Cancel Culture

C
ancel culture, also called 'call-out culture', is a term used to describe the act of boycotting people, usually celebrities, who share controversial opinions or have done something in the past that people find offensive. The term 'cancel culture' came to prominence in recent years starting with the #MeToo movement, where celebrities and other public figures were being exposed as physical or sexual abusers. When a person gets canceled, other people stop supporting that person. With celebrities, this boycotting usually takes shape as people not seeing movies, television shows, or other entertainment featuring the canceled person or with political figures, this can ruin their reputation meaning they do not get reelected.

Effects of Being Canceled

There are a wide range of effects that are caused by a person being canceled. These effects can range from a slight buzz on social media and the news cycle about what was said or done, to the person's career being ruined and whatever legacy they left behind, if any, being permanently tarnished.

Kevin Hart

In 2018, comedian Kevin Hart faced backlash from fans after it was discovered he had made a series of homophobic tweets dating back to 2009. The amount of backlash both Kevin Hart and the Oscars received put the producers of the Oscars in a difficult position. Hart was asked by the producers to apologize for posting the tweets and as a result, he refused to apologize and stepped down as host of the Oscars.

Johnny Depp

In 2016, domestic abuse allegations were made against actor Johnny Depp by his then wife, actress Amber Heard. This happened at the height of the #MeToo movement, and as a result, Johnny Depp was effectively cancelled and Disney has dropped him from the most recent Pirates of the Caribbean film. In early 2019, details were leaked online of a new lawsuit between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. The lawsuit detailed abuse the Depp suffered with evidence such as audio clips and surveillance camera video proving the case.

Bill Cosby

Ethical Issues of Cancelation

Ever since the rise of social media, people have expressed their feelings and opinions on an endless amount of topics. Part of civilization includes sharing opinions and ideas with others, but part of sharing ideas is having people disagree with those ideas. The major problem with cancel culture is the idea that you can just shut down anybody who disagrees with you, no matter the reason. You cannot have civil discourse if you only associate with people who agree with you.