{"id":492,"date":"2021-07-28T20:44:46","date_gmt":"2021-07-28T20:44:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/understanding-literacy-in-our-lives\/?post_type=chapter&p=492"},"modified":"2021-08-09T16:05:01","modified_gmt":"2021-08-09T16:05:01","slug":"4-3-2-canceled-research-essay","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/understanding-literacy-in-our-lives\/chapter\/4-3-2-canceled-research-essay\/","title":{"rendered":"4.3.2 #canceled (research essay)"},"content":{"raw":"
\r\n

English 102, April 2021<\/h3>\r\n

With the pandemic we can look back on a year of things cancelled. Holidays were cancelled. Sporting events were cancelled. Concerts were cancelled. While 2020 was the big year of all good things cancelled many would say that the year itself should be cancelled. Certainly, the main<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>reasons<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>the year was hated was that most work and schools went online with<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Zoom<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>and it was hard to get a roll of toilet paper. Would I go as far to say 2020 was a god-awful year? Of course, I worked in a grocery store and people were insane. Would I say it needs to be cancelled? Well, no because that<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>doesn\u2019t<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>really apply in this setting. We had a lot of canceled events but to cancel the year is hard because in principle cancelling<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>doesn\u2019t<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>work that way. Why<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>doesn\u2019t<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>cancelling apply in this setting? Well, what is cancelling to begin with?<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Is cancel culture beneficial in society? Can someone truly be cancelled, who does cancel culture<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>hurt? Is cancel culture<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>hurting<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>more than helping? When has cancel culture gone too far? How do people interact with the idea of cancel culture on social media? What happens in<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>a fandom<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>when someone is cancelled or actively being cancelled? Do fans go too far? Has there been a time when<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>a fandom<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>has gone too far? Is there still room to enjoy what is created by a cancelled entertainer?\u202f\u202fCancel culture may be a good form of social justice in society but the ways in which it is used and abused online has<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>swayed<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>far from its actual purpose.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

\r\n

The conveniences that the internet and social media has brought have certainly outnumbered the bad. Today<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>social media<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>can branch together family who<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>have not<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>seen each other in days, months, or years and now especially due to the pandemic. There is however a downside to platforms like this. These platforms undoubtedly can bring the worst out of people hopping on a<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>trend or hashtag. When someone makes even the slightest misstep people<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>act<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>online to let everyone know. This has brought about a new era to social media with rising concepts of cancel or call out culture. But what is cancel culture?<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>One explanation form \u201cDisruptive rhetoric in an age of outrage\u201d by Michael Welsh explains that cancel culture has become its own societal discourse of social<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>issues in<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>which people can take to social media and announce that someone is cancelled for a perceived crime by the accuser.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

\r\n

With cancel culture social media has become reactionary instead of investigating whether these claims are true.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>In \u201cWith (Stan) ding Cancel Culture: Stan Twitter and Reactionary Fandoms\u201d Hailey<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Roos<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>explains that<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u201ccancel culture is intended to hold powerful people accountable, but it has been constantly appropriated, and its influence has been diminished because of how frequently people are cancelled for less serious offenses.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>What ways can someone be cancelled? There can be social media movements led by hashtags declaring<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>someone<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>is cancelled which can lead to extreme consequences<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>to<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>those, the people cancelling and those being cancelled. The action taken by those who are cancelled can be to take accountability in their actions and reflect on them and change or they can<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>defend and<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>deflect what is being accused of them to<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>keep<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>the status they have.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Joseph Ching Velasco in \u201cYou are Cancelled: Virtual Collective Consciousness and the Emergence of Cancel Culture as Ideological Purging\u201d explains that there can be those who are accused of committing a crime they<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>did not<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>commit for the sake of someone else\u2019s gain. In the same sense though cancel culture as an act in society is confusing as it can be used for its purpose or as a \u201cpower play\u201d which leads to a need for more understanding on how to wield such a power. There<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>is not<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>a clear-cut way of knowing for certain if<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>in<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>the moment it is merely just a business move or if the person did something wrong.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

\r\n

Today<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>the internet, more specifically social media platforms, have decided that there is a need for judge, jury, and executioner in the matter of social issues. Who<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>oversees<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>making such decisions and on what terms are used to judge?<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>From \u201cTwitter, What\u2019s The Verdict?\u201d Aya Imam explains that it can be said that growing up we are taught through fairytales and fables that everything is good versus evil, where we take every situation and boil it down to that. In terms of defining every situation in terms of black and white that leaves little room<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>for the person to defend themselves.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>If someone is<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>justifiably<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>cancelled what are these codes of conduct that they have broken?<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Then it seems for that everyday people have taken matters into their own hands by essentially \u201ccancelling\u201d someone if they<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>don\u2019t<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>follow societal rules (Imam 2).\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

