Backlash
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This article is about the sociological term. For the engineering term, see Backlash (engineering). For other uses, see Backlash (disambiguation).
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A backlash is a popular extreme negative reaction against something that has gained popularity, prominence, or influence. While sometimes a backlash represents a categorical rejection of the idea, aesthetic, product, or fad in question, it often is more reflective of a collective resentment of that thing's ubiquity in culture and media, more than its mere existence. The term is commonly applied to racial discrimination and religious discrimination committed against members of minority groups in response to an event or circumstance, such as the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.