The dirtbag left is a style of

left-wing politics Left-wing politics describes the range of Ideology#Political ideologies, political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy either as a whole or of certain social ...

that eschews

civility Civility may denote orderly behavior and politeness. Historically, civility also meant training in the humanities. Developmental model Adolf G. Gundersen and Suzanne Goodney Lea developed a civility model grounded in empirical data that "stresse ...

to convey a

left-wing populist Left-wing populism, also called social populism, is a Ideology#Political ideologies, political ideology that combines left-wing politics with populist rhetoric and themes. Its rhetoric often includes elements of anti-elitism, opposition to the E ...

and

anti-capitalist Anti-capitalism is a political ideology and Political movement, movement encompassing a variety of attitudes and ideas that oppose capitalism. Anti-capitalists seek to combat the worst effects of capitalism and to eventually replace capitalism ...

message using

vulgarity Vulgarity is the quality of being common, coarse, or unrefined. This judgement may refer to language, visual art, social class, or social climbers. John Bayley claims the term can never be self-referential, because to be aware of vulgarity is to d ...

. It is most closely associated with American left-wing online media that emerged in the mid-2010s, such as the podcast ''

Chapo Trap House ''Chapo Trap House'' (also referred to as ''Chapo'') is an American socialist political comedy podcast launched in March 2016 and hosted by Will Menaker, Felix Biederman, Matt Christman, and Amber A'Lee Frost. It is produced by Chris Wade. The ...

''.

Origins

The term was coined by Amber A'Lee Frost and is associated with her essay "The Necessity of Political Vulgarity", published in ''

Current Affairs Current affairs may refer to: News * ''Current Affairs'' (magazine) a bimonthly American magazine of culture and politics. * Current affairs (news format), a genre of broadcast journalism * ''Current Affairs'', former name for ''Behind the News' ...

'' in 2016. While the essay does not directly use the term ''dirtbag left'', it mounts a defense of politics that uses "vulgarity as a tool for fighting the powerful", citing '' libelles'' used to slander

Marie Antoinette Marie Antoinette (; ; Maria Antonia Josefa Johanna; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was the last List of French royal consorts, queen of France before the French Revolution and the establishment of the French First Republic. She was the ...

, ''

Cohen v. California ''Cohen v. California'', 403 U.S. 15 (1971), was a landmark decision of the US Supreme Court holding that the First Amendment prevented the conviction of Paul Robert Cohen for the crime of disturbing the peace by wearing a jacket displaying "F ...

'', and

N.W.A N.W.A (an abbreviation for Niggaz Wit Attitudes) was an American hip-hop group formed in Compton, California in 1987. Among the earliest and most significant figures of the gangsta rap subgenre, the group is widely considered one of the great ...

's protest song "

Fuck tha Police "Fuck tha Police" is a protest song by American hip hop group N.W.A that appears on the 1989 album ''Straight Outta Compton'' as well as on the ''N.W.A's Greatest Hits'' compilation. The lyrics protest police brutality and racial profiling ...

", among others. Frost writes that vulgarity in itself is not "inherently subversive", but argues that the left must reclaim it "from the

Trumps A trump is a playing card which is elevated above its usual rank in trick-taking games. Typically an entire suit is nominated as a ''trump suit''; these cards then outrank all cards of plain (non-trump) suits. In other contexts, the terms ''trump c ...

of the world" lest it be "handicapped by tsown civility."

Examples

The dirtbag left is most closely associated with the American politics podcast ''

'', which Frost co-hosted. ''Chapo'' emerged in 2016 in the context of the

2016 Democratic Party presidential primaries Presidential primaries and caucuses were organized by the Democratic Party to select the 4,051 delegates to the 2016 Democratic National Convention held July 25–28 and determine the nominee for President in the 2016 United States president ...

and subsequent

presidential election A presidential election is the election of any head of state whose official title is President. Elections by country Albania The president of Albania is elected by the Assembly of Albania who are elected by the Albanian public. Chile The p ...

. It combines political analysis and

pundit A pundit is a person who offers opinion in an authoritative manner on a particular subject area (typically politics, the social sciences, technology or sport), usually through the mass media. The term pundit describes both women and men, altho ...

ry from a socialist perspective with elements of comedy and irony, in the style of a

shock jock A shock jock is a radio broadcaster or DJ who entertains listeners and attracts attention using humor or melodramatic exaggeration that may offend some portion of the listening audience. The term is used pejoratively to describe provocative or ...

