Cancel Culture: The Poor Execution of a Good Idea
By: Campbell Petschke
Controversy is no stranger to us nowadays. It has become more noticeable through social media platforms that we have felt this need to stand up for what is right and if someone says something we don’t agree with, we feel the need to be combative. So, in a way we have grown more collected to stand up for each other, but more distant as a consequence. This has lead to the concept more popularly known as cancel culture. Allow me to explain.
Cancel culture (sometimes referred to as call-out culture) is the act of refusing or discontinuing support towards a certain person, company or organization.
This ‘cancelling’ usually stems from a person speaking or acting about a controversial topic and results in a terrible backlash. These actions are most notably frequently found on other social media like Facebook and Instagram, but are most notable on Twitter. Twitter is the easiest place to find all the ‘canceling’ and all the drama that surrounds it. With over 260 million Twitter users worldwide, it is hard for news not to get around to everyone’s laptops and cell phones.
In recent history, the most noteworthy was probably R&B singer R. Kelly.
R. Kelly has been accused of sexually abused many women (a handful underage), credited with starting a sex cult, and urinating on a minor. These accusations spread like wildfire earlier this year and with the airing of the documentary Lifetime special, Surviving R. Kelly. This caused the cancel culture to boil over.
Naturally, mainstream artists like Lady Gaga, Chance the Rapper and Celine Dion all removed the songs they collaborated with him on. Other famed celebrities that have been taken down by cancel culture include film producer Harvey Weinstein, actor/comedian Bill Cosby and former TV anchor Matt Lauer.
While cancel culture does prove to be an effective method of bringing a sense of justice to our society, this movement is not without its’ critiques.
Many people have found this movement subjective and almost toxic in a sense. There have been countless celebrities that have been called out for their actions, but so many have been brushed off as simple mistakes or missteps in their career. Most notably is Chris Brown.
Brown has gained fame, not only for his music, but for his controversial actions as well. In 2009, he was also known for the assault of then girlfriend Rihanna. This cost him opportunities like performing at the Grammys. Yet fast forward, three years into the future and he has the Billboard Top 100 charting song, “Don’t Wake Me Up”.
Later last year, Chicago Cubs shortstop Addison Russell was cancelled for domestic violence and as a result was suspended from the team for 90 days. When the day came when his suspension was up, he was booed from Chicagoans and the opposing team’s fans as well.
So what makes the situation between these two so different where one gets cancelled and the other gets their popularity back? In search of answers, I looked to the public because, after all, the public is the ultimate determining factor in someone’s cancellation.
I interviewed 10 people that I worked with that were ages 16–22 and had Twitter accounts with these results:
“The only reason people bother to save [Brown] is because of his good looks”, sighs Reyna Guerrero. This seemed to be a popular idea in mind when asking these questions. What if looks and talent really were the determining factors without substantial evidence or any conflicting viewpoints?
I also showed the interviewees an article from the New York Times of all the cancelled men from the Me Too movement, which has coincided with cancel culture the past few years (since October 23, 2018). Everyone was shocked at the amount of people on the list.
“I wonder how many of these people actually committed the crime they were accused of doing?” questions Hollie D.
It’s also important to keep in mind how many of these people have gone under the radar after all these years too. David Bowie was accused of statutory rape back in the 1980’s as well as pedophilia, but is viewed as a rock legend in millions of eyes and aspiring rockers today. Lady Gaga, ironically, even paid tribute by performing songs of Bowie’s after his death back in 2016.
Viral Soundcloud rapper, XXXTentacion had almost beaten his pregnant girlfriend to death a few years back, but was fatally shot dead in June of 2018. I say this because I know people that passionately listen to his music still and even wear t-shirts with his face on it, one even saying “gone too soon”.
Here is audio confessing his crime(s):
A friend of mine that is a fan of XXXTentacion once reminded me of the phrase, “you have to separate the art from the artist”. An interesting point. I am an avid listener of David Bowie’s music, a once accused rapist, so am I guilty of believing in this quote my friend reminded me of too? In a way, yes, but this is what is frustrating and difficult when it comes to discussing cancel culture. We don’t know what is right and wrong in this situation until it gains steam from social media and then we form an ‘opinion’.
There are many people out there that believe that John Lennon is the biggest douchebag because of how he handled his fame as a Beatle and was also a known domestic abuser. He later admitted he was a terrible man, but worked on perfecting an image of positivity and peace, which he is known and loved for today.
This poses many different causes for forgetting someone or something’s past. Is it because of death? Recovery? Willingness to change? Time? Whatever reason people come up with will more than likely have its’ followers as well.
So what should we do when it comes to cancel culture? Do we stand in opposition to its’ supposed selectiveness, negativity and overall toxicity, or do we stand with it and bringing righteousness to taking down those that have chosen to abuse their power?
Whether we like it or not, that answer is completely selective too.
Whether or not we cancel someone or something ends up being completely subjective. There will always be some in favor and some in opposition, that will never change.
The last thing I will say is to remember who the real artists are out there. Next time you want to call someone out for cancelling someone or be the one cancelling, remind yourself of your moral standards and if what the person you’re defending doesn’t share that… think. Think is this really what I stand for in life?