\r\n

When it comes to hearing about cancel culture the first people to come to mind would be celebrities. Celebrities fill our newsfeed on the daily with videos, stories, etc. for the public\u2019s entertainment. There has become a sense of connection with celebrities<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>and their audience, where they need to adhere to their publicized person or face the consequences (Roos<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>3-4). With this constant connection more issues<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>become known<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>or are dug up. In recent<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>years,<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>the celebrities<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>that people associate with cancel culture are<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>names like Harvey Weinstein and Billy Cosby, who both have a list of sexual assault allegations against them. Others like Kathy Griffin, who posted a photo of herself holding a \u201cbloody\u201d Trump mask, or Taylor Swift who will be discussed later in this essay.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

\r\n

Aya Imam briefly discusses the disparities in cancel culture:<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

\r\n

Does Harvey Weinstein deserve the backlash he\u2019s received? Yes, 1000% yes. But does James Charles \u2013 a very famous YouTuber who was initially called out by another YouTuber for endorsing the \u2018wrong\u2019 vitamin brand \u2013 deserve the false accusations of being a sexual predator (which, in turn, resulted in millions of people unfollowing and unsubscribing from him)? No, I don\u2019t believe he deserves that (Imam 2).<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

\r\n

I would like to note that as I was doing my research, I picked this article and this quote because it did display the gap between how serious or not Weinstein\u2019s or Charles\u2019s situations were but at the current time it has<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>become known<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>that James Charles has multiple allegations of sexual misconduct (texting\/messaging primarily) with minors. With the James Charles cancellation he<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>was friends with another YouTuber, Tati<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Westbrook,<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>and owner of a vitamin supplement company, who recorded a video<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>accusing of<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Charles of behaving inappropriately with straight men. The video and its message were then condensed down to it being about Charles endorsing a rival vitamin company.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>In<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u201cHow Can We End #CancelCulture \u2013 Tort Liability or Thumper\u2019s Rule?\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Nanci<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Carr<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>explains how a situation much like James Charles\u2019s can show that<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>when a celebrity is cancelled it is more off a hunch than actual<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>information.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>So, then what<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>decides<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>why, how, or what extent someone is cancelled? There is no real set of rules on cancelling someone.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Carr<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>explains that<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u201cwe are living in a \u2018cancel culture\u2019 where if someone, often a celebrity, does something either illegal or unethical, society is quick to \u2018cancel\u2019 them, or lessen their celebrity standing or cultural capital<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>(133).\u201d For Bill Cosby and Harvey Weinstein, yes, they face consequences for their actions but when it comes to Taylor Swift was the punishment fitting of the crime?<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

\r\n

As I had said previously mentioned Taylor Swift for<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>a moment<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>had been cancelled. Most if not all articles on the topic of cancel culture touched on what happened to Taylor Swift. Truly, I<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>do not<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>think anyone would consider her to be cancelled because she faced no major backlash financially but what<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>the situation<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>did damage was her reputation, which would become the topic of her 6th<\/sup><\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>album.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Swift\u2019s story goes all the way back to 2009 when Swift won an award and Kanye West stormed the stage to let her and everyone know that Beyonce had the best video of the year. Swift and West had different paths from this event with Swift being pegged as a victim and West as the villain, which led to if other situations arose that Swift was playing the victim because that first moment garnered her so much sympathy and people saying that it helped her career back then. Fast forward to 2016 after West and Swift had mended fences as Swift puts it in \u201cThis Is Why We Can\u2019t Have Nice Things\u201d and West had called to ask if he could reference Swift in a song. The song in question was \u201cfamous\u201d would later be released for everyone to hear the line, \u201cI<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>feel like me and Taylor might still have sex, why, I made that bitch famous.\u201d Swift claimed she had only heard<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>the first part of the lyric and was never made aware of the part where West would call her a bitch or that he made her famous. This led to bitterness on social media between Kanye West, his wife Kim Kardashian, and<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>the<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Kardashian\u2019s friends and family.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

\r\n

The following quote by Swift was at the 2016 Grammy Awards after winning album of the year and many believe it is in reference to the situation:<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

