Getting “cancelled” refers to a group of people coming together and removing the support of a certain public figure for something they have done. This could be specific behavior, or an opinion they have towards something.
Cancel culture should be canceled
— Funky (@Benaskren) July 15, 2020
Cancel culture became popular during the #MeToo movement so that certain public figures could be held accountable for things they have done in the past. People are quick to judge an accusation whether real evidence is presented or not. This could be done as a publicity stunt, because the person who makes the accusation gains followers and so does the person being accused.
The main problem stems from the fact that no matter how successful someone is, they could have done something in their past that could ruin their platform and their future career. What “cancelers” don’t realize is the mental health issues that come with being “cancelled.” Being held accountable for an action made in the past, even though this person has most probably been informed and changed their behavior, can be damaging to their mental health.
Do you realize the consequences that actually come from cancel culture? It is wrong. People cancel others even if they have changed. "Canceling" involves completely ruining peoples lives and anyone associated causing mental health issues. Is that okay to you? Disgusting.
— KrystalViolet (@Vampriss) July 13, 2020
“Cancel culture” is teaching people to boycott a specific company or person, no matter if they apologized or tried to correct themselves. It doesn’t give people the opportunity to learn from their actions or behaviors without it severely harming them. People tend to forget that public figures are humans too, they have emotions and they’re imperfect, they make mistakes.
Let’s take a look at an example, Kevin Hart was bashed on social media for homophobic tweets from 2012. He issued a statement saying it was just a joke and there should be no barriers to comedy, free speech and more. Even after apologizing multiple times for his past mistakes, he was still asked to step down from hosting the 2018 Academy Awards.
I have made the choice to step down from hosting this year's Oscar's….this is because I do not want to be a distraction on a night that should be celebrated by so many amazing talented artists. I sincerely apologize to the LGBTQ community for my insensitive words from my past.
— Kevin Hart (@KevinHart4real) December 7, 2018
Cancel culture does shed light on controversial topics and reveals information about certain public figures that do not feel remorse for the actions they have taken in the past. Let’s look at the example of R. Kelly, who was exposed in the recent documentary “Surviving R. Kelly.” R. Kelly was exposed for his sexual misconduct with multiple women, people unanimously agreed to boycott his music and his entire brand.
Do you think “cancel culture” should be cancelled?
Let us know in the comments below!
