Does Holding People Accountable Contribute to Cancel Culture?
Cancel culture, defined as a modern form of ostracism, has been around for centuries and dates back as far as biblical times. Within recent decades, thanks to the rise of social media, it has taken on a whole new meaning. With the ability to publicize opinions instantaneously via trending pages and hashtags, the internet has transformed into a battleground, one that has celebrities and socialites on the edge of their seats. So the question is — where do we draw the line between holding people accountable and letting cancel culture get the best of us?
This question is one of circumstance, as are most delicate subjects nowadays. On one end of the spectrum, we have names like Bill Cosby, Harvey Weinstein, and R. Kelly, who have all been justifiably canceled due to their sex-related crimes. On the other end, we have people such as Janet Jackson, Fiona Apple, and Megan Fox, who were canceled for simply voicing their opinions. The criteria for being canceled is as vague as ever but one thing remains consistent — if you are racist, misogynistic, or homophobic you deserve to be canceled.
Take DaBaby for example. After making homophonic remarks and spreading misinformation about HIV during his set at Rolling Loud Miami, the rapper has since been dropped from multiple lineups including Lollapalooza, Governor’s Ball, and Day N Vegas, just to name a few. On top of that, he has also been dropped by the online fashion retailer Boohoo, with whom he had a clothing deal. Only apologizing after suffering from the repercussions of his actions, we are seeing firsthand how cancel culture can be used as a tool to hold people accountable and to discourage harmful beliefs.
We are thankful for artists who are using their platforms to condemn outlandish behavior like what took place at Lollapalooza. Elton John took to Twitter to speak about how this kind of misinformation “fuels stigma and discrimination and is the opposite of what our world needs to fight the AIDS epidemic.” Dua Lipa has also decided to remove DaBaby officially from her charting song ‘Levitating’ on all streaming platforms and refers to his comments as “horrifying” and that she “didn’t recognize this as the person she worked with.”??
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It’s one thing to cancel someone for a differing opinion and it’s another to cancel someone for spreading damaging ideologies. At Ideaison, we pride ourselves in our mission for diversity and inclusion and support the cancellation of artists who go against our vision for a healthy and happy world. We love that the music industry is standing up for what is right and are hopeful for a future where people of color, the LGTBQIA+ community, and women feel safe and secure.
One way you can make a difference is by learning how to be an ally. Here are some steps you can take to better understand your role in helping marginalized communities.?
Here are some great resources to help you jumpstart your journey towards allyship today.??