Firstly, the term “monkeypox” is scientifically misleading. The virus is primarily transmitted to humans by small, forest-dwelling rodents, including species of squirrels native to Central and West Africa – not monkeys.
The virus was originally named “monkeypox” because it was first identified in a group of monkeys in a European laboratory undergoing tests for the polio vaccine in the mid 1950s.
The animals had contracted the infection before being shipped from Africa, most likely through hunting and consuming infected rodents.
“I would even call it rodentpox than the mpox or monkeypox virus,” Dr Leandre Murhula Masirik, the doctor who discovered a new variant of the virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2023, told The Telegraph.
Okay but like, how is this "anti-woke"? I'm not sure any "wokies" were raging against the term? Like was that a thing? I mean we still call it chicken pox? We call it bird flu? It seems like a name that was used originally/ colloquially, and even mpox isn't "really" the scientific name? Its just a colloquial handle.
idk. Much ado?
Dug a bit more thinking there would be a more technical term for it. Nope. Its specific epithet is Orthopoxvirus monkeypox. I think Monkeypox might be the more technically correct term.
Alright Im gonna walk you through the mental leaps ive overhead my righty coworkers say, these are coming from their rational NOT mine:
1.) Black people dont like being called monkeys
2.) I like pissing of black people
3.) There are scientists saying you shouldnt call it monkeypox, this is wokenonsense to protect black people that dont like being called monkeys
4.) Im gonna say moneky pox EVEN MORE, because i like pissing off black people
Granted this is just like 3 especially awful guys at my place of work, but still
The crazy thing is that the real reason is pretty woke too (mpox is language neutral, while monkeypox is explicitly English) but learning the real reason behind something is antithetical to their belief system so instead they make up shit they think a lefty would say instead.
I assumed it was also to place blame on other, lesser, dirtier countries since there's no native primates north of Mexico in the Americas. But I guess we could go straight to racism.
I had to look it up, but she apparently couldn’t hear his speech at all because of bad acoustics and sound or something. That’s what Harbour’s take was.
It was first found in monkeys, but actually originated in rodents. It should technically be rodentpox.
Also, racists and homophobes used it to create stigma against gay men. In was/is particularly prevalent in that group. There were rumours that you caught it from sex with monkeys.
Basically it was renamed to pull the teeth of a nasty and insulting use, and to break a misunderstanding on its source.
Does the fact the technical name is wrong because of how it was wrongly classified just go right over your head then…?
It came from rodents, it should be Orthopoxvirus rodentpox. And the article explains THAT. Sheesh it’s like you people can’t stand that something was wrong and is trying to be corrected, because of all the other drama.
Again, this was ALL well explained in the linked article.
Its been 3 years and the Wikipedia, which I consider to a most reliable source (in general). They don't use Mpox. They use Monkeypox.
Its not a matter of anything going over any ones heads. I've at least studied these things (taxonomy and naming and nomenclature) specifically. The WHO isn't necessarily some authority who creates these kinds of mandates. There are congresses on these matters for most domains where naming is important.
Wikipedia isn’t a source, use their sources as sources…
And that article (yes Wikipedia is articles… and not sources) is a bloody mess anyways.
Smallpox and monkeypox viruses are both orthopoxviruses, and the smallpox vaccine is effective against mpox if
Symptoms of mpox in humans incl
They don’t even know what to call it, and keep changing it throughout the article lol. So yeah, great source to use for what to call it… and cherry pick the one you want to boot!
We all know what the 'm' stands for. If m*nkeypox has unmarketable connotations, then m-pox isn't any improvement.
It's like when K*ntucky Fried Chicken rebranded as KFC, an initialism that officially stands for nothing. We still all know where it's from, and are either OK with that or we aren't.
32 Comments
TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world · 29 pts · 328d
Okay but like, how is this "anti-woke"? I'm not sure any "wokies" were raging against the term? Like was that a thing? I mean we still call it chicken pox? We call it bird flu? It seems like a name that was used originally/ colloquially, and even mpox isn't "really" the scientific name? Its just a colloquial handle.
idk. Much ado?
Dug a bit more thinking there would be a more technical term for it. Nope. Its specific epithet is Orthopoxvirus monkeypox. I think Monkeypox might be the more technically correct term.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monkeypox_virus
Redacted@lemmy.zip · 27 pts · 328d
Alright Im gonna walk you through the mental leaps ive overhead my righty coworkers say, these are coming from their rational NOT mine:
1.) Black people dont like being called monkeys 2.) I like pissing of black people 3.) There are scientists saying you shouldnt call it monkeypox, this is wokenonsense to protect black people that dont like being called monkeys 4.) Im gonna say moneky pox EVEN MORE, because i like pissing off black people
Granted this is just like 3 especially awful guys at my place of work, but still
minnow@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 328d
Yup, this is what I've heard too.
