Name-calling
Using a label to make you reject someone without reasons.
In our replies we call it: Name-calling
What it means
Name-calling attaches a sticky label to a person or group (a mocking nickname, "traitor", "anti-national", "bhakt", "libtard") so the audience dismisses them on sight. Once the label lands, nobody asks what the person actually said.
How to spot it in a Reel
- Nicknames instead of names
- Labels that end the discussion ("traitor", "sold out")
- Memes that mock instead of answering
Examples
- A Reel answers an opposition leader's speech with a nickname montage and no reply to the speech.
- A Reel calls a minister's supporters by an insulting label instead of addressing the policy.
Why it doesn't hold up
A label is not an argument. The person can still be right or wrong; the nickname tells you nothing about which.
What to say back
"Okay, but what's wrong with what they actually said?"
Questions
What's the difference between name-calling and ad hominem?
Name-calling is the label itself. Ad hominem is using any attack on the person to dismiss their argument.
Check a Reel for this trick
Send any Reel to @checkthis.chat on Instagram. If it uses this trick, the reply names it and shows where it happens.
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