An invention of the mainstream media MSM intended to drum up outrage at a statement or situation. The key characteristics of manufactured outrage are: (1) prior to the media’s intervention, the vast majority of the general population had never heard of the statement or had never found the statement or situation to be objectionable in any way and (2) the outrage over the statement or situation is intended to generate support for a left-wing cause, a left-wing politician and / or is intended to damage the credibility of a right-wing politician or any person connected to the right-wing.
In the 2006 campaign, Sen. George Allen of Virginia called out a heckler in the audience for one of his speeches. The heckler was working for his opponent, James Webb. In the process, he twice referred to the heckler as a “macaca”. Few people in the US had ever heard of the term before, but the media quickly played it up into major story, in order to portray Sen. Allen as a vile racist. The manufactured outrage over this incident was a major factor in Sen. Allen losing his re-election campaign.
by Ellsworth December 18, 2006
Ex.1 - Man1: Damn man, Tyrone got his check this week...
Man2: so?
Man1: So?!? Now he is ballin' outrageous!
Man2: so?
Man1: So?!? Now he is ballin' outrageous!
by DFDubDoug November 17, 2005
A right wing fear mongering tactic to try the misleading and inappropriate insertion of principles from the United States Constitution into debates about issues of the day.
Every developed country in the world has universal health care and we would of had it a long time ago if it was not so easy to generate Manufactured Outrage among the ignorant white male rednecks who cling to their guns and bibles and constitutions.
by Techclerk March 26, 2010
When fox news expresses outrage over someone on the left doing or saying something that the right has been doing and saying to a far, far more egregious degree for years with no complaints from fox news, it is clearly an artificial, manufactured outrage.
When fox news launched a day long tirade about John Stewart being a "racist" for mocking Herman Cain's idiotic remarks about only passing small bills if he were president despite having never said a word about the viciously racist anti Obama signs the teabaggers carried in ralliess, it was clearly manufactured outrage. (And Stewart spanked them for it the next day!)
by professor tanhauser August 4, 2011
The reduction in the meaningfulness and relevance of individual controversies as they are swallowed in a sea of other concurrent controversies and outrage. Comparable to economic inflation.
A symptom of the Internet age and the neverending cycle of overreaction, bitterness and hostility. It is not necessarily entirely a reflection of the proliferation of controversy over minor events, given that the news is also filled with many shocking events of great magnitude. The fact that it is easy to forget what mind-numbingly stupid thing Donald Trump said two weeks ago is also a symptom of outrage inflation.
A symptom of the Internet age and the neverending cycle of overreaction, bitterness and hostility. It is not necessarily entirely a reflection of the proliferation of controversy over minor events, given that the news is also filled with many shocking events of great magnitude. The fact that it is easy to forget what mind-numbingly stupid thing Donald Trump said two weeks ago is also a symptom of outrage inflation.
We'll all soon forget that time Trump nearly declared war by mistake thanks to outrage inflation and the 24-hour news cycle.
by áutechre November 8, 2017
A common Left-Wing tactic to incite "change" in a known policy or cause. Also used as a mudslinging device in order to undermine Right-Wingers
The Democrat Politician revealed his Manufactured Outrage at the cutting of trees in order to SAVE THE PLANET. He was further "outraged" by a myriad of things: polar bears, sea otters, Styrofoam, swamp land, the War on Terror, certain books, the conservative talk shows on a.m. radio, the lack of rights for Gays, the lack of rights for animals, the lack of rights for women...and children...and illegal immigrants, the use of the word "God" anywhere, the "right" to abort babies, corporations, banks, SUVs, hunters, guns, bibles, big cars, oil-production, and the over-spending of the Bush Administration. Of course, the over-spending of the Obama Administration was OK, though. A few things he wasn't outraged about: Term Limits for elected officials, tort reform, a balanced budget, and freedom.
by stirling78 May 24, 2009
by MrM0bile August 14, 2006