What is an NPC? The liberal-bashing meme sweeping social media ahead of
the US midterms
The Independent
Joe Sommerlad
,The Independent•October 17, 2018
Twitter has suspended more than 1,500 spoof accounts featuring grey,
expressionless avatars known as “NPCs”.

Each one takes a character known as “NPC Wojak” for their profile
picture - carefully modifying his appearance to incorporate a rainbow
Mohawk, hipster beard or tortoiseshell glasses - and tweets bland,
politically correct pronouncements such as “Diversity is our strength!”

But what is it all about? What is an “NPC” and why was Twitter so
quick to shut down such apparently harmless fun?

“NPC” stands for “Non-playable character”, a phrase taken from
video games referring to any figure a gamer encounters while roaming a
digital landscape that they cannot control themselves.

Rather than the hero of the game, these are often supporting characters
who offer a quest or recite dialogue to further the plot. Unthinking
automatons, they have no minds of their own.

The slang - “born in the fever swamps of 4chan and Reddit message
boards”, as Kevin Roose of The New York Times puts it - has been adopted
by right-wing social media users, many backers of President Donald Trump,
as a means of attacking conformist liberal voters ahead of the 2018
midterm elections.

View image on Twitter
View image on Twitter

NPC8842674672
@npc8842674672
 I love @iamjohnoliver! He’s so funny and is so smart! Keep it up
@LastWeekTonight!

4:54 PM - Oct 16, 2018
321
133 people are talking about this
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Like “snowflakes”, “cucks” or “libtards”, “NPC” has become
a popular insult for criticising Democrats and other left-leaning web
users, accusing them of being unable to think for themselves, parroting
orthodoxies of inclusivity rather than challenging mainstream assumptions.

When liberals take exception and accuse the trolls of dehumanising them,
their taunters simply hit back by saying they have no sense of humour,
therein proving the validity of their initial witty barb.

View image on Twitter
View image on Twitter

NPC#11146783
@N11146783
 WE ARE ALL REAL PEOPLE WITH REAL THOUGHTS!!

3:39 PM - Oct 16, 2018
217
96 people are talking about this
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The criticism may be crude, but it could also be argued well-worn insults
about President Trump being “orange” or laughing at his family
changing their surname from “Drumpf” — as encouraged by satirist
John Oliver — are similarly lacking in originality.

For its part, Twitter has quickly cracked down with the midterms just
weeks away over concerns about the spread of misinformation.

Interference from Russian bots and fake news factories channelled through
social media caused a scandal after the 2016 presidential election and
Twitter is anxious to avoid repeat accusations about its role in
disseminating misleading information and propaganda.


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