. ''Chapo'' gained attention for its criticism of both the Republican and Democratic parties, particularly what the podcast claimed was the Democratic Party's complicity with a conservative agenda. Beyond ''Chapo'', media outlets that have been linked to, described as, or identify with the dirtbag left include the podcasts ''

Street Fight Radio ''Street Fight Radio'', or ''Street Fight'' was an American politics and humor radio show and podcast founded in June 2011 and hosted by Bryan Quinby and Brett Payne. The show produced three distinct episodes per week. In addition to producing the ...

'', ''

TrueAnon ''TrueAnon'' is a left-wing American politics and gossip podcast hosted by Brace Belden and Liz Franczak. The podcast initially focused on deceased financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The title of the podcast is a parody of the QAnon, QA ...

'', and ''

Cum Town ''Cum Town'' is a comedy podcast that was hosted by New York City-based comedians Nick Mullen, Stavros Halkias, and Adam Friedland, and produced between 2016 and 2022. During its run, it was consistently one of the most popular podcasts on ...

''; the publications ''

The Baffler ''The Baffler'' is an American magazine of cultural, political, and business analysis. Established in 1988 by editors Thomas Frank and Keith White, it was headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, until 2010, when it moved to Cambridge, Massachusett ...

'' and ''

''; and internet streamer

Hasan Piker Hasan Doğan Piker ( ; ; born July 25, 1991), also known as HasanAbi, is a Turkish-American online streamer, YouTuber, influencer, and left-wing political commentator. His streams typically consist of political and social commentary, gaming, a ...

. These outlets are noted as presenting comedy as "applied to an ideological reading of the news of the day, with a particular focus on political feeling or style." Dirtbag left-style humor resurged after

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

won the

2024 United States presidential election United States presidential election, Presidential elections were held in the United States on November 5, 2024. The Republican Party (United States), Republican Party's Ticket (election), ticket—Donald Trump, who was the 45th president of ...

in the form of a trend called "Dark

Woke ''Woke'' is an adjective derived from African-American English used since the 1930s or earlier to refer to awareness of racial prejudice and Racial discrimination, discrimination, often in the construction ''stay woke''. The term acquired p ...

", described as treating

MAGA "Make America Great Again" (MAGA, ) is an American political slogan most recently popularized by Donald Trump during Donald Trump 2016 presidential campaign, his successful presidential campaigns in 2016 and Donald Trump 2024 presidential cam ...

in the same vulgar manner that it has long treated everyone else. In ''The Guardian'', Peter Rothpletz wrote that Democrats should use it to criticize Republicans under the label " Dark Woke" or #DarkWoke.

Tenets and rhetorical style

The dirtbag left has been described as an

anti-fascist Anti-fascism is a political movement in opposition to fascist ideologies, groups and individuals. Beginning in European countries in the 1920s, it was at its most significant shortly before and during World War II, where the Axis powers were op ...

, anti-

conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

, anti-

nationalist Nationalism is an idea or movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the State (polity), state. As a movement, it presupposes the existence and tends to promote the interests of a particular nation,Anthony D. Smith, Smith, A ...

, anti-

centrist Centrism is the range of political ideologies that exist between left-wing politics and right-wing politics on the left–right political spectrum. It is associated with moderate politics, including people who strongly support moderate policie ...

, and anti-

liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * Generally, a supporter of the political philosophy liberalism. Liberals may be politically left or right but tend to be centrist. * An adherent of a Liberal Party (See also Liberal parties by country ...

ideology. It has been linked to a variety of political stances, including anti–

political correctness "Political correctness" (adjectivally "politically correct"; commonly abbreviated to P.C.) is a term used to describe language, policies, or measures that are intended to avoid offense or disadvantage to members of particular groups in society. ...

; anti-

inequality Inequality may refer to: * Inequality (mathematics), a relation between two quantities when they are different. * Economic inequality, difference in economic well-being between population groups ** Income inequality, an unequal distribution of i ...

; a disregard for

; opposition to the wealthy and support for redistributive economic policies; and support for both the

2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...

and 2020 presidential campaigns of

Bernie Sanders Bernard Sanders (born September8, 1941) is an American politician and activist who is the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from the state of Vermont. He is the longest-serving independ ...

. The

Iraq War The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with 2003 invasion of Iraq, the invasion by a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition, which ...

and

2008 financial crisis The 2008 financial crisis, also known as the global financial crisis (GFC), was a major worldwide financial crisis centered in the United States. The causes of the 2008 crisis included excessive speculation on housing values by both homeowners ...

have been cited as particular radicalizing events for the dirtbag left. Rhetorically, the dirtbag left is noted as a vulgar, "bawdy offensive balance to cautious mainstream liberal politics", with "a dismissive attitude towards the niceties of liberal political correctness" that frequently direct insults and attacks through

social media Social media are interactive technologies that facilitate the Content creation, creation, information exchange, sharing and news aggregator, aggregation of Content (media), content (such as ideas, interests, and other forms of expression) amongs ...

at specific public figures with political or economic power. ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...

