may appear to be a person “who drinks ethically sourced oat milk and has read the back catalogue of Audre Lorde, twice.”
Why now?
Wokefish are thriving in the current dating climate because “wokefishers” see an opportunity to attract others since people tend to be more attracted to those of the same political affiliation. And dating sites allow people to filter by dating parties, too, according to the New York Post.
- “Couple this with the apparent nationwide divide over issues ranging from George Floyd’s death to wearing coronavirus masks, and you’ve got the ideal environment for the wokefish to thrive,” the New York Post reports.