Being "Cordycepted" is when a person, group, or organization is taken over by outsiders, usually political activists, and their original culture, mission, or goals is replaced with the outsider's political culture, mission, or goals, often self-destructively.
The name comes from the "Zombie ant fungi," Ophiocordyceps, which is a parasitical fungus that infects ants,
literally forcing them to go to a
high location and become a spore bomb to infect other ants.
The specific tactic when outsiders join a group to do this is called Entryism, and is a hallmark of political activism going back since at least the 60s. See also "Spectrum of Allies Analysis," a specific activist tactic that seeks to push a person, group, or organization "just one
tick" in a certain direction, from "active opponent" to "neutral" to "active ally," often from
outside the group.
While this is a primarily political or culture war
thing, many artists also become cordycepted by fetish communities, particularly those who accept commission
work. Artists who find a specific niche of commissioners or fans
may find their
work shifting to cover this niche near exclusively.
"I used to follow them on
twitter but they've been so cordycepted they don't post about their webcomic anymore, they just rant about BLM,
Trump, and other political
crap."
