Cancel culture is sometimes taken more seriously then it actually is. It feels like a trend, one influencer at a time being caught doing/ something immoral. From what I gather, in Harper’s letter is a response on how people can easily get fired or be canceled t over a simple everyday mistake humans tend to make. People who have jobs that rely on social media and the internet can sometimes live in fear and aganozie the day it’s their turn to be cancelled. I agree we don’t know all the answers, and our opinions are always changing and evolving. I agree that we shouldn’t be cancelled for having different opinions.
Bari Weis quote on his letter reforming the New York Times was something I’ve agreed with. “Stories are chosen and told in a way to satisfy the narrowest of audiences, rather than to allow a curious to read about the world and then draw their own conclusions” Bari Weis saying this makes me realize how people are not genuine in their work and put up a performances like mainstream brands so when someone doesn’t stick to being performative and are more genuine of how they think they are more likely to be canceled. It reminded me of my high school teacher’s lesson. How historians will always be biased and present facts but also from their point of view. Meaning you’re not supposed to agree with everything they state. One thing social media has taught me about media and businesses is that they will say anything be seen as non threatening. It’s all a performance to get views and advertisements out.
Though when I think about social media, cancel culture and celebrities I think of the beginning of coronavirus lockdown. I remember all these tone deaf celebrities making it impossible to watch Tik Toks and how they were cancelled for it. One other example of this was Vanessa Hudgens’ instagram response to Coronavirus. It angered people because of her indifference to death. Did they deserve it? Especially if they are a celebrity they need to know who their audience is social media is. Some celebrities don’t understand that their audience seek empathy and perfect responses to things like coronavirus and our political climate.
Cancel culture is viewed as the internet response to people being controversial. When it’s a normal response to the insane things celebrities try to get away with. Ellen should be cancelled because she has mistreated her workers. “These people are not getting canceled for everyday mistakes. These are all people whose insensitivity, if not outright monstrousness, are a matter of routine for them.” People like her are not victims of bullying. They are the bullies, you see bullying in real life has a huge impact. Like the story of Marriah Carrey miscarriage, ellen revealed to the audience that marriah was pregnant. To clear that rumor, Mariah drinked alcohol because Ellen put her on the spot. From time to time she’s shown how apathetic she is to others. Yet desperation shows with the staged house invasion and the infamous video of her crying. Though social media already knows that it only shows that she knows the attention is on her. Famous people never truly apologize because in the real world they are still millionaires, and will just keep getting richer.
With that being said, Cancel Culture Is a good thing, because racism, pedophiles and rapists should be exposed, fired and canceled. As social media progresses and people become more comfortable sharing stories and expressing themselves. There comes a limit and a time where things like pedophilia is normalized. Just like people getting fired over simple things theres times where even if people are mysonnists who try to normalise pedophilia, they are cancled yet still have not given any real repercausions, people like Donald Trump, Hollywood directors ike Michael Bay arent affected by cancel culture.
Further explanation Cancel culture goes away, and forgotten like a trend,, for example the #MeToo movements where people aren’t taken seriously. An example of this is Alexander Wang has been cancelled several times for sexual harassment and he is still very successful. Black Lives Matter Movements where people who speak up go missing and the media ignoring and criminalizing the movement. Cancel culture does have power in that small people like newspaper authors, doctors, or college students, teachers can lose their jobs over sometimes trivial things but yet it’s still an important thing for social media. I agree that it can step out boundaries and normalise being toxic and bullying. That’s where it should change, but that’s an individual’s fault where they can take advantage of cancel culture for their malicious intent of firing and hurting others life like in Bari Weis case, being harassed by his coworkers on Twitter.
It all comes down to the brands stance and their morals. Companies like the New York times have power over their workers and can fire the source of negative response. For example Brands and schools that say to their workers shouldnt show no political stance. During Black Lives Matter movement there has been a teacher fired for wearing a black lives matter mask. Founded in article, Newspath, CBS Austin (Photo: CBS. “Texas Teacher Fired after Refusing to Stop Wearing Black Lives Matter Mask.” KEYE, KEYE, 22 Sept. 2020. Andrew Sullivan’s letter proves that point. “ I agree with some of the critics that it’s a little nuts to say I’ve just been “canceled,” sent into oblivion and exile for some alleged sin. I haven’t. I’m just no longer going to be writing for a magazine that has every right to hire and fire anyone it wants when it comes to the content of what it wants to publish.” cancel culture almost seems like an excuse not to blame the brands themselves for firing newspaper authors, students, and teachers.
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