We need to Cancel “Cancel Culture” In Popular Culture

Hitting the refresh button on social media these days can feel like being caught within a cycle of celebrity controversies. One minute Kanye West is trending for a controversial tweet, the next it’s Chrissy Teigen under fire for past comments or Will Smith’s slap overshadowing the Oscars, and as expected, as soon as these stories hit the internet, they spread like wildfire, exposing famous people to the court of public opinion.

This trend has been dubbed “cancel culture” – the social media movement of calling out public figures for offensive behavior, and demanding they face consequences.

But is cancel culture truly a force for good? Or is it a form of online bullying that stifles free speech and offers little impact?

Cancel culture thrives on social media, allowing marginalised voices to hold powerful figures accountable for offensive or harmful behaviour. The #MeToo movement is a prime example, with online outcry helping expose predators like Harvey Weinstein. However, the ease of online outrage can be a double-edged sword. The “outrage cycle” often goes by quickly, which allows a lot of celebrities to weather the initial storm of hashtags, only to resurface seemingly unscathed. Look at Kanye West’s continued success despite repeated controversies, or James Corden bouncing back after accusations of workplace toxicity.

During the initial period of rage though, The line between calling out bad behavior and resorting to online harassment is usually easily crossed, and public figures face relentless criticism, even for past mistakes, Hailey Bieber, or Lizzo (accused of body-shaming despite promoting self-love) exemplify this.

Although the issues levelled against these celebrities are usually very serious, the severity of the issues can get lost in the immediate online attacks, which often discourages meaningful dialogue and critical thinking in favour of a binary “good vs. evil” narrative.

Was Ellen DeGeneres truly a toxic boss, or were the accusations a media frenzy blown out of proportion? We may never know for sure in the court of public opinion.

Musician Lizzo, recently said, “This may be a random time to say this but it’s on my heart…cancel culture is misappropriation. There was real outrage from truly marginalised people at the start, and now it’s become trendy, misused, and misdirected,” she wrote. “I hope we can phase out of this & focus our outrage on the real problems.”

The debate about cancel culture forces us to ask important questions, Were these celebrities behaviours intentional or a product of ignorance? Did the public figure in question learn and grow from their mistakes? Should the punishment always fit the crime? Is a lifetime of career destruction warranted, for a bad tweet from years ago? Like in Chrissy Teigen’s case, where her past remarks have led to a temporary career setback.

Also can these public figures redeem themselves through genuine remorse, education, and efforts to make amends? Jonathan Majors, facing scrutiny for alleged abuse, has publicly apologised and expressed a desire to learn. Shouldn’t this be acknowledged?

As these questions linger: the debate around cancel culture is far from settled

So, the next time you see a celebrity trending for something they did (or allegedly did) in the past, hit pause. Maybe that tweet wasn’t great, but is it really worth their career ending? Instead of joining the attack, why not let the actual consequences play out. We can all be a little more understanding, a little more forgiving, and a whole lot less dramatic. Remember, everyone messes up sometimes (even your favorite celebs!), but that doesn’t mean they deserve to be cancelled forever. Let’s focus on learning from mistakes, growing as people, and spreading good vibes online. After all, wouldn’t the internet be a much cooler place if we all used our voices to celebrate wins, not just throw shade?

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Written by Angel Joanne Okonkwo