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| Canceling a career or fortune, with a single press on a typewriter, is it right? |
In the 21st century we have seen a lot of change in behaviors of the masses, much of it is attributed to the access to information. Most of the time it is not something positive. You can say that the media and more specifically, social media is responsible for it. Nonetheless, people have developed lack of tolerance as a culture. Freedom of expression has become, a weapon for everyone. Does it put a silent majority at risk, at the hands of a vocal minority? Does an individual deserve to suffer for one’s past action or is it relative?
Cancel culture or callout culture or woke mob, has risen to limelight in the last 3 years, as in a phenomena that is recognized. What happens is, people on the social media take action against an individual who is deemed unacceptable due to one’s past or present deeds, and a ubiquitous reaction surfaces, including humiliating, casting-off and curbing the individual’s support, over the internet. The outcry does come, from those who are affected. Ironically, the recent hype developed when unlike the conventional affectees, like the conservatives, were not the instigating party but liberals were. An open letter in Harper’s Magazine titled “A letter on Justice and Open Debate’ signed by 150 prominent writers, journalist and professors, was published. The highlight of them was the signee J K Rowling gee(as I call her, for being a fan of Harry Potter series), who was facing backlash for her views on Transsexuals, recently, on the twitter. On one side you can just discredit them all, as old school, about-to-be-outdated writers, liberals stuck in a pickle, about to be losing a book deal, a job or a publication. For better or worse, these people are strong personalities, who, at their peak of careers’ have created change and set trends which have shaped the world that we live in today.
There are certain categories which need to be taken very seriously, such as antisemitism, homophobia, islamophobia and racism. But if I take on someone, just because the fall of that person for a particular mistake, will give some advantage to me, well that’s controversial, nonetheless. Something similar seems to be happening right now as the recent callouts, which one can consider as just-simply-rattling-the-furnace, and pushing a shift or a change with ousting of the old bloke and creating space for new generation to take over, with its own set of values.
There are examples of top executives who were convicted of sexual harassment, to have been finally brought down, through Metoo movement. Nonetheless, at times seeking justice beyond the judicial system seems correct to a crowd of protestors when they see someone walking free for lack of legislation or loop holes in the existing law. Thus, questioning, has the system failed? Does it not give them the right to take matter in their own hands? And when they target past idols or famous celebrities for their wrongdoing, the basic principle is ‘toxic smart people vs non-toxic smart people’, meaning, you can find equally good people to fill the positions for these wrongdoers.
We have seen the issue of Mark Walberg’s past racial violence coming to up after he tweeted support of justice for George Floyd. We have seen the famous streamer at Twitch, Mr. Disrespect, getting banned for abuse. Jenna Marbles went into social exile after events from her past, revolving around offensive comments and blackface, came up in the media.
The dark side of the cancel culture is when internet trolls start to send death threats to celebrities and personalities whose name comes up due to some scandal or inquiry. Cancel culture is borne out of digital activism in our human society, yet, at times it does seems to lack compassion and have more totalitarian spirit in it. In the age of social media, can an impulsive judgement, give a group of people, the right to call, death to someone’s career or fortune, with a tweet?
There is so much to say, as there are so many layers to this issue, and it’s impossible to enclose an ocean in a cup. To me, I do agree to this part of the letter published in Harper’s, “The way to defeat bad ideas is by exposure, argument, and persuasion, not by trying to silence or wish them away.” Maybe, we need a more calibrated reaction to each individual’s wrongdoing. But in the end, the justice system across the world needs to be at par, to handle these aspects as well, with due process of law that has to be there and with fairness of its process. I perceive that over the period of time, we will learn to coexist and as need of the hour, improve our wellbeing in modern society. Likewise, the wrongdoers will also find a way to reach a resolution with their past or present, which-so-ever, had them found of, going astray.
