Introduction
Cancel culture is a phenomenon that has roots in much older concepts of social accountability and public shaming. While it is very often associated with wrongful accusations and harassment, cancel culture is equally capable of benefiting and negatively contributing to a social space. As such, the following paper aims to illustrate the definition and history of social culture and the ways in which its effects have evolved in the past and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the case study that will analyze a variety of academic studies and literature with a social science focus will assist in defining the ways in which cancel culture has been shaped by the pandemic.
Cancel Culture Definition
Cancel culture, as it is known now, is a more modern term that exists on concepts that have existed for much longer. This is largely due to the fact that its present definition largely relies on modern technologies and modes of communication, such as social media or online markets. Essentially, cancel culture can define actions that reduce or completely remove support for an individual’s or collective’s career, projects, popularity, fame, or even online presence. Typically, a celebrity or known influencer that is involved in controversy or has committed some form of adverse action is likely to lose support, a following, and distribution from their fanbase or even those outside of it. Cancellation of this kind is applicable to individuals or groups that garner some form of fame and usually have substantial influence and power over certain features of global culture. As such, musicians, artists, actors, politicians, journalists, writers, government officials, and a variety of other public figures are susceptible to this social phenomenon.
History
Like many modern concepts that may seem to find roots only within the scope of current social media, cancel culture has an early origin that precedes such sites. The beginnings of a form of digital cancellation can be traced to 1991 when a term meaning ‘human flesh search’ was first popularized in China (Mishan, 2020). While the term may suggest a sinister practice, it only referred to a practice that emulated early web browsers through the power of like-minded individuals that networked to gather information. While such collectives used these procedures to initially uncover and collect data on topics or individuals they found interesting; the search soon turned to wrongdoers. Information regarding corrupt officials or users of the dark web for illegal means was soon gathered and made publically available. As the culprits were identified, they were hounded, verbally attacked, and completely isolated from their prior communities. As such, many of these early stages of cancel culture can be found in their modern counterparts.
Evolution of Cancel Culture
When the term ‘human flesh search’ first became noticed within the Western world, many had found it to be an exclusively Asian phenomenon. This was largely due to the fact that American readers found the Western lifestyle to be too individualized to make such collectivist actions to protest the wrongful behavior of potential culprits. However, this would soon be proven wrong with the rise of ‘call-out’ and, later, cancel culture as it is currently known. Within the later 2010s, cancel culture was largely attributed to left-leaning groups and individuals and categorized as a fear-mongering tactic. Interestingly enough, users of cancel culture are often associated with the term ‘woke,’ which has been distorted from its original use within Black vernacular to mean ‘seeing reality as it is. Similarly, it can be said that cancel culture evolved outside its original intent of collectives with similar ideologies applying research and data to expose the wrongdoings of people with influence. Its popularization also led to its dilution as it has become so prevalent within social media circles it cannot be defined by presented evidence or a unified ideology. Those that implement cancel culture in the modern day rarely share an ideology, political loyalty, or even a united goal.
Effects of Cancel Culture
General Effects
Unlike popular beliefs, cancel culture does not appear strictly within left-leaning circles but can be found just as easily among politically right and center-focused groups. However, the use of it by both ideologies results in both negative and positive effects. In certain cases of cancel culture, the right and wrong are distinct, such as with influencers or celebrities saying or committing actions that are negative, such as sexist, ableist, or racist-driven words or acts (Celentano, 2021). However, situations have the potential to become much more ambiguous in terms of ethics. Despite this offering, the potential to analyze collective morals and ethics, cancel culture is likely to regard all mistakes or incidents in a similar fashion. Due to the propagation of the phenomena, many social media users, intentionally or not, remain on a constant lookout. This causes them to react to any instances or signs of controversy despite their magnitude. As such, cancel culture has the potential to deter people with influence from committing wrongful actions but may also subject many to unfair judgment and mistreatment. Essentially, the effects of cancel culture are no longer dedicated by an ideology or by the collection of information but by an ongoing trend of the phenomenon.
Effects on Governing
Cancel culture does have the option to reach a large audience and influence even governing sectors and those within them. The now-former governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, had accumulated a number of accusations from different sources regarding sexual harassment, fostering a toxic workplace, and a death-count coverup (Levin, 2021). With the public exposition of the aforementioned information, many have called for his resignation. The only response the former governor had to the situation was to deny all allegations, even as he was investigated for the coverup, and blame cancels culture. Despite his appeal, he received little backing from other politicians and resigned in the summer of 2021. Though some may argue that his cancellation was the result of politicians appealing to a socio-political trend and not, in fact, due to a myriad of misdemeanors of the governor, the sway of cancel culture has the potential to affect governing policies within the modern world.
Cancel Culture in the Pandemic
Changes in the Pandemic
The pandemic of COVID-19 exposed a number of issues within social structures worldwide, an aspect that cancels culture partakers observed and commented on. The pandemic illustrated the interaction between cancellation and government and corporate organizations much more prominently than in prior years. While some movements, such as marches against police forces by BLM and other activists and motions to combat the transphobic ideologies of J.K. Rowling, may seem disconnected from the pandemic, they have indirect relations (Singh, 2020). Essentially, the pandemic was crucial in revealing the vulnerabilities of both citizens and government authorities in providing safety and support during crisis situations. The social climate that accumulated as a result of COVID-19 has resulted in greater involvement of cancel culture contributors.
Methodology
The following case study will focus on researching the ways in which cancel culture was involved with political, federal, and governmental policies and individuals prior to and during the pandemic. Current evidence suggests that cancel culture activists have targeted corporations and political figures more severely during the pandemic.
However, to confirm this, the study will analyze academic literature between the years 2017 and 2018 separately from the years 2019 and 2021. The time periods will be considered pre-pandemic and post-pandemic sources of information. The study will qualitatively and quantitatively collect data regarding incidents and outcomes of conflict that had a presence on social media. In order for it to fit the definition of a cancel culture movement, the conflict must be categorized by public calls for either boycotting, resignation, or de-platforming. Articles and literature reviews can be found in reliable and prominent databases such as AnthroScinece and Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts, which have a focus on social science studies. Using this, a literature review can be formed in order to analyze social media behavior in terms of cancel culture at the start and the current status of the pandemic.
Conclusion
The particular social media-centered nature of cancel culture makes its effects and aftermath complex. While it has been noted to hold people with influence accountable and make space for usually marginalized and silenced groups, it can be easily misused. However, cancel culture itself exposes a greater concern within the modern socio-political climate which hints at distrust between corporations, politicians, government organizations, and people being more severe.
References
Celentano, D. (2021). Cancel Culture: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly. The Science Survey. Web.
Levin, B. (2021). Andrew Cuomo Blames “Cancel Culture,” Not Sexual Harassment Allegations, for Calls to Resign. Vanity Fair. Web.
Mishan, L. (2020). The Long and Tortured History of Cancel Culture. The New York Times. Web.
Singh, A. D. (2020). The endemic growth of ‘cancel culture’ during the pandemic. TimesNow News. Web.