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ELi5: Since when did the suffix "-Gate" became associated with controversy and tragedy? (lemmit.online)

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The original was posted on /r/explainlikeimfive by /u/Preston_of_Astora on 2023-06-25 15:21:04+00:00.

Yes it's OceanGate

But it also led me to revisit past controversies like ChargerGate and GamerGate.

Since when did the internet just decide that the suffix "-Gate" is the denominator of something being marked for controversy?

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[–] SpaceNoodle 1 points 2 years ago

This considerabley predates the Internet.

Here's an example from 1988: https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1988/04/11

This is derived from a historical scandal leading to a presidential resignation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watergate_scandal

It's worth noting that, while this scandal was unprecedented 50 years ago, it basically set the new guidelines for unscrupulous politicians, and seems miniscule in comparison to more recent presidential scandals.