Cancel Culture Cancel cancel culture

by Michael Wang online managing copy editor

It seems to happen every day. A celebrity tweets a phrase that is far from politically correct and suddenly thousands of internet users rush to defame them. Calling for extensive apologies, tears and money in retribution, they often lose control After posting several self-deprecating videos of themselves crying, as well as a few carefully worded paragraphs designed by their PR team, the offender is then promptly forgotten until the next time around. This vicious cycle, known as cancel culture, started circulating in 2017 and has rapidly spread to every corner of society, from politics to slang use. However, cancel culture has had many unintended (or intended) consequences, which can often spiral out of control.

While “canceling” someone may start with good intentions, it can quickly go too far. A study by Liberty University showed that people lose emotions and responsibility over text. This detachment from the victim makes it easy to dish out overwhelming hate and punishment for a person who has already faced real-world consequences. Cancel culture just adds fuel to the flames.

Another consequence of cancel culture comes from mob mentality. Mob support has been a frequent weapon utilized politically to people’s own advantage. This suppresses free speech of people who agree with a view and even causes many people to join the mob in fear of being canceled themselves. Also, it further decreases any original thought, with many people just adopting the popular view. It violates the fundamental principles of democracy that cancel culture aims to uphold in the first place.

Importantly, cancel culture often fails to bring about any meaningful change. People who speak or act offensively will already see consequences in work, school and law enforcement if warranted. Thousands of people insulting them on social media does nothing, only akin to glorified cyberbullying. The only thing these people are “bringing to justice” are their own egos, but fail to impact them in the real world.

One recent example is the incident at the Oscars involving actor Will Smith. Smith slapped comedian Chris Rock on live television, prompting outrage from many people. Yet, despite this widespread cancellation, Smith continued to hold and secure new jobs in films and movies, which shows just how ineffective cancel culture is.

Another case is when Terry Crews attempted to speak out against his abuser in the wake of the MeToo movement. Many people accused him of taking advantage of the movement for personal gain, causing significant damage to his job and reputation. This cancellation was not only harmful but added confusing conflict to an already complicated case.

Taking the side of the “morally correct” opinion, and shielded by the mob mentality, users of cancel culture feel invincible behind their screen. Devastating and unproductive, this textbook example of mass hysteria is harming people’s livelihoods and reputations. Cancel culture needs to be canceled.

Important tool for progress

by Shivam Vashishtha online editor-in-chief

Cancel culture encourages citizens to give voice and words to their hatred towards certain people who are unreachable otherwise. It reduces support for certain individuals, more commonly celebrities, due to their opinions or actions being considered objectionable by society. Oftentimes, it is met with resistance, whether by the accuser or their supporters. However, overall, cancel culture allows for society to progress and wrong-doers to be held accountable, and it shouldn’t be written off due to its extremities.

Cancel culture’s biggest moment: #MeToo circa 2017. When sexual abuse allegations against former film producer Harvey Weinstein became public, widespread outrage sprouted that called for retribution for the hurt women, eventually leading to his conviction as a sex offender. In support of the abused women, other assault survivors would disclose their abusers over social media to show support and unity, as well as hold their own offenders accountable. Before the movement, many survivors said they were scared to tell their side of the story as they believed people would not believe the facts. However, because of how this movement enabled them, thousands of women were able to get their story out there and proved a point to society — people should be held responsible, regardless of their status.

Cancel culture also encourages accountability and a chance for the development of the people who are called out. An example of such can be seen in the controversy surrounding YouTuber Logan Paul after he posted a video containing a dead body in Japan’s Aokigahara forest, a site know for its high rates of suicide. Paul initially was reluctant to discuss the video after removing it but, due to widespread backlash, he later came forth to take more accountability. As well, he donated $1 million to suicide prevention organizations and worked with experts to raise awarness about mental health. Since then, Paul has openly admitted that he feels he has learned a lot from what happened to him, an experience that only cancel culture taught him.

A common critique of cancel culture is that it never knows when to stop. However, it can be argued that that is the natural flow of progress. Society’s progress should and can never stop. For example, during the #MeToo movement, many argued that innocent men were targeted, creating an “environment of fear” for male employees. However, it is important to remember that the movement definitely helped to create a safer and more equitable workplace for many people. In fact, according to Politico, between 2017 and 2021, states introduced 2,324 #MeToo-related bills and passed 286. Sure, those in power at the time will have an aura of fear surrounding them, but in the end, society still progressed.

Overall, cancel culture is a valuable part of social media today as it reduces the shame around taking responsibility. Moreover, it provides people with a platform to express their opinions. In the future, cancel culture will continue to enhance as more people on social media discover the power it enables them with, and the opportunities it gives to the individuals who are being “called out” to bring about positive change.