“Cancel Culture”—there’s no doubt you’ve heard of it. The phrase often carries a negative connotation, implying that there is an epidemic of “cancellations.” Many view this form of public shaming as a dangerous and negative thing, tying people to thoughtless comments they made before they knew better. While there are certainly negative and frankly ridiculous examples of cancelling being done without full context or understanding of the issue, cancel culture serves a valuable purpose today.
How else does one deter people from making racist, sexist, homophobic jokes or comments? One can’t sue them, not unless their comments somehow break American law (they almost never will). Shaming happens to be one of the most effective tools of getting someone to reconsider what they’ve done, difficult as it is for the one being shamed. Shaming won’t work every time, but it’s much more sure to provoke thought on the subject than simply letting someone get away with something.
However, there is a need for communication and ground rules—otherwise, cancel culture can get out of hand. The internet can be a confusing place, as there are often little defined rules or guidelines other than public opinion. With that said, there are very basic social norms that are not being observed on the internet. People seem to have forgotten that our understanding of “dark” and “edgy” has evolved to a more nuanced position. This position acknowledges that jokes that challenge societal norms can be funny and thought-provoking, but that racism, sexism, or homophobia aren’t funny at all.
Laying consistent groundwork for what is worthy of a cancellation is important, and holding people accountable is even more so. The main issue with discussions of cancel culture is the misdirection that often occurs. Often, there is a troubling amount of pushback against undeniably deserved cancellations. Dr. Seuss’s recent cancellation is a prime example of this. For context, several of Dr. Seuss’s books were pulled by his estate for containing racially insensitive content. And even though his own estate recognizes that Dr. Seuss’s work was racist, some claim that this is an example of cancel culture gone too far. Clearly, Dr. Seuss, despite his status as an idolized children’s author, deserved to be canceled—and to claim that his cancellation is representative of “cancel culture gone too far” is nonsensical.
However, on the internet, where everyone is obsessed over drama, “cancel culture” can get so out of hand that it distracts from real issues. Cancel culture should serve as a means to regulate those who make inappropriate comments, and it serves this invaluable role in our society today.