dirtbag left

English

Etymology

Coined by Amber A'Lee Frost in 2016, now a co-host of the left-wing United States podcast Chapo Trap House.

Proper noun

the dirtbag left

1. A left-wing political faction that eschews respectability politics to convey a more vulgar socialist message, emphasizing action over political correctness.
   • 2018, David Block, Post-Truth and Political Discourse, →ISBN, page 121:

     The dirtbag left may be seen as a case of bourgeois pessimism moving from the more laid-back image of dinner party conversation to a direct engagement with right-wing activism and Democratic Party sell-outs.

   • 2022 August 6, Heather Hutchinson, “I'm Just a Rhetorical Dirtbag, Baby.”, in MacEwan University Student EJournal, volume 6, number 1, →DOI:

     Another attribute of the Dirtbag left is its abandonment of the fossilized ideal of balance. Many don’t believe that any news outlet or political talking head is bias-free. Therefore, clinging to this illusion is not only pointless but potentially harmful.

Usage notes

• Unlike dirtbag, this term is not usually considered derogatory.