‘Smash the patriarchy’: the changing meanings and work of ‘patriarchy’ online

This article discusses the resurgence of term ‘patriarchy’ in digital culture and reflects on everyday online meanings distinction to academic theorisations. In 1960s–1980s, feminists theorised patriarchy as systematic oppression women, with differing approaches how it worked. Criticisms that concept was unable account for intersectional experiences oppression, alongside ‘turn culture’, resulted a fall from grace. However, has found new life through Internet memes (humorous, mutational images circulate widely social media). aims investigate culture. Based an analysis phrase ‘smash patriarchy’, we identify are used by two different communities (feminists anti-feminists) consider what this means ongoing usefulness patriarchy. We argue that, whilst performing important community-forming work, using is risky strategy reasons: first, because their nature brief, there little opportunity address intersections oppression; secondly, underlying logic feminism omitted favour brevity, leaving exposed being undermined more mainstream masculinism.