The 94th Annual Academy Awards, March 27th, 2022. You had to be there. Or you had to be sitting on your couch watching the infamous moment when actor Will Smith slapped host Chris Rock after a joke, he made about Jada Smith’s shaved head. This scene was a recipe for disaster for the Academy’s credibility, but most importantly for Smith’s acting career. As a result, the Academy banned Smith from attending the Oscars ceremony for ten years. Some say this was the moment Will Smith was officially canceled by the film industry and society. Yet, what exactly is cancel culture?
Cancel culture is a phenomenon that has its origins in the 1980s with the band Chic’s song, “Your Love Is Cancelled”. Back then, being cancelled meant you were breaking up with someone. The term was used in film & television before gaining traction on social media. It has since evolved to define something more than the breakup of a relationship and being “cancelled” has even become a part of our country’s political discourse. Today, the term “canceled” means to withdraw support (whether that be financial, moral, or social) from a public figure, organization, or product in response to behavior or statements deemed unacceptable.
Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars is a prime example of an action that could get someone canceled. However, the Academy taking official action on the matter by banning the actor from attending the ceremony could just be a form of accountability. After all, Smith’s misconduct happened during the Academy Awards, so it would make sense that the Academy would impose the punishment.
Still, there’s a fine line between accountability and cancelling someone. There’s no place for the blame game in accountability because emphasis is placed more on fostering commitment to one’s obligations. Where things often cross the line in cancel culture is the lack of compassion towards the accused and the habit of permanently punishing someone for a single act of misconduct. Cancel culture does not always mean accountability, since accountability involves clear expectations for a person, whereas in cancel culture, the expectations for someone or something are often unclear and many times subjective.
Cancel culture is almost a modern-day crucifixion where the person is shamed for all the public to see. Many will know that the Roman crucifixion was a very severe and dehumanizing practice. Julius Caesar once denied crucifixion to a group of pirates because the punishment seemed dishonorable after spending time with the pirates. Cancel culture makes the mistake of shunning the disgraced like they’re a contagious disease to be avoided. To make things worse, cancel culture doesn’t just shame the accused but their supporters as well.
Dr. Loretta Ross, a famed academic & activist, said it best when she said,
“You can’t shame people into changing their minds. You can only shame them into compliance.”
One of the most common actions that follow a cancellation is an official apology from the party at fault or some change in product or policy. For instance, Heineken issued an apology for a 2018 commercial that was deemed “racist,” Aunt Jemima’s pancake mix changed its name to Pearl Milling Company to erase dated stereotypes, and Rosanne Barr was removed from The Conners after a controversial remark. While many apologies following a cancellation are appropriate, some could be interpreted as simply giving in to the online mob.
Cancel culture is not always constructive criticism; sometimes it’s pure criticism. In the age of social media, there’s a ton of space for people to throw their opinions out there, leaving no room for civil dialogue. It’s instant gratification for emotions. People are living in a time when a single tweet could turn a minor offense into front-page news overnight. With that effect, cancel culture can amplify petty controversies, taking attention away from more important matters. The excessive condemnation seen in cancel culture can also take a toll on one’s mental and overall well-being. Unfortunately, there have been instances like British TV presenter, Caroline Flack, who committed suicide after overwhelming public scrutiny, or others who’ve been severely affected mentally.
Though it’s not completely hopeless, if used correctly, cancel culture has the potential to become a public form of accountability. The earlier example of Pearl Milling Company changing its name from Aunt Jemima came about because the push-back helped fosters societal reflection. The company knew to move forward, they had to put any prejudices from the past behind them. Therefore, cancel culture, without severe condemnation, has the power to become a collective conscience for the culture.
American philosopher, Dr. Cornel West, once said,
“Never forget that justice is what love looks like in public.”
The word that stands out the most in this quote is love and love is understanding. For cancel culture, “sticking it to the man” is disguised as justice, but in reality, it’s more like revenge. True justice is rooted in fairness, and fairness means giving people room for redemption. After all, humans make mistakes, and sometimes people will only change as much as others allow them to. Remembering that justice isn’t true without fairness and respect is part of what changes cancel culture to accountability culture.
Grace also has a part to play in the matter. Grace is often favor given to the unfavored, and that can only happen out of goodwill. For cancel culture, that could mean saying, “I know what this person said was wrong, but I choose to forgive them so I can give them the proper space to redeem themselves.” Grace is acknowledging that hurt people hurt people, but healed people heal people. Cancel culture sees the action, but grace sees the person, counteracting the effects of cancel culture.
In a nutshell, cancel culture is no joke and can destroy someone’s career, leaving many individuals cowering in fear that they may be the next victim. The alternatives are a form of public accountability where people can comment on what’s wrong while still offering solutions on how to fix it. In addition, accountability means open dialogue between both parties to encourage justice and compassion. Lastly, to beat counterculture, one must push past the punishment to the person with grace, allowing for forgiveness and personal growth.