Since moving to this beautiful island, I have found myself informing many people about how I never quite felt like I belonged in my hometown in Southeast Missouri. I very frequently found myself feeling like an outsider among my peers from adolescence through adulthood.

And, while I think it’s worth noting that such a thing could be possible, I also bring it up because that same feeling often applies to me in a socio-political way.

I was raised in a very Republican conservative home. I was raised to believe that Democrats were all bad and anti-American — and of course, no one in my parents’ orbit was a Democrat, so I had no experience with those heathens.

But, as I got older and started experiencing life, my skeptical brain eventually took over and I continued asking questions and seeking answers. I found that my parents had (surprise, surprise) educated me to have an unfounded prejudice against roughly half of the country.

As I continued to age, my views started to take shape and I found myself claiming no party affiliation but often voting as a humanitarian with progressive ideals.

By Southeast Missouri redneck standards I’m “woke,” which, until recently, I had no problem with. One reason I didn’t have a problem with that is because many who accused me of being woke couldn’t define the term. They were simply regurgitating a focus-group-tested sound bite.

And, just to be clear, I define woke as being awake to injustices of all kinds being perpetrated against all classes of people. It’s being awake to systemic issues of racism and oppression. It’s being awake to see the difference between rights and privileges. I could go on but I’m sure you get the idea.

Yes, I am woke. But that is not a blanket term with which you can net all people of a dissenting opinion. I’ll give you an example.

The past couple of weeks, my social media has been flooded with performative outrage from the woke crowd regarding the American Eagle blue jean ads featuring Sydney Sweeney.

Maybe I’m just the old guy in the room, but I’m amazed at the shock and outrage. After all, I remember seeing old Clavin Klein blue jean ads with Brooke Shields — one of which featured a 15-year-old Shields getting dressed by pulling on an extremely tight pair of jeans while talking about genetics. 

It was the exact same theme as the Sweeney ad, but it was actually more explicit and employed a minor. The Sweeney ad was obviously a nod to that historic, 45-year-old ad campaign. And, like that Calvin Klein ad campaign, the protest is sparking interest and making the American Eagle ad campaign a smashing success.

But I have been subjected to all manner of outraged posts and videos regarding how the Sweeney ads are a racist dog whistle and a veiled message about eugenics.

Face, meet palm.

Some people just feel the need to be outraged. And I am convinced that this most recent anger has more to do with the fact that Sweeney is a very beautiful, blonde-haired, blue-eyed, voluptuous actress. Had she been of a different ethnic background or more plain in appearance, I really don’t think there would be an issue.

Whether it comes from a place of insecurity or simply a desire to be heard, the outrage is ridiculous. And I am here to tell you that not all of us who are awake are woke. Some of us — believe it or not — try to operate daily with a healthy dose of common sense.