# Intellectual Dark Web Intellectual Dark Web, or IDW, is a label coined by mathematician Eric Weinstein for a loose cluster of podcasters, academics and commentators who styled themselves as dissidents against mainstream media and academia on free speech and identity politics[1]. New York Times editor Bari Weiss profiled the group on May 8, 2018, drawing heavy mockery on Twitter and inspiring a parody Tumblr the same day[3]. ## Origin Eric Weinstein, managing director of Thiel Capital, coined 'Intellectual Dark Web' partly in response to the May 2017 Evergreen State College protests, where his brother Bret Weinstein, a biology professor, was targeted after objecting publicly to a 'Day of Absence' event asking white students and faculty to leave campus[1]. Bret later left Evergreen with a reported $500,000 settlement alongside his wife Heather Heying[1]. The phrase entered public use on January 3, 2018, when Sam Harris released a Waking Up podcast episode titled 'The Intellectual Dark Web' featuring Eric Weinstein and Ben Shapiro[5]. - **Platform:** Podcast (Waking Up) / The New York Times (viral spread) - **Creator:** Eric Weinstein - **Date:** 2018 ## Overview Members commonly listed under IDW include Sam Harris, Eric and Bret Weinstein, Dave Rubin, Joe Rogan, Jordan Peterson, Ben Shapiro, Christina Hoff Sommers and Claire Lehmann, though the roster was always contested and the group had no formal membership[4]. Weinstein pitched the name as a half joke, arguing the figures were pushed outside what he called a 'gated institutional narrative' set by universities, legacy media and Hollywood on topics like biology, feminism and race[1]. Online, IDW works as both a self-chosen brand and a punchline. Supporters use it earnestly to signal a dissident truth-telling circle, while critics joke that millionaire podcasters with huge audiences can hardly claim to be marginalized[3]. The main meme output around the label is parody roster art, especially Dungeons and Dragons style alignment charts that slot Peterson, Shapiro, Harris and the Weinstein brothers into good, neutral and chaotic quadrants[7]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is Intellectual Dark Web? Intellectual Dark Web, or IDW, is a label for a loose group of podcasters, academics and commentators including Sam Harris, Jordan Peterson, Ben Shapiro and the Weinstein brothers who present themselves as free-thought dissidents against mainstream media and academia[1]. ### Where did Intellectual Dark Web come from? Mathematician Eric Weinstein coined the phrase after his brother Bret's 2017 Evergreen State College controversy; it entered public use with a January 3, 2018 Sam Harris Waking Up podcast titled 'The Intellectual Dark Web'[5]. ### What does Intellectual Dark Web mean? Weinstein described IDW as defiance of what he calls the 'gated institutional narrative' set by universities, legacy media and Hollywood, especially around identity politics, feminism and biology[1]. ### How do you use Intellectual Dark Web? Supporters use the term earnestly to describe a renegade intellectual circle, while critics use it mockingly, often attached to parody alignment charts slotting IDW figures into D&D-style good and evil quadrants[7]. ### Is Intellectual Dark Web still popular? The label peaked around Bari Weiss's May 8, 2018 New York Times op-ed, which drew a one-day Twitter backlash and a parody Tumblr the same day[3]. ## References 1. [https://reason.com/blog/2018/05/03/what-is-the-intellectual-dark-web]() 2. [http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-daum-intellectual-dark-web-20180316-story.html]() 3. [http://observer.com/2018/05/new-york-times-bari-weiss-intellectual-dark-web-twitter/]() 4. [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/intellectual-dark-web]() 5. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5HN-KT9rj0]() 6. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trhTbEs2GGE]() 7. [https://www.reddit.com/r/Jordan_Peterson_Memes/comments/813aff/intellectual_dark_web/]() 8. [https://twitter.com/i/moments/993891675306184704]() 9. [https://intellectualdarkweb.tumblr.com]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/intellectual-dark-web Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library