Week #10 - Amratha Rao - "Cancel" Culture
Week 10 - “Cancel” Culture
We’re all familiar with social media and its norms, but what about its etiquette? Influencers and celebrities alike have their lives on display for the world to see …and judge.
Nicki Minaj, Kevin Hart, and even Michael Jackson are all stars who’ve been “canceled” by the media, or been berated and criticized for saying and voicing some not so popular opinions. But what has this done? On social media platforms, we all hide behind our usernames and get to call out influential people, in the hopes of potentially bringing awareness to the source of many issues, but the reality is that “cancel” culture doesn’t always work.
The practice of “canceling” individuals has really led to only shaming them into silence, sometimes even out of fame. Other instances, like canceling Kanye West when he called slavery being a “choice”, was almost 100% ineffective. Sure he garnered some bad press, but his overall image and career in the music industry remained untouched. West was “too big” of a star to be effectively called out.
However, “canceling” has also definitely been uplifting as well. The #MeToo movement created a platform for victims of sexual assault to share the stories and call out their abusers. Larry Nasser, the USA National Gymnastics team doctor was accused by hundreds of female gymnasts for sexually assaulting them. He was “called out” and his crimes were brought out to court and he received up to 175 years in prison on multiple sexual assault charges.
Social media is a wild place, but while it does have its perks; it is easily just as flawed and chaotic. When people get called out, it's because they have a voice and a platform that matters and affects others in impactful ways. In the end of the day, the effectiveness of cancel culture comes down to it being simply an online policing method whose reach is not limitless. It's not a perfect system, nor is it always effective, but it gives us the power to voice our concerns, which is a start.
Image Credits: https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/viral/deep-reckoning-or-fleeting-outrage-cancel-culture-s-complexity-proves-n1031466
I despise the notion of “cancel culture” because of what you noted, it almost never truly “cancels” anyone. I think it is just another way to silence people from coming forward, another attempted movement being struck down by the cries of it going “too far.” I think there needs to be a lot more accountability for influencers and celebrities alike, especially those who get famous suddenly and without the thorough background checks that getting famous from a label entails. I hope this accountability culture goes beyond just social media outrage and has genuine consequences for these people who, quite frankly, let the fame and entitlement get to their heads and then exhibit an utter disregard for people they perceive to be “less deserving.”
ReplyDeleteHey Amratha! I will admit that I had come into this article thinking I would read another treatise on how cancel culture is the worst thing to have happened since world war 2 and how progressives were going too far by canceling these artists and “destroying their livelihoods”. Suffice it to say I was pleasantly surprised to see a completely reasonable blog on the benefits that cancel culture has yielded. And the importance of these benefits cannot be overstated since its finally a time where some powerful people might finally have to answer for charges ranging from serious bigotry to the horrible acts many have committed that have come to light under the #metoo movement.
ReplyDeleteAmratha, this was a nice post to read and understand your thoughts on cancel culture. I believe that it can cancel culture but in some cases it is taken too far. Sometimes the internet can be ruthless and call out young kids who are just 16 or 17 for their mistakes. While I believe these people should be held accountable, they are judged and treated as if they are 30 years old, which is not the case. They are young kids who are still growing and will inevitably make mistakes like we all do as we grow up. Nevertheless, there is also a positive to cancel culture. Celebrities, who are much older and know right from wrong, being called out and being held for their actions is, to me, good. For them to understand that what they are doing is disrespectful and not acceptable can teach them to repeat those mistakes in the future. It can also teach the people who follow the “canceled” celebrity to not do those actions. Like you said, cancel culture does give people the power to voice their concerns and problems.
ReplyDeleteCancel culture is such a controversial topic today. On one hand, it is able to call out people who voice or act disrespectfully, but on the other hand it is toxic and is often taken too far. The idea behind this concept might be positive, but it often causes more harm and trouble than help. As you noted, it is often ineffective, and to the people that fall victim to it may suffer severe consequences. Cancel culture gives celebrities and influencers a lot of pressure to say "the right thing" for fear of being cancelled.
ReplyDeleteHi Amratha! I totally agree with your opinions on cancel culture. Whether people "cancel" others to call out problematic issues and behavior, as well as raise awareness, or take it too far, cancelling is an internet phenomenon that often does not have any real substance to it. People can voice their opinions online, but whenever someone gets pointed out, real action needs to be taken alongside criticism in order to truly make a difference. Cancel culture can negatively impact and guilt people who often do not deserve the extent to which others "cancel" them, but it often does not have that same impact on influential people who can issue a simple public "apology" without actually feeling sorry.
ReplyDeleteHi Amratha! I agree that canceling culture can occasionally be effective in diminishing injustice and misconduct; however, most of the time “canceling” someone over the media is completely ineffective. I am personally not a fan of cancel culture since I believe that people deserve second chances and should not be “canceled” and condemned by the whole media for a mistake they made. I once saw a Youtuber who was accused of a mistake and suddenly everyone was against them. No one gave them a chance to tell their story. Although, cancel culture allows us to voice our opinion, I also believe it should also be a learning experience. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHi Amratha, I used to associate cancel culture as a positive method of spreading positivity and taking away fame from influencers or celebrities who do not deserve it, however, from reading your blog, I can understand the negative effects it may have. Because celebrities and influencers are always in the spotlight, it is difficult for them to express their freedom of speech for fear of being “canceled.” I feel that it is very difficult to prevent this, but, hopefully in the future, cancel culture will only be used to bring down criminal celebrities and influencers.
ReplyDeleteHey Amratha, with how I have seen cancel culture being used to hold people accountable for their actions, it has strayed farther and farther away from its intended purpose. Cancel culture enforces an unhealthy, rigid belief that encourages mob mentality. There are a lot of problems about cancel culture, especially with how extreme the consequences you are forced to face if you mess up. While cancel culture has contributed to addressing problematic issues in the past, the detrimental mindset that it perpetuates is not worth the cost of continuing it. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHey Amratha, the modern cancel culture today is a topic I will admit I ridicule at times. Although I am confident it began with positive intent towards cancelling those famous individuals who truly does not deserve their fame, my notion of cancel culture today is it is instead a huge hivemind dedicated towards any individual or company who dares to step out of line with todays modern beliefs. One example I can present is the recent "boycott" of Spotify, as creators and Spotify employees are pressured by the public to withdraw from Spotify, all because Spotify contained one of Joe Rogan's podcasts that contained apparent misinformation about COVID. Joe Rogan, however, is known for introducing different perspectives onto his show, and this time, he explained, was merely because he brought onto his podcast a skeptic about the vaccine. Because of this, the hashtag #DeleteSpotify began trending, something I really find funny as Spotify had barely anything to do with Joe Rogan posting his podcast. In the end, this cancel culture is something I promise myself I will stay away from.
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