\r\n

As the first woman to win Album of the Year at the Grammys twice, I want to say to all the young women out there, there are going to be people along the way who will try to undercut your success or take credit for your accomplishments or your fame, but, if you just focus on the work and you don't let those people sidetrack you, someday when you get where you're going you'll look around and you will know that it was you and the people who love you who put you there. And that will be the greatest feeling in the world. Thank you for this moment. (Griffiths)<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

\r\n

Taylor Swift in this moment wanted to show that she got to where she was on her own and for<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>the<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Kardashian this moment would lead to her releasing clips of the recorded conversation. While the phone conversation was recorded what we saw in 2016 was an edited version posted on Snapchat by Kim Kardashian, years later the full conversation would be released online to reveal more truth to Swift\u2019s side of the story. The below picture is a tweet that Kardashian tweeted before the release of Kardashian\u2019s video, she posted on Twitter \u201cWait it's legit National Snake Day?!?!?They have holidays for everybody, I mean everything these days!\u201d with a slew of snake emojis. As shown in the picture it was liked<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>over 300 thousand times and shared over 200 thousand times.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\nYou can see the Tweet here\u00a0<\/a>\r\n

\r\n

Kardashian\u2019s tweet<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>doesn\u2019t<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>seem<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>too<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>malicious at face value. The tweet<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>doesn\u2019t<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>mention anyone by name,<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>doesn\u2019t<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>mention the need to cancel anyone, nor does it attack<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>anyone. Kardashian\u2019s plan was methodical, by simultaneously posting this tweet and posting the edited video it jumpstarted others to take the idea that Taylor Swift was a snake<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>and not to be trusted. There was an onslaught of attacks on Swift and her character. The hashtag #TaylorSwiftisoverparty was a worldwide trend.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>In the article \u201cFrom Cancel Culture to Changing Culture\u201d Liz Theriault explained that<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u201c[Swift] was being sent \u2018mass amounts of messages\u2019 telling her to \u2018either shut up, disappear, or [as] it could also be perceived as, kill yourself.\u2019\u201d The extent of tweets towards Swift ranged from benign to telling her to kill herself or for her to be killed. In terms of cancellation, yes Taylor Swift was indeed cancelled but online forums made her the target of worse hate. Cancel culture should not be to take the opportunity to break down someone even more than needed, in this situation it<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>should have<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>been to take accountability of your actions however benign they may have been. For cancel culture this is one of many examples of how we make quick calls about someone\u2019s character due to social media outlets (Imam 3). In the below tweet the user says, \u201cI love this #taylorswiftisoverparty\u2026. been at this party since 1989\u2026. most annoying and ridiculous singer in the<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>biz\u2026. ok! Kill her!\u201d This shows the extreme hate that was directed at Swift during the cancellation.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>With respect to the following person, I have blacked out their image and username.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\"I\r\n

\r\n

After seeing such malice towards a celebrity for a crime<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>committed<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>how can being cancelled affect them? As with Swift she disappeared for a year, no trace of her in public or on social media where she was an avid user prior to this scandal because<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>that is<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>what she thought people wanted. Even with years prior of being primarily silent on political issues, she knew the optics of getting involved in the 2016 presidential election.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

\r\n

Taylor Swift in the following explains why she felt adding her opinion in such a polarizing election year would have added fuel to the fire:<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

\r\n

The summer before that election, all people were saying was \u2018She\u2019s calculated. She\u2019s manipulative. She\u2019s not what she seems. She\u2019s a snake. She\u2019s a liar.\u2019 These are the same exact insults people were hurling at Hillary. \u2018Would I be an endorsement, or would I be a liability? Literally millions of people were telling me to disappear. So, I disappeared. In many senses (BBC News).<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

\r\n

With the rise of social media platforms there has become a sense of connection with celebrity and their audience, where they need to adhere to their publicized persona or face the consequences (Roos<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>3-4). As with the case of a cancelled celebrity what happens to their respective fandom? I can say that I do have a bias in this situation because I am a Taylor Swift fan, while I am still on the fence of the idea of being called a \u201cSwiftie,\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>a hardcore stan, I can say seeing this used against a celebrity that I liked can also put a form of shame on a fan. Should I<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>still like her? If I still like her what will people think of me? Did she really lie about the situation? If she lied, then is it true she just plays the victim any time she gets called out? All valid questions I had for myself which now looking back on were a little over the top, if she had done what she was accused of it really<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>was not<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>that bad of a crime. During that time when it came to Taylor Swift most of my friends just labelled her as annoying, not a good singer, and that she deserved it. After watching several other celebrities or content creators being cancelled or held accountable, I can say that sometimes it is hard to say that I am a fan without there being some amount of judgment.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

