Skip to main content

moral panic

an overwrought public anxiety that evil things are afoot. The term seems to have been coined by Jock Young in 1971.* The most obvious example of an ancient moral panic is the blood libel.

Other famous examples of moral panics include the 1955 Boise scandal, in which three cases of lewd conduct between men and teenaged boys, plus a noxious editorial, triggered a general war against homosexual men. In the early 1930's, the Federal Bureau of Narcotics (FBN) launched a public relations effort to have federal laws passed banning the use of marijuana; it was driven by a jurisdictional struggle between Harry Anslinger (FBN) and J. Edgar Hoover (FBI). The campaign was a success; it not only achieved the desired legislation, but created a wave of mass hysteria about the "threat" of marijuana.

_____________________________
* Goode & Ben-Yehuda, *Moral Panics* (1994), p.12.
In the movie *Quadrophenia*, set in Brighton, UK in the late 1960's, a recurring theme was the contemporary moral panic over the clash between Mods and Rockers.
by Abu Yahya February 15, 2009
mugGet the moral panic mug.

Morally Lucky

Lucking your way into your political positions.
The d.gg chatters all spammed " REM WAS RIGHT LULW HASAN IS MORALLY LUCKY " as hasan was getting destroyed by REM.
by ArcticFirst July 9, 2019
mugGet the Morally Lucky mug.
Related Words

The Mortal Instruments

An absolutely awesome series written by Cassandra Clare. It has everything! (demon fighting, canon slash, technical incest, faeries, werewolves, geeky references, etc.) The Fandom is one of the most perverted ones. We have great fanart. And a duck!
Person A:Have you read City of Bones yet?
Person B: No, I've never heard of it!
Person A: It's the first book in the Mortal Instruments series. I think you would like it!
by thepacificislander June 15, 2012
mugGet the The Mortal Instruments mug.

Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers

Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers will live up to be a future classic.
by Lean Elizabeth II May 9, 2022
mugGet the Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers mug.

Moral Orel

A humorous stop-motion show that appeared on adult swim. It centered around Orel, an 11/12 year old church goer who tries to do the right thing by living up to an extreme Protestant ethic. The show itself is a satire of Protestantism, Christianity, morality, and 1950s culture, just to name a few. As the show progressed it began incorporating more dark humor with its episodes. It aired for three seasons before it was denied renewal, most likely due to a combination of the episodes "Nature (part I and II)", "Numb," and "Alone."
Despite how dark Moral Orel ended, it is still a good satire that manages to get good jokes in.
by Matt..... May 25, 2009
mugGet the Moral Orel mug.

mortality fuck

sexual intercourse immediately following a national disaster, death, or terrorist attack to help one cope with said event.
After getting off the tube during the London bombing, Will and I had a mortality fuck.
by cb radio November 7, 2005
mugGet the mortality fuck mug.

Mortally Challenged

The Demons of Doom Eternal are referred to as "Mortally Challenged". Its a silly joke in the game. A few Liberals are upset about this and they claim that the game equates Demons with Immigrants. Which is not true.
Blue Hologram Chick : Remember, "Demon" can be an offensive term, refer to them as Mortally Challenged

Doomslayer : The wall just got ten feet higher
by throwawaymysoul00 August 24, 2018
mugGet the Mortally Challenged mug.

Share this definition

Sign in to vote

We'll email you a link to sign in instantly.

Or

Check your email

We sent a link to

Open your email