Anyone who has been unfortunate enough to be on social media in the past decade has come across what is known as “cancel culture.” This idea of accountability just does not carry any weight and is simply an excuse for people to get angry.
Although the movement’s origins are hazy, replete with pop culture references, some might pinpoint it to early 2010 Tumblr blogs–most notable of which called Your Fave is Problematic–where fans discussed why their favorite celebrities were imperfect.
The idea was that when a celebrity would say something offensive, they would be “canceled,” that is, their work would be shunned. Of course, this never really happened.
It hit its peak during quarantine, when people hungry for entertainment decided to go after YouTubers and TikTokers who made a joke that the person did not agree with.
The idea of cancel culture was accepted by most to be empty.
I think that there were two main problems with this strange concept.
First, it does not allow for apologies. Sure, everyone has seen a video of a celebrity obviously saying sorry simply because they feel they need to, but everyone makes mistakes.
Taking proper accountability and offering forgiveness is how people grow and learn.
Also, I feel that cancel culture simply does not exist. Compared to the past, celebrities can get away with a lot and not lose a single follower.
In 2006, Michael Richards of Seinfeld fame had a racially- charged meltdown live on stage.
He retired from comedy soon after when he struggled to find work.
Flash forward to today. Kanye West has publicly supported Hitler and posted Nazi imagery. Travis Scott and his producers failed to stop a concert which spiraled out of control, killing 10 people. Afterwards, he posted an unprofessional apology with no depth.
Have either of these rappers faced repercussions? No.
They are still two of the top artists on Apple Music and Spotify. They both should be reprimanded for their actions, but people just keep on supporting them.
Cancel culture is, in short, a stupid idea. It focuses on pure punishment without chance for betterment, but it also does not even do that most of the time.
