The Truth About Cancel Culture
In the age of social media, “Cancel Culture” seems to be a modern-day boycott.
The act of “canceling” someone seems simple, yet to put it in words can be fairly complicated. I struggle to even write it out, much less understand the nuances that it brings. When it comes to celebrities, we are quick to “cancel” them for any behavior that we may deem as problematic. But what does canceling them do? Are we being influential? How do we reconcile with Cancel Culture within ourselves? I am in no way saying that I know the answers to these questions, nor do I seek to establish my opinion as factual. Rather, I pose these questions because I believe that we have to ask them to better understand this phenomenon.
When discussing Cancel Culture, there is always a sense of permanence. It’s easy to “cancel” someone for the time being, but will you jump back on the wagon when they—for example—release a new album? Take Kanye West. Back in 2018, Kanye made headlines for his controversial comments describing slavery as “a choice.” Here is a quick reminder of what he said:
"When you hear about slavery for 400 years. For 400 years?! That sounds like a choice. Like, you were there for 400 years and it's all of you all? You know, it's like we're mentally in prison. I like the word prison cause slavery goes too -- too direct to the idea of blacks," he said in the interview. "So prison is something that unites us as one race, Blacks and Whites being one race. We're the human race."
He later took to Twitter to defend his comments, saying that he was talking about being “mentally free.” (Okay, Kanye. Okay.) As a consequence, Kanye faced major backlash. Many people, including myself, said he was “canceled” for his ignorance and apparent abandonment of the Black community. But recently, with the release of his album Jesus Is King, Kanye seems to be unaffected. The same masses of people who claimed that his comments were unacceptable turned right back around for the prospect of his new artistic creation.
On a personal note, I have not listened to Kanye’s music since the aforementioned comments. Granted, it was easier for me to “cancel” him because he was never someone in my musical rotations. The fact of the matter is that “canceling” an artist is much easier when you don’t seek their work in the first place. The challenge lies in how you react when it’s your favorite singer. Chris Brown, for example, is another artist who has had a controversial past. He is an example of someone who has repeatedly shown that he does not respect women, and yet he continues to generate hit songs day after day. I can admit to the fact that Chris Brown songs still flood my Spotify playlists, although I am conscious of his unacceptable behavior within society.
These are the types of issues that we must reconcile with society as a whole. None of us are perfect, and it shows in our day-to-day actions.