There is a way for people and celebrities to hold themselves accountable for past actions without social media going for them. In the case of YouTuber Jenna Marbles whose real name is Jenna Mourey, she did just that. Mourey held herself accountable for old YouTube videos with highly questionable content.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\r\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\r\n
As discussed in \u201cHas Cancel Culture Gone Too Far?\u201d Anthony Lambert and Sarah Maguire discuss how with last summer\u00a0<\/span><\/span>and\u00a0<\/span><\/span>the continued rise of the Black Lives Matter movement after the horrific death of George Floyd, media companies were showing support to the movement in performative ways of removing content that could be seen as racist. All of this led to many people questioning the content of their favorite online creators with maybe a few people asking Mourey to respond to questions about her content. One video was her acting like rapper Nicki Minaj in a dark tan\u00a0<\/span><\/span>close\u00a0<\/span><\/span>to blackface and another was a music video where she says an Asian slur. Now\u00a0<\/span><\/span>in\u00a0<\/span><\/span>this moment her action to hold herself\u00a0<\/span><\/span>was not\u00a0<\/span><\/span>to be performative to join a movement, she was under pressure after constantly being crowned an unproblematic queen. Mourey was certainly not perfect and her fans, like many other fandoms, put her on a\u00a0<\/span><\/span>pedestal in\u00a0<\/span><\/span>which she never wanted to be on. The video in which she apologized and talked about all these concerns\u00a0<\/span><\/span>was public on her YouTube account for a day or so then\u00a0<\/span><\/span>later\u00a0<\/span><\/span>removed. Mourey\u00a0<\/span><\/span>is still\u00a0<\/span><\/span>off the platform and taking care of her mental health.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>The photo below is a screenshot of her final apology video\u00a0<\/span><\/span>about\u00a0<\/span><\/span>her taking accountability.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>As I said Mourey did\u00a0<\/span><\/span>remove\u00a0<\/span><\/span>this\u00a0<\/span><\/span>from\u00a0<\/span><\/span>her\u00a0<\/span><\/span>channel,\u00a0<\/span><\/span>but it was uploaded again by many other accounts. You can see her in the video in this screenshot.\u00a0<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/div>\r\n
\r\n
\r\n

We<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>have really seen cancel culture only affect those who have fame and money but cancel culture is not a solo phenomenon to affect only celebrities, it also affects everyday people like me and you. With call out culture it is<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>seen<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>with bringing awareness to social issues.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Unfortunately,<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>you will see more videos of people acting out on racist ideas. The purpose of call out culture is in its name; you call out that behavior.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>In the essay \u201cCancel Culture: Posthuman<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Hauntologies<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>in Digital Rhetoric and the Latent Values of Virtual Community Networks\u201d Austin Hooks discusses the possibility there is<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>with<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>cancel culture,<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>social media, and how it<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>can<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>drudge<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>up the past holding people accountable to their past actions, which can be referred to as a \u201chaunting\u201d or doxing and is the basis of this culture. While most people think<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>it is<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>fun to revisit posts from their pasts on apps like<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Timehop<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>and Facebook, others suffer this as an unfortunate consequence as their past self comes back to haunt them.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

\r\n

For an example of a haunting I would like you to meet Carson King. King was a regular college student who<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>needed<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>beer money and made a sign that said to Venmo him Busch Light Beer money, this led to many donating a large amount of money to the beer cause which he in turn donated to charities and would later team up with the same beer company to donate upwards of one million dollars to a charity of his choice (Carr<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>135-136). The story at the time was a feel-good moment where you could see a kind college kid doing something for laughs would end up turning his life upside down. King was eventually cancelled for two old racists tweets that were dug up by a reporter, Aaron Calvin, while writing a feel-good piece on the donations (Carr<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>136). Was it necessary for Calvin to report this while<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>writing<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>an article on a large donation? No, it really<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>was not<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>necessary but Calvin \u201cfelt obligated to publicize the existence, confirming once again, no good deed goes unpunished (Carr<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>137).\u201d The story on his tweets turned into companies backing out<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>of partnerships with<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>King<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>and<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>getting negative attention online. King apologized for his past remarks but also felt that they<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>did not<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>represent<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>who he was as person at the time. After King\u2019s apology,<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>he was still receiving criticism for his past remarks, many online had thought it was unnecessary for Calvin to go through King\u2019s social media the story was on how King was able to get money to donate to charity and not for King\u2019s past. The public then<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>acted<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>and as with Calvin, they felt obligated to<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>investigate<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Calvin\u2019s old tweets and found some highly questionable tweets (Carr<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>138). For King, it was unnecessary to do<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>a deep dive into his past actions online so was it necessary to do the same to Calvin?<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u201c[Calvin] acknowledged that [the tweets] were \u2018frankly embarrassing\u2019 but then asserted that they had been \u2018taken out of context\u2019 to \u2018wield<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>disingenuous<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>arguments against [him]\u2019 (Carr<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>138)\u201d Calvin had lost his job and suffered similar consequences for the same judgment he had placed on<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>King.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

