Cancel 'Cancel Culture'

Cancel culture is defined as “the practice or tendency of engaging in mass canceling as a way of expressing disapproval and exerting social pressure” by Merriam-Webster. Social Media platforms are the coming of age for the increased toxicity of the cancel culture phenomenon. Celebrities, corporations, CEOs, and individuals have been prosecuted by the public with evidence being scared or fortified. However, there are cases where the cancel culture has been a good thing. Even a great thing surrounding the current #MeToo movement brought about the issues women struggle with on a daily basis, including sexual assault and sexual harassment.

Celebrities specifically are being held to a high standard in regards to cancel culture. Now many of the people I am going to talk about have significant evidence including witnesses and testimonies against them, and I will detail which ones. However, there are certain situations that I will also address as being an overreacting to a guesstimate situation.

The first example of a celebrity being cancelled is Harvey Weinstein. If you don’t know who Weinstein is, he is a formed film producer known for Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Django Unchained, and Scream. In October of 2017, it was reported by The Times and The New York Times that over a dozen women have accused Weinstein of sexual assualt, sexual abuse, and rape. After years of trials, investigations, and now over 80 women coming forward about his behavior, Weinstein was sentenced to imprisonment. The social media universes exploded into outrage against the film producer and stood in support with the victims, including many A-list actresses. The social media outpour was the final straw in several companies ending their collaborations with The Weinstein Corporation (TWC) and being dismissed by the TWC board himself.

The latest example of cancel culture towards a celebrity, and one that is an overreaction, is the Selena Gomez-Hailey Bieber feud. If you haven’t heard about this, Hailey Bieber and Kylie Jenner have allegedly made snide comments on their social media posts towards Selena Gomez. These allegations are just that, allegations, as there is no definitive proof that this has happened. However, the Selena Gomez fanbase and many others have come to her defense against this “act of cyber-bullying”. Fans are calling for an apology by Bieber and have gone so far as to cancel her on social media. She has taken down any posts that could be construed as an insult to the former Disney Channel star but the damage has been done. Even if no harm was meant, people sitting behind keyboards have become the court, jury, and executioner without seeing the full evidence.

Sources

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cancel%20culture

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/31/nyregion/harvey-weinstein-producer-questioned-by-new-york-police-after-groping-accusation.html