A couple of years ago, I witnessed a classmate delete an old tweet in the middle of a lecture after her friends in a group chat dug it up and started gossiping about it. I remember her whispering to me in fear, saying something along the lines of, “If I get cancelled over that tweet from 2015, just know that I was 13 and dumb.” At the time, their comment was funny, but it made me realize how much people fear being cancelled, especially in a time where the concept of cancel culture is openly embraced.
Cancel culture represents actions that the general public and fans take against celebrities when they need to be held accountable for problematic or harmful statements and behaviors. The backlash faced by wrongdoers is often exemplified through protests from their fan base, which can sometimes lead to a loss of their influencer status and platform.
Being qualified as cancel-worthy is very subjective, as some offenses, especially criminal ones, are considered more severe than gossip-inducing drama or alleged rumors. Because of this variance, cancel culture is not only determined by the degree of the behavior, but also by how the public majority responds to it.
In 2010, social media became popularized as apps such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram were emerging. People from all over the world had the opportunity to connect virtually with strangers through the power of social media. It was also able to provide individuals with an outlet to freely share their opinions in the form of images, words and videos. While these various platforms opened doors to positive interactions and the exchange of information, they also contributed to the rise of cancel culture and publicly calling out strangers on the internet.
Being an active participant in cancel culture is necessary to reduce negative behavior, such as racism, sexism or abuse of power, specifically from people with large fan bases, as it challenges the harmful norms.
In 2018, Stefano Gabbana, a fashion designer for Dolce and Gabbana, was put on blast for an Instagram direct message (DM) from a friend referring to China as a “country of [poop emojis]” and described the nation as dirty and smelly. In addition, he made racist, stereotypical jokes about Chinese people eating dogs. This led to financial losses for his brand, as many fashion shows showed off Gabbana’s work. The resulting backlash pushed Gabbana to rethink his statements and shows how cancel culture allows celebrities to learn from their mistakes rather than punishing them.
“Cancelling” someone doesn’t bring the offender a “negative aura.” When done right, tuning into cancel culture on social media will give power to individual voices, hold influencers and celebrities accountable and initiate personal reflection and growth for the “cancelled.”
Around a total of 10,093 United States (U.S.) citizens see cancel culture as a way to express their opinions and bring awareness to criticize larger global problems such as abuse of power, racism and sexual harassment. Take the example of James Charles, a beauty influencer who has over one million followers on TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat.
In 2020, Charles was accused of allegedly messaging underage boys on Snapchat, though he later claimed not to know they were minors. Instead of his followers just gossiping about the situation, many people began to respond to his actions by posting TikTok videos analyzing and discussing the allegations to warn his fans. This eventually discouraged Morphe, a makeup brand, and YouTube from partnering with him in future brand deals.
Fans commented on Charles’ TikTok posts to spread awareness of the situation. One user, @annualgoat, commented that “there needs to be child influencer laws just like there are child labor laws” to protect underage social media users. Charles’ fans came together to cancel him, and their actions worked. Brands began to disengage, and Charles lost two of his major sponsorships.
After the incident with Charles and the associated apology, conversations began to steer toward addressing the larger problem of influencers’ responsibility to maintain appropriate boundaries with minors, especially those within their fan base. The joint power of these voices led to brands disengaging with Charles, showing that digital activism, embodied through cancel culture, can be useful in boycotting content and videos from problematic influencers.
Charles’ situation opened a space for discussion of topics such as sexual assault and internet safety procedures for minors, which everyday media tends to ignore. In the broader sense, this act of digital protest is crucial for social change and can help inform important conversations about the censorship of media content for minors.
Cancel culture also serves as a reminder to celebrities that fame does not equate to unchecked power. In 2018, the comedian Kevin Hart was announced to host the 2019 Oscars Academy Awards Show. The enthusiasm fans exhibited after this announcement eventually contributed to the discovery of tweets Hart posted that contained homophobic remarks.
Initially, Hart did not address his remarks, since he claimed to have already apologized. However, after fans shared screenshots of his tweets on Instagram and Twitter, urging others to unfollow him, he faced significant pressure and resigned from hosting the Academy Awards. He later wrote a public announcement on Twitter, stating, “I sincerely apologize to the LGBTQ community for my insensitive words from my past.” The press also played a role in announcing and publishing articles in CNN, The Washington Post, and The Guardian, fueling media attention towards Hart’s past actions and spreading fans’ criticism.
As a result, it helped raise awareness on how cancelling someone with a large public audience can prompt them to step back, apologize and recognize their harmful actions. Hart stepping down from hosting the Oscars showed his accountability for his past actions, while his apologetic words on Twitter demonstrated his emotional sensitivity toward the situation.
Because of Hart’s public commitment to changing himself, his fans responded happily and appreciated his effort to take full responsibility for his past mistakes. Cancel culture pushed him to engage with the LGBTQ+ community he hurt by immersing himself in conversations about safe space, and to help strengthen his understanding of the LGBTQ+ community. He met and talked with comedian Wanda Sykes, who helped Hart comprehend the harm that such jokes can create.
Sometimes being cancelled, even if unfairly, can lead to personal growth. In 2021, TikTok star Sienna Mae Gomez, an influencer who promoted body positivity and self-confidence, was accused of sexual assault by Jack Wright. These allegations were never deemed true since there was no proof of an incident occurring between the two parties.
Despite facing greater backlash from her fans when compared to Hart and Charles, Sienna continued to deny the allegations. Eventually, she removed herself from social media to focus on her mental well-being. A year after being away from social media, Sienna launched her swimsuit line, “Sienna Swim,” in 2022.
Rather than disappearing from the public’s view, she used this experience to bounce back and create a brand focused on encouraging women to feel confident in their bodies. During this time, she also publicly announced that she had reflected and found God as she began to rediscover her purpose spiritually. Sienna Mae’s transformation represents that cancel culture, even when proven false, can push individuals towards their better selves, allowing them to become stronger spiritually and mentally.
However, not everyone sees cancel culture in a positive light. Many argue that the effects of cancel culture can be too harsh, especially in cases where people lose their reputation over misunderstandings. Being wrongfully cancelled can cause irreparable harm to reputations and the mental health of individuals, leading to suicide or depression. However, cancel culture isn’t just black and white. It is a tool, and like any tool, its results and impact depend on how people use it. The positive growth associated with cancel culture can be seen in the case of Kevin Hart and Sienna Mae Gomez, who, in differing ways, reformed their lives for the better.
Singling out influencers and calling out harmful behaviors or language doesn’t automatically lead to irreversible repercussions. Oftentimes, it can lead to positive, meaningful discussions surrounding accountability and growth. In the end, cancel culture is essential for positive change since it provides authority to individual voices, holding influencers and celebrities accountable for potentially problematic behaviors while promoting one’s growth.
Every day, it allows people to have a space to criticize harmful behavior and forces individuals to own up to their own mistakes, showing the power of social media protest. Rather than fearing it, we should rethink the whole concept of calling out someone for their actions. If cancel culture can make