\r\n

On the other hand, with the case of Bill Cosby some repercussions with \u201cthe way the public villainized Cosby\u2019s family, and even the fans of the show, mirrors the ways that incarcerated citizens are being reduced to their \u2018guilty\u2019 label and vilified, as described by Jamison (Imam 3).\u201d When a celebrity is cancelled it goes so far to say that if you partake in their media, you are also just as bad. As I have said<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>there<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>was a mild villainization on being a part of a fandom where their celebrity is being cancelled but of nothing criminal. In the case of Bill Cosby, Harvey Weinstein, R. Kelly, among others who have a list of sexual assault allegations against them, can you still enjoy their art?<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Yes, you can still enjoy their art but also remember what they did. You<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>do not<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>have to take accountability for their actions but also<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>do not<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>vilify<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>their victims.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

\r\n

We have looked at cancel culture in terms of celebrity, regular people, and the reaction to their said cancellation. Briefly mentioned is cancel culture in terms of fans but what contribution do fans have on social media especially<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>on<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>cancel culture? \u201cFandoms often serve as a buffer to being cancelled on Twitter (Roos<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>4).\u201d Many fans especially the hardcore fans, also known as stans or depending on who it is for have a special name like<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Swifties, can help soften the blow that the celebrity is experiencing. For<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Taylor Swift,<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>her fans were online trying to defend her but would mostly go on to send a brief tweet to show their support or love. Recently<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>this has become more of a popular thing for her fans during a time where she was battling for the rights to the<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>masters<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>to her first six albums.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>In the article \u201cTaylor Swift needs to call off her fans as they send Scooter Braun death threats\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Mel<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Evans discusses how<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>in 2019 it was announced that the record label that owned Swift\u2019s<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>masters<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>was being<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>sold to<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Scooter Braun.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

\r\n

In the following quote from a<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Tumblr<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>post of Swift\u2019s she explains everything surrounding the battle to owning her<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>masters:<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

\r\n

For years I asked, pleaded for a chance to own my work. Instead, I was given an opportunity to sign back up to Big Machine Records and \"earn' one album back at a time, one for every new one I turned in. ... I learned about Scooter Braun's purchase of my masters as it was announced to the world. All I could think about was the incessant, manipulative bullying I've received at his hands for years. (Taylor Swift)<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

\r\n

Swift also said \u201cPlease let Scott Borchetta and Scooter Braun know how you feel about this. Scooter also manages several artists who I really believe care about other artists and their work.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/span>This message would lead her fans known as\u00a0<\/span>Swifties\u00a0<\/span>to go on the attack.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Swifties\u00a0<\/span>would go on Scooter Braun\u2019s social media and either just tell him to give her the\u00a0<\/span>masters\u00a0<\/span>back or actively threaten him, his family, and company. Braun would ask Swift to talk about this privately instead of broadcasting it to her many fans (Evans). This\u00a0<\/span>was not\u00a0<\/span>the only example of\u00a0<\/span>Swifties\u00a0<\/span>going past the message she was trying to send to her fans. More recently a tv show on Netflix titled \u201cGinny\u00a0<\/span>& Georgia\u201d and one of its lead\u00a0<\/span>actors\u00a0<\/span>was on the receiving end of this. You can see the Tweet here.\u00a0<\/a><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n

\r\n

The following is a quote from the image above of a tweet from Taylor Swift:<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

\r\n

Hey Ginny & Georgia, 2010 called and wants it lazy, deeply sexist joke back. How about we stop degrading hard<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>working women<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>by defining this horse shit as<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Funny. Also, @netflix after Miss Americana this outfit<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>doesn\u2019t<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>look cute on you Happy Women\u2019s History Month I guess (Taylor Swift).<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