'' of London cited the rise of this rhetorical style as evidence of "the limitations of

woke ''Woke'' is an adjective derived from African-American English used since the 1930s or earlier to refer to awareness of racial prejudice and Racial discrimination, discrimination, often in the construction ''stay woke''. The term acquired p ...

ness as a political force" and an example of the changing nature of politics on the internet. Despite the connotations of the term ''dirtbag left'', its use is not typically considered derogatory, with ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' calling the term "a

defense mechanism In psychoanalytic theory, defence mechanisms are unconscious psychological processes that protect the self from anxiety-producing thoughts and feelings related to internal conflicts and external stressors. According to this theory, healthy ...

that doubles as a nickname." Self-identification with the term is indicative of the dirtbag left's tendency toward

irony Irony, in its broadest sense, is the juxtaposition of what, on the surface, appears to be the case with what is actually or expected to be the case. Originally a rhetorical device and literary technique, in modernity, modern times irony has a ...

and

self-deprecation Self-deprecation is the act of reprimanding oneself by belittling, undervaluing, disparaging oneself, or being excessively modest. It can be used as a way to make complaints, express modesty, invoke optimal reactions or add humour. It may also be ...

, with Frost noting that the term "speaks to a lot of people who have been dismissed or chided by liberals for embracing vulgarity, eschewing sanctimony or piety, and refusing to be civil to the right wing", adding that the term "says something positive about what we do believe, and what we’re willing to ruthlessly fight for, regardless of established etiquette." ''Chapo'' co-host Will Menaker joked that "if you sleep on a mattress on the floor and fuck in a sleeping bag, then you just might be the dirtbag left", before explaining that he sees the dirtbag left as a "scurrilous and funny approach to left-wing politics" that contrasts "utterly humorless and bloodless" liberalism.

Reception

Writer

Amanda Marcotte Amanda Marie Marcotte (born September 2, 1977) is an American blogger and journalist who writes on feminism and politics from a liberal perspective. She has written for several online publications, including ''Slate'', ''The Guardian'', and ' ...

argued that the ideology is linked to "that male privilege of intimidating people into assuming you're cool" and comparing it to the television series '' Jackass''. Canadian writer

Jeet Heer Jeet Heer is a Canadian author, comics critic, literary critic and journalist. He is a national affairs correspondent for ''The Nation'' magazine and a former staff writer at ''The New Republic''. The publications he has written for include '' The ...

argued that the dirtbag left is a form of "doomed to fail" dominance politics, arguing that "derision is useful for one half of politics—defeating the opposing party—but has nothing to say to the crucial other half of forming alliances that can govern effectively for the people." While

right-wing Right-wing politics is the range of political ideologies that view certain social orders and hierarchies as inevitable, natural, normal, or desirable, typically supporting this position based on natural law, economics, authority, property ...

misogyny Misogyny () is hatred of, contempt for, or prejudice against Woman, women or girls. It is a form of sexism that can keep women at a lower social status than Man, men, thus maintaining the social roles of patriarchy. Misogyny has been wide ...

often gets more attention, academics note that

toxic masculinity The concept of toxic masculinity is used in academic and media discussions to refer to those aspects of hegemonic masculinity that are socially destructive, such as misogyny, homophobia, and violent domination. These traits are considered "toxi ...

within the dirtbag left has led to harassment of women and even resulted in a statement by the

Democratic Socialists of America The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is a political organization in the United States and the country's largest Socialism, socialist organization. Sitting on the Left-wing politics, left-wing to Far-left politics, far-left of the politic ...

about

sexism Sexism is prejudice or discrimination based on one's sex or gender. Sexism can affect anyone, but primarily affects women and girls. It has been linked to gender roles and stereotypes, and may include the belief that one sex or gender is int ...

in its organization.

References

{{reflist, refs= {{cite web , last1=Frost , first1=Amber A'Lee , title=The Necessity of Political Vulgarity , url=https://www.currentaffairs.org/news/2016/08/the-necessity-of-political-vulgarity , website=

, access-date=5 May 2020 , date=25 August 2016 {{cite web , last1=Jones , first1=Sarah , title=The Dirtbag Manifesto , url=https://www.dissentmagazine.org/article/chapo-trap-house-book-dirtbag-manifesto-satire-liberalism-socialism , website=

Dissent Dissent is an opinion, philosophy or sentiment of non-agreement or opposition to a prevailing idea or policy enforced under the authority of a government, political party or other entity or individual. A dissenting person may be referred to as ...

