Woke Culture is Ruining Everything – Even My Chocolate and Razors

In today’s hyper-polarized political climate, it seems like everything is being infected by divisive woke ideology. The latest victims? Chocolate and razors. Yes, you read that right.

According to a recent Rolling Stone article, right-wing media company The Daily Wire is now pushing its own “anti-woke” chocolate bars and razors to fight back against politically correct culture. The tagline for their new razor blades? “Shut up and shave.” Subtle.

Now, I’m as anti-woke as they come. Call me old-fashioned, but I just want to enjoy my tasty treats and smooth shave without a side of virtue-signaling and progressive posturing. Is that too much to ask?

Apparently, it is. Big chocolate brands like Hershey’s and razor companies like Gillette have increasingly gone down the woke rabbit hole. Everything from lecturing men on “toxic masculinity” to replacing classic candy mascots with bland corporate logos. It’s enough to make a guy tear his hair out!

So I get the appeal of The Daily Wire’s stunt. Conservatives are tired of having leftist politics shoved down their throat at every turn. A little counter-programming sounds pretty darn satisfying right about now.

But do we really want our chocolate bars and shaving cream to become the next battleground in the culture wars? It all just seems so exhausting.

Maybe I’m hopelessly naive, but I fondly remember when things like chocolate and razors were just, well, chocolate and razors. You know, fun treats to enjoy and essential grooming products. Not political statements.

Those were simpler times. Times when you didn’t have to worry about being lectured for enjoying a Hershey’s bar or shaving with a Gillette razor.

Don’t get me wrong, I understand the importance of issues like diversity, inclusion, and gender norms. But does everything have to be filtered through a political lens nowadays? Do major brands have to take sides in complex social debates that divide our country?

Whatever happened to chocolate and razors just being, you know, chocolate and razors?

Part of this trend is companies cynically chasing Gen Z dollars by desperately trying to seem “woke.” But it often comes across as inauthentic virtue signaling. And frankly, it’s insulting to assume young consumers will only buy from brands that espouse certain political stances.

Beyond economics, there are genuine issues here worth discussing. But the heavy-handed way major companies force these conversations feels more like preaching than sincere dialogue. It’s no wonder many men bristle at being told traditional masculinity is “toxic” while just trying to buy a razor.

So while I don’t endorse The Daily Wire’s often inflammatory rhetoric, I understand the backlash. Millions of Americans are fed up with being condescended to and told their views are problematic. They don’t want political correctness police monitoring their chocolate consumption and shaving habits.

And really, who can blame them? Wokeness gone wild is exhausting. Most people just want to live their lives in peace without being bombarded by divisive ideology at every turn.

This is especially true when it comes to areas like chocolate and shaving products. These are simple, innocuous pleasures that used to bring people together. They didn’t divide us into opposing cultural tribes.

Perhaps we need to step back and remember that not everything has to be a political battlefield. We can thoughtfully discuss complex issues without turning every facet of life into a partisan squabble.

It is possible to support diversity and inclusion without denigrating traditional values. We can uplift marginalized voices while also respecting differing perspectives. The world is not binary. There is nuance here.

But nuance seems increasingly rare these days. Everything feels hyper-politicized and tribal. If a brand isn’t sufficiently “woke,” they face boycotts or angry hashtag campaigns. It’s created a climate of fear where companies feel forced to take sides.

And so chocolate bars and razors become the latest proxy battle in America’s endless culture war. It’s ridiculous, but also inevitable in our current climate.

I don’t claim to have all the answers. But I know this exhausting dynamic is not sustainable or healthy. We have to find a way to come together again, even just around simple shared pleasures like chocolate.

So wake me up when the wokeness fades and candy bars can go back to just being candy bars. I’ll be here waiting with my apolitical razor ready for a clean, smooth shave. No politics, just chocolate.