\r\n

The image that Swift had post was of the line from the show which says, \u201cWhat do you care? You go through men faster than Taylor Swift.\u201d Swift had been the punchline of this joke for many years having called it out in the past and even writing songs about how the media portrays<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>her like \u201cBlank Space\u201d and \u201cLook What You Made Me Do.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Swifties<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>took this tweet as a call to action to attack the show, but not the writers of the joke, the<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>actor<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>who spoke the line. A lot of responses were<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>like<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u201cRespect Taylor Swift\u201d or \u201cApologize to Taylor\u201d but then there were quite a few racist replies which many wanted Taylor Swift herself to apologize for.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Swifties<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>as a culture I<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>would not<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>say they are racist, but when people start swinging for their favorite they tend to punch down and unfortunately aim to hurt. The<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>actor<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>was not the target of Swift\u2019s disdain, it was the show writers and Netflix but because she used the online platform to air her grievance her fans wanted to take their turn at cancelling someone. Unfortunately for Swift, her fans will<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>continue<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>this path of destruction for the sake of preserving her legacy.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Fans have the power to build up<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>and<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>tear down.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

\r\n

I have talked about different variations of cancelling, the reactions the public and fandoms have made,<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>and<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>the<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>vague rules that are broken but what are these rules to online social platforms?<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Who makes these rules? If you break these<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>rules,<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>are you thereby cancelled?<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Throughout all social media online we have a collected idea of<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>what is<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>right and wrong and that is referred to as \u201ccollective consciousness\u201d (Velasco 2).<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>As a society, we have applied some baseline rules to ourselves of what is acceptable and what is not. When people break these<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>rules,<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>they have committed a high crime<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>where people see no difference between people convicted of crimes and people who are cancelled (Imam 3).<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>When there is no difference between those incarcerated and those cancelled<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>the<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>rules need to be revisited and revised much like the justice system altogether.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>With this cancel culture can be beneficial in society after it is closely reexamined<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>so it is not used as a power gain or to tear down someone for simply not agreeing to something. People should be held accountable for serious indiscretions<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>like derogatory remarks, violence, and sexual assault. Cancel culture should not be used as a witch hunt for the rich and famous to root out people who are their rivals. With the current political climate and with current news media we need to stop labeling everything as being cancelled when it truly is not. Mr. Potato Head is not being cancelled for the company declaring it is genderless,<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>it is<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>a potato of course it has no gender. Dr. Seuss made highly racist books that the estate wants to withdraw from the public because of their content, not because they are being cancelled. Instead of cancel culture it needs a stiff remarketing as accountability<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>culture.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>As<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>a society we need to cancel \u201ccancel culture\u201d and instead help people become accountable of their actions.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

Work Cited<\/p>\r\n@kimkardashian. \u201cWait it's legit National Snake Day?!?!?They have holidays for everybody, I mean everything these days!\u201d Twitter, 16 July 2016 7:22\u00a0P.M.\u00a0https:\/\/twitter.com\/KimKardashian\/status\/754818471465287680\r\n\r\nBBC News. \u201cTaylor Swift: \u2018Saying You\u2019re Cancelled Is like Saying Kill Yourself.\u2019\u201d BBC News, 9 Aug. 2019, www.bbc.com\/news\/newsbeat-49289430.\r\n\r\nCarr,\u00a0Nanci\u00a0K. \"How Can We End#\u00a0CancelCulture-Tort Liability or Thumper's\u00a0Rule?.\" Cath. UJL & Tech 28 (2019): 133.\r\n\r\nEvans, M. (2019, November 26). Taylor Swift needs to call off her fans as they SEND Scooter Braun death threats. Retrieved March 16, 2021, from https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2019\/11\/25\/taylor-swift-attack-scooter-braun-danger-toxic-fandom-11215672\/\r\n\r\nGriffiths, K. (2016, February 16). Transcript of Taylor SWIFT'S 2016 Grammys speech that was a HUGE Feminist Victory. Retrieved April 16, 2021, from https:\/\/www.bustle.com\/articles\/142222-transcript-of-taylor-swifts-2016-grammys-speech-that-was-a-huge-feminist-victory\r\n\r\nHooks, Austin. \"Cancel culture: posthuman\u00a0hauntologies\u00a0in digital rhetoric and the latent values of virtual community networks.\" (2020).\r\n\r\nImam, Aya. \"Twitter, What\u2019s The\u00a0Verdict?\"\r\n\r\nLaconte, Stephen. \u