, access-date=5 May 2020 , date=Fall 2018 {{cite web , last1=Koshy , first1=Yohann , title='The Voice of the Dirtbag Left': socialist US comics Chapo Trap House , url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/jun/03/chapo-trap-house-podcast-interview-trump-socialist-us-comics , website=

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

, access-date=15 May 2020 , date=3 June 2019 {{cite web , last1=Semley , first1=John , title=The rise of the internet's 'dirtbag left' , url=https://www.macleans.ca/society/the-rise-of-the-internets-dirtbag-left/ , website=

Maclean's ''Maclean's'' is a Canadian magazine founded in 1905 which reports on Canadian issues such as politics, pop culture, trends and current events. Its founder, publisher John Bayne Maclean, established the magazine to provide a uniquely Canadian ...

, access-date=5 May 2020 , date=5 July 2017 {{cite magazine , last1=Tolentino , first1=Jia , authorlink1=Jia Tolentino , title=What Will Become of the Dirtbag Left? , magazine=

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. It was founded on February 21, 1925, by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a reporter for ''The New York T ...

, url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/persons-of-interest/what-will-become-of-the-dirtbag-left , access-date=5 May 2020 , date=18 November 2016 {{cite magazine , last1=Heer , first1=Jeet , authorlink1=Jeet Heer , title=The Dirtbag Left and the Problem of Dominance Politics , url=https://newrepublic.com/article/143926/dirtbag-left-problem-dominance-politics , magazine=

The New Republic ''The New Republic'' (often abbreviated as ''TNR'') is an American magazine focused on domestic politics, news, culture, and the arts from a left-wing perspective. It publishes ten print magazines a year and a daily online platform. ''The New Y ...

, access-date=15 May 2020 , date=19 July 2017 {{cite web , last1=Bowles , first1=Nellie , title=The Pied Pipers of the Dirtbag Left Want to Lead Everyone to Bernie Sanders , url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/29/us/politics/bernie-sanders-chapo-trap-house.html , website=

, access-date=5 May 2020 , date=1 March 2020 {{cite web , last1=Rhode , first1=Jason , title=Chapo Trap House are the Vulgar, Brilliant Demigods of the New Progressive Left , url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/media/chapo-trap-house/chapo-trap-house-are-the-vulgar-brilliant-demigods/ , website=

Paste Paste is a term for any very thick viscous fluid. It may refer to: Science and technology * Adhesive or paste ** Wallpaper paste ** Wheatpaste, a liquid adhesive made from vegetable starch and water * Paste (rheology), a substance that behaves as ...

, access-date=15 May 2020 , date=29 July 2016 {{cite web , last1=Malone , first1=Noreen , title=''Red Scare'' Leans Into Nothing , url=https://www.thecut.com/2018/10/profile-red-scare-podcast.html , website=

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, access-date=5 May 2020 , date=25 October 2018 {{cite web , last1=Beckwith , first1=Caleb , title=Epstein Brain is for the People , url=https://openspace.sfmoma.org/2020/03/epstein-brain-is-for-the-people/ , website=

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) is a modern art, modern and contemporary art museum and nonprofit organization located in San Francisco, California. SFMOMA was the first museum on the West Coast devoted solely to 20th-century art ...

, access-date=30 April 2020 , date=3 March 2020 {{cite web , last1=Marriott , first1=James , title=Goodbye woke liberals, hello dirtbag left , url=https://www.thetimes.com/comment/article/woke-liberalism-is-dead-stand-by-for-the-dirtbag-left-v5v29pw57 , work=

, location=London, access-date=15 May 2020 , date=21 April 2020 {{cite web , last1=North , first1=Anna , last2=Stein , first2=Jeff , title=Listen to what socialist women are saying about misogyny on the left , url=https://www.vox.com/identities/2017/10/24/16503462/dsa-women-cumtown-chapo , work= Vox , access-date=5 May 2020 , date=24 October 2017 {{cite web , last1=Beauchamp , first1=Zac , title=The raging controversy over "Bernie Bros" and the so-called dirtbag left, explained , url=https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2020/3/9/21168312/bernie-bros-bernie-sanders-chapo-trap-house-dirtbag-left , work=Vox , access-date=15 May 2020 , date=9 March 2020 American political neologisms Groups of entertainers Left-wing populism in the United States Socialism in the United States Youth politics in the United States