“Cancel culture,” a current trend wherein different figures within the different media platform oust each other and take jabs at each other’s media presence to remove them from the public image, has affected many within the industry. While not inherently problematic, it has the potential for both good and bad change. It can bring about positive change by ousting people that have been able to get away with depraved behavior for too long but it can also be negative if used by those same people to damage the images of their peers within the industry.
As it currently stands, cancel culture provides us with an interesting moral dilemma. We are watching famous figures turn infamous overnight, all at the hands of one person attacking their public image. It is hard to keep up with who is telling the truth when response videos are a dime a dozen and apology videos are being made in advance to prepare for controversy. As media personalities navigate their way out of their messes, they make claims, rile up their fan bases and make the war they waged worse.
Given all of that, however, Cancel culture can be a good thing because, throughout that whole ordeal, these media personalities are truly held accountable for their actions, even if it might have happened before coming famous. It helps people understand the types of personalities that they are following and whether they should be doing so.
A famous example of modern “Cancel Culture” would be the debacle between James Charles and Tati Westbrook that happened just months ago. Two leading figures in the beauty industry, throughout their feud, they both lost a lot of followers, even if James gained it all back later on, and a lot of bad behavior shown from both sides had been divulged. James had been called out by Tati for “pushing himself onto others” when they clearly were not interested in his advances. Tati was later on put under the microscope for the way in which she handled the situation, having been noted to let James continue with his behavior until it was beneficial for her to call him out on it.
The greater community was able to see what happens when two big figures try to cancel each other. There are no winners but the people are left considering the types of influencers that they are supporting.
Cancel culture is exemplary of the way things are now; It doesn’t have too much effect but it causes a stir whenever it occurs. Cancel culture can be looked at in whatever lens or with whatever pretense, but the reality still stands that there are both positives and negatives about it, and like most things, it should come with heavy moderation.
Article by Yeabsira Moges of Wheaton High School
Graphic by Claire Yang of Winston Churchill High School