Cancel Culture over the years has been described as the act of no longer supporting a problematic individual or corporation.
The topic is extremely controversial because what is the exact definition of “problematic”? Where do we draw the line between an honest mistake and an unforgivable act? Who's idea of morality is being followed here?
Some people seem to think Cancel Culture isn't real and that people for a large part are overreacting to this phenomenon. Others believe that the movement has gone too far and that social media mobs must be stopped. The truth is somewhere in between.
The problem with cancel culture is that it has become too broad and varied. Harvey Weinstein was cancelled over decades of sexual-assault allegations, yet so was Elizabeth Olsen for not immediately making a post on social media about her deceased co worker. It is used in so many different contexts by so many groups of people with so many different agendas that it is nearly impossible to have a proper take on it.
There is plenty wrong with cancel culture if we take it to mean kicking a person out of society and piling on hate until they're essentially ruined. When does cancelling someone turn into borderline harassment?
One of the major issues with this movement is that a lot of people essentially look at celebrities as black and white. There is absolutely no nuance. This is a childlike view on human nature. Someone who may have been an internet darling could be absolutely despised the minute they make a mistake. The idea that someone with opposing views from us could be a decent person seems to be fading away if we simply look at the knee-jerk reactions that twitter might have to a public figure messing up. The idea of pushing someone out - because they have said or done something perceived to be offensive - leaves no room for growth or learning.
However, if we look at it as holding public figures accountable for their actions, cancel culture is actually a fairly decent movement. Many celebrities have actually been forced to become better people as a result of it. While once upon a time actors might have thought of themselves as invincible, now they're constantly on their toes as they know that their entire brand could come crashing down at any moment. Jameela Jamil even confessed on Instagram that being called out made her a better person.
Cancel culture has also been incredibly effective at combating sexism, racism, or any other type of abuse or harmful wrongdoing to others. The outrage over #OscarsSoWhite helped bring out a deep rooted issue in Hollywood that has existed for decades and helped the general public in hearing the voices of millions of people of color. Thanks to social media, a lot of minorities have been given a platform to express themselves and point out the various harmful stereotypes that have been around for far too long. Platforms like Twitter give a louder collective voice to Black people and members of other marginalized communities who have traditionally been shunted to the edges of public conversations
Now the question comes, how exactly should one go about "cancelling" a person? In my opinion, we should resist a combative approach in calling people out for their misdeeds. We must help people see the issues with what they've said or done, instead of going on a tirade about why they're scum. Some people who might seem to have problematic views are actually extremely uninformed.By educating them on the issue at hand, we could help them change their mind. As Jameela Jamil tweeted a few months ago: “Nobody is born perfectly ‘woke.’” And we shouldn’t expect people to be. Wokeness is a continuous process of learning and unlearning. It’s about showing up, even when it makes you uncomfortable. It’s about turning fear of criticism into impactful dialogue and actionable change."
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