Too Quick to Cancel?

Story by Caroline Bissonnette

Discussing the cancel culture phenomenon and its impact on society.

Stock image by iStock

Hardly is there a day when a celebrity is not faced with thousands of people ridiculing them for socially (or legally) unacceptable behavior. This phenomenon, known colloquially and professionally as cancel culture, is a widely discussed topic in the media, mainly because of how controversial it is.

In an episode of “The Daily,” Michael Barbaro and Jonah Bromwich discuss cancel culture and how it has changed over time, hoping to define its place in society.

According to the two The New York Times reporters, the colloquial version of the word “canceled” originated on Black Twitter as a joke. Around 2018, it officially entered mainstream media as a word used to describe something that no longer serves us, or we no longer want in our lives.

Up until 2018, not many concerned themselves with cancel culture as a phenomenon, but instead only with what was being spread on social media, which at this point, was the term “canceled.” That was until big names, such as Donald Trump and Kanye West, catalyzed the movement by criticizing its point, or what they perceived as its point.

To this day, cancel culture is still not as widely understood as some may think. It can be hard to define its validity in society. However, its impact is clear: nobody wants to get canceled.

Cancel culture is a form of radicalized morality, meaning that as celebrities or other social figures do things that can be perceived as immoral, the public has no problem calling them out and attempting to eliminate them from having a large influence. This form of ostracism has grown alongside social media as people have become more comfortable behind a screen. Despite its new fancy name, cancel culture has been around for as long as people have been disagreeing with each other.

For example, the killing of women during the Salem Witch Trials. In fact, cancel culture has even sometimes been referred to as a modern day “witch hunt,” due to the public’s ability to discover information that can be considered a cancellable offense. A less gruesome example is Ray Bradbury’s bestseller “Fahrenheit 451,” where books are outlawed and get burned. If this book were released today, maybe Bradbury would have used “canceled” to describe the books in his writing, rather than “burned.”

According to a 2020 Pew Research Center survey of over 10,000 adults, “44% of Americans say they have heard at least a fair amount about the phrase, including 22% who have heard a great deal.” The survey was completed over two years ago and much has changed in the world of cancel culture in the media. It is valid to assume awareness has only grown.

Celebrities and others in the public eye tend to fear cancel culture, giving them a negative perception of the movement. Former presidents Donald Trump and Barack Obama have touched on the danger of cancel culture; Obama focused on its tendency to go “overboard,” and Trump referred to it as “the very definition of totalitarianism.”

It makes sense that those at the highest risk of being canceled on a large scale would be the first to fear the power of cancellation on social media. However, other members of society have different views of the phenomenon, which is what makes it so highly debated. On a basic level, cancel culture is either seen as a tool to hold celebrities accountable or a form of unjust punishment.

“Cancel culture is now just a reality and fact of life,” says Hailey Koenig, an Ohio University senior studying nutrition. “It can be used for good, but there are some major flaws in the system. I do feel like it is important to hold celebrities accountable, though, because of the power and influence they hold.”

Koenig also mentions the fact that a part of being a celebrity is being cognizant of the eyes of the world constantly watching them, which should influence them to make decisions and say things that will be positively received by their audience.

In the case of a cancellation, the audience must also make their decision on whether to continue supporting the celebrity under fire. This is known as the notion of separating the art from the artist.

Kanye West, self-dubbed “the main person that’s been canceled,” has been canceled more than most celebrities. However, West still manages to release music that tops the charts. The success of a celebrity post-cancellation depends primarily on the leniency of their fan base or the seriousness of their “offense.”

Dominic Bush, a senior studying journalism, says “the art should speak for itself,” which seems to be the case for West. His fans likely either agree with him, or do not have a problem with separating the art from the artist.

“If a person’s past or actions affect how you hear or see the art, then stop looking or listening,” Bush says.

There are multiple examples of artists who have continued to find success after being canceled. Morgan Wallen’s reputation, for example, was hurting after a video of him saying a slur went viral. Despite this, he still collected 2022’s prestigious Milestone Award from the Academy of Country Music last month.

These examples raise the question: Is canceling celebrities for wrongdoings worth it? In some cases, it just might be.

Armie Hammer was accused of sexually assaulting his ex-girlfriend, Courtney Vucekovich, as well as fantasizing about cannibalism, according to Vucekovich in a Page Six interview and leaked messages Hammer sent to various women. This mostly knocked Hammer off the top shelf, eliminating him from three projects he was part of and potentially harms his chances of being involved in something else. In this case, Hammer is likely feeling the sting of cancel culture and many believe he got what was coming for him.

It can be hard for the public to face and accept when their favorite celebrity has done something wrong. Whether cancel culture is considered punishment or holding someone accountable, celebrities can benefit from recognizing when they have made a mistake.

“If someone does something that is very harmful, it is important for people to learn about it, but it also reminds people that those they look up to can do bad things,” says Mace Miller, a sophomore studying music education and saxophone performance.

The growth of social media will continue to impact how and where interactions between fans and celebrities happen. Whether or not the person in the limelight truly made a mistake, they are going to be called out and this is not likely to change anytime soon.

“Everyone can grow,” Miller says. “Celebrities can have a dark spot on their record, but they are still just humans like everyone else. Bad people can change, and good people can do bad things.”