What is cancel culture? Masses can cancel people by removing them from social or professional circles. People cancelled others due to different reason such as negative behavior and cultural reason. People feel that their action or conversation is offensive and start to remove them. For example, boycotts or rejecting their work.
Kevin Spacey
Kevin Spacey is an actor and artistic director. He won many prizes such as Tony in 1991, Academy Award in 1995 and Oscar in 2000. He became an artistic director in 2004. He won an honorary knighthood and a special Olivier award in 2015. However, he was “cancelled” because some people claimed that he made sexual harassment towards them. Many people started to reject his performance. In 3rdNovember of 2017, Netflix announced that it will not be posted with any further production of House of Cards that includes Spacey and will not release Gore. Gore is a film that Spacey is the leading actor. Although Spacey denies all accusation at that time, he resigned for his leading actor in House of Cards.
^Kevin Spacey in House of Cards
We can see that Spacey was “cancelled” due to his negative behavior. But why cancel culture become popular? I think people may feel that this culture allows them to protect the victims. People who act negative behavior should be accountable for their action. However, is cancel culture really a tool of protecting victims?
Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift has been “cancelled” during 2016. The reason for her to be “cancelled” is because masses thought that she is a liar. In 2016, Kanye West released his song Famous. Taylor claimed that she didn’t agree for some lyrics. For example, having sex with Taylor and I made that bitch famous. However, Kanye West’s wife Kim Kardashian posted a video. In the video, Kanye had received Taylor’s agreement for the lyrics. Therefore, people started to “cancelled” Tayler. In 2020, people figured out that the liars were Kanye and Kim. The full record of phone calling was posted online. Kim only posted part of the record. People found that they were misleading by Kim and started to “cancelled” Kanye. A hashtag #KanyeWestIsOverParty has been flooded on Twitter at that time.
^Campaign of Taylor Swift
^hashtag #KanyeWestIsOverParty
Cancel culture is not only use to protect others. It can be a tool of hurting victims. Taylor disappeared for a period due to the campaign of “cancel” her. Even she knew that it is not her fault. But many people didn’t believe her.
How to conceptualize what is right to “cancelled”? We need to learn what is right to “cancelled”. People need to have a concept that we are not the person to judge others. Is it right to give someone a power to “cancelled” others? I think people can have this right if someone is really done wrong. Also, this wrong action need to be very serious such as sexual advance. But if the problem is a minor mistake, I think people need to offer chance for them. What do you think about cancel culture? Do you agree that masses have the right to “cancelled” others?
In my opinion, people do not have a right to cancel others because it might cause to social conflicts and harmonious society. Even humans try to cancel others maybe because of their own sense of justice, it might influence the innocent people.
Actually, I think cancelling people is according to the country's social norms that public do have the rights to define their actions are correct or not.
Although the act of "cancelling people" seems a method to perform justice, it is actually cyber bullying. Cyber bullying created a negative atmosphere on the social media.
I agree with your point that we should teach and change the values by education instead of cancelling culture. And I also consider that cancel culture is reduction of cultural diversity.