Linguistic wokeism: Revisionism of the gypsy moth and Asian carp, and fate of the Russian salad

Abstract

The concept of wokeism in academia might represent two radically ideological poles: neoliberally, it is a symbol of socio-cultural liberation, but conservatively, it is a symbol of unnecessary revisionism that tests the limits of traditional culture. Academia is in the belly of this socio-cultural battle. In this discussion, the term “linguistic wokeism” describes an attempt to correct perceived social inequalities through the medium of         language. Two cases are highlighted, the gypsy moth, which was revised to sponge moth (Lymantria dispar), and Asian carp, which was revised to invasive carp. It is argued that “linguistic wokeism” is effectively propagated and established when neoliberal ideologies are aligned among academia, socio-political action groups, and    neoliberal media, including social media. Finally, in the current ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war, early bans on the letters “V” and “Z” in some countries, as a linguistic form of Russophobia, suggests the possibility that geo-political animosities may also be linguistically expressed in neoliberal ways, with a tongue-in-cheek risk being suggested for the Russian salad. The greater risk, in an academic publishing context, if neoliberal revisionist policies are converted into “ethical” policies, is that those who do not agree or align with such policies might be labelled as unethical.