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Topic Overview
The Who, What, Why, When and Where of Cancel Culture
Who can get "Canceled:" Anyone can get "Canceled," however the main targets are celebrities and politicians. Anyone who has ever made a post on social media or has ever said anything that someone might remember can be "Canceled." Celebrities can be "Canceled" immediately and typically their brands or sponsors will take a hit as well. But normal, everyday people can be "Canceled" too. Anytime someone disagrees with another person's standpoint or history, they can be "Canceled."
Who is doing the "Canceling:" Many people all over the world are doing the "Canceling." When a person sees something that they feel disagrees with their own beliefs, or what they believe is right in society, it has been a common occurrence to tell everyone what has happened and to point blame to someone. There are a number of people who believe "Canceling" is a justified way to keep people accountable. And while most people know what it means to get "Canceled," not everyone agrees. These statistics are from a survey that asked American's how they feel about Cancel Culture taken in 2020. More information about the study can be found here.
The What: Cancel Culture is the result of posting, doing or saying something that someone doesn't agree with. And then what happens? The audience, the consumers, the fans, your neighbors, your co-workers, the people who live everyday lives talk about it and share, on social media, whatever it is that they don't agree with. And then more and more people don't agree with it and the end result is a boycott. The boycott can be about goods, services or in general, boycotting the accused. The main goal of "Canceling" someone is to ruin them and their livelihood.
The Why: Cancel Culture generally happens because someone does, posts or says something that people find wrong. This can be a current thing, but can also happen because of something a person says or does in the past. This video gives a clear overview of why Cancel Culture happens to people.
The When: When a person's beliefs, behaviors or actions are outed, they are "Canceled" almost immediately. However, these actions could have taken place anytime in their life and then not be brought to light until the present. If a person tweets or hashtags, the result can be pretty quick to trend.
The Where: Cancel Culture can take place on the radio, by word of mouth, on television, but the most common place is social media. This medium allows for hashtags and tweets to be shared over and over like a wildfire and inevitable, a person who gets "Canceled" online, gets "Canceled" in the real world as well.
Citations
"PEW Research Center-Americans and ‘Cancel Culture’: Where Some See Calls for Accountability, Others See Censorship, Punishment"
https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2021/05/19/americans-and-cancel-culture-where-some-see-calls-for-accountability-others-see-censorship-punishment/
"Cancel Culture; Confusing, Complex and Contentious
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Qlc701rtzQ
"Cancel Culture & Social Media"
https://www.ethicssage.com/2021/05/cancel-culture-and-social-media.html
"An explanation of 'cancel culture' and why it's become such a popular phenomenon"- Denver7- The Denver Channel"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9WiyxZqoUE
"Youthsplaining: Everything You Need to Know About Cancel Culture"
https://www.insidehook.com/article/internet/youthsplaining-everything-you-need-to-know-about-cancel-culture
This website fulfills an assignment for CMST& 102 at Skagit Valley College for Winter Quarter.
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