Person 1: I'm a (insert ideology here)
Person 2: That means that you hate black people and eat babies!
Person 1: What? I dont mean that, I just think that illegal immigrants are bad.
Person 2: Look guys, he's a racist transphobe who thinks that women shouldn't have rights!
Person 3: Im a (insert ideology here) and I think that they should add compartments in landing gear to crush immigrants trying to leave their countries for a better life.
Person 4: Hey! Thats racist!
Person 3: OMG STRAWMAN!!!!
(rewind time)
Person 4: Hey! That's racist!
Person 3: Welp, guess you support terrorism. Betchu cheered when Al-Qaeda did 9/11?
Person 4: What the fuck?
Person 3: Fucking Commies trying to bring down America. Fucking hate them.
Person 2: That means that you hate black people and eat babies!
Person 1: What? I dont mean that, I just think that illegal immigrants are bad.
Person 2: Look guys, he's a racist transphobe who thinks that women shouldn't have rights!
Person 3: Im a (insert ideology here) and I think that they should add compartments in landing gear to crush immigrants trying to leave their countries for a better life.
Person 4: Hey! Thats racist!
Person 3: OMG STRAWMAN!!!!
(rewind time)
Person 4: Hey! That's racist!
Person 3: Welp, guess you support terrorism. Betchu cheered when Al-Qaeda did 9/11?
Person 4: What the fuck?
Person 3: Fucking Commies trying to bring down America. Fucking hate them.
by buddy retard July 31, 2021
Get the strawman mug.Strawmen are usually meant to be a misrepresentation of an opponent's argument that makes it easier to attack. For examples of strawmen being used, put the word "SJW" or "conservative" into the search bar of this godforsaken website.
Normally, an appropriate response is to call out the fact that this is a gross simplification in order to discourage the use of logical fallacies and promote basic fucking debate skills.
However, some people instead choose to become the Strawman Incarnate, in which they embrace every negative aspect of the opponent's grossly exaggerated characterization for the sake of "owning" them
For examples of this, see /pol/ on 4chan, or (insert bad thing the left did so I don't get dislike bombed by conservatives).
Normally, an appropriate response is to call out the fact that this is a gross simplification in order to discourage the use of logical fallacies and promote basic fucking debate skills.
However, some people instead choose to become the Strawman Incarnate, in which they embrace every negative aspect of the opponent's grossly exaggerated characterization for the sake of "owning" them
For examples of this, see /pol/ on 4chan, or (insert bad thing the left did so I don't get dislike bombed by conservatives).
Simplified example of Strawman Incarnate:
Person A: Side B is bad because they eat babies!
Person B walks out and returns holding a baby and a fork
Person B: I BETCHA FEEL STUPID NOW, HUH?!?
Person A: Side B is bad because they eat babies!
Person B walks out and returns holding a baby and a fork
Person B: I BETCHA FEEL STUPID NOW, HUH?!?
by PostTraumaticSwagDisorder May 8, 2025
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Redditor: You can't hate modern pop music? You know Billie Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo is better than Katy Perry and Rihanna! r/lewronggeneration amirite???
Normal person: I think I've found a strawman argument. Respect my opinion.
Normal person: I think I've found a strawman argument. Respect my opinion.
by Raspberry Necessary 35 March 1, 2022
Get the Strawman mug.A specific form of strawman where the person inverts the typical dynamic by claiming that the term used to describe them doesn't apply because they don't understand it. The classic "you can't call me racist because I don't know what racism means." This inverts the strawman: instead of misrepresenting someone's position, they misrepresent the term's applicability, using their own ignorance as a shield. The fallacy lies in making the validity of a description depend on the described person's vocabulary rather than their actions.
"He used racial slurs, but when called racist, said 'I don't even know what racism is, so you can't call me that.' That's Inverted Strawman Fallacy—making his ignorance the standard for judgment. But actions define racism, not vocabulary. Not knowing the word doesn't make the deed disappear. Ignorance as innocence is a con, not a defense."
by Dumu The Void March 3, 2026
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