The crazy thing is that the real reason is pretty woke too (mpox is language neutral, while monkeypox is explicitly English) but learning the real reason behind something is antithetical to their belief system so instead they make up shit they think a lefty would say instead.
XeroxCool@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 327d
I assumed it was also to place blame on other, lesser, dirtier countries since there's no native primates north of Mexico in the Americas. But I guess we could go straight to racism.
Typhoon@lemmy.ca · 3 pts · 327d
In the US it's racism the whole way down.
s@piefed.world · 22 pts · 328d
Change = Bad
Woke = Bad
therefore,
Change = Woke.
Conversely,
Regression = Anti-Woke
therefore,
Regression = Good
TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 328d
njm1314@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 328d
What was the context for that again? I cannot recall.
WindyRebel@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 327d
I had to look it up, but she apparently couldn’t hear his speech at all because of bad acoustics and sound or something. That’s what Harbour’s take was.
VeryVito@lemmy.ml · 2 pts · 328d
If it ain’t what killt gramma, it ain’t godlike.
runner_g@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 6 pts · 328d
Here's the W.H.O. on renaming it to mpox
https://www.who.int/news/item/28-11-2022-who-recommends-new-name-for-monkeypox-disease
TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 328d
Well its been since 2022 and wikipedia doesn't seem to think that the name should change.
Revan343@lemmy.ca · 3 pts · 328d
Science is woke, dude.
RickyRigatoni@retrolemmy.com · 1 pts · 328d
Monkeys are rodents
phutatorius@lemmy.zip · 1 pts · 326d
It just makes them feel powerful to micromanage other people's use of language.
NobodyElse@sh.itjust.works · 13 pts · 328d
I’m not getting how this is anti-woke. Wasn’t it first discovered in monkeys? What does mpox mean and why is that better? Can someone explain?
cynar@piefed.social · 7 pts · 328d
It was first found in monkeys, but actually originated in rodents. It should technically be rodentpox.
Also, racists and homophobes used it to create stigma against gay men. In was/is particularly prevalent in that group. There were rumours that you caught it from sex with monkeys.
Basically it was renamed to pull the teeth of a nasty and insulting use, and to break a misunderstanding on its source.
plantfanatic@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 328d
I mean the article does a pretty good job.
TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 328d
Does it? It seems like its actually obscuring the fact that actually the technical name for the species is Orthopoxvirus monkeypox.
plantfanatic@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 328d
Does the fact the technical name is wrong because of how it was wrongly classified just go right over your head then…?
It came from rodents, it should be Orthopoxvirus rodentpox. And the article explains THAT. Sheesh it’s like you people can’t stand that something was wrong and is trying to be corrected, because of all the other drama.
Again, this was ALL well explained in the linked article.
TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 328d
I linked above: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monkeypox_virus
Its been 3 years and the Wikipedia, which I consider to a most reliable source (in general). They don't use Mpox. They use Monkeypox.
Its not a matter of anything going over any ones heads. I've at least studied these things (taxonomy and naming and nomenclature) specifically. The WHO isn't necessarily some authority who creates these kinds of mandates. There are congresses on these matters for most domains where naming is important.
plantfanatic@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 328d
Wikipedia isn’t a source, use their sources as sources…
And that article (yes Wikipedia is articles… and not sources) is a bloody mess anyways.
They don’t even know what to call it, and keep changing it throughout the article lol. So yeah, great source to use for what to call it… and cherry pick the one you want to boot!
TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 328d
plantfanatic@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 328d
Cuberoot@lemmynsfw.com · 7 pts · 328d
We all know what the 'm' stands for. If m*nkeypox has unmarketable connotations, then m-pox isn't any improvement.
It's like when K*ntucky Fried Chicken rebranded as KFC, an initialism that officially stands for nothing. We still all know where it's from, and are either OK with that or we aren't.
chilldrivenspade@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 328d
HubertManne@piefed.social · 5 pts · 328d
this is way to low on my list to have any fucks left for.
Kolanaki@pawb.social · 3 pts · 328d
Wait til you hear what they wanna start calling N-95 masks...
Hermit_Lailoken@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 328d
Outrageous!
RePsyche@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 328d
Mpox
TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 328d
Mmmpox, ba duba dop ba Du bop, ba duba dop ba Du bop, ba duba dop ba du
MyTurtleSwimsUpsideDown@fedia.io · 1 pts · 328d
I’m glad I’m not the only one
IAmNorRealTakeYourMeds@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 328d
tilts fedora
M'pox
phutatorius@lemmy.zip · 1 pts · 326d
Call it MAGApox.
And only use archive links to access Daily Telegraph content. Like this: https://archive.is/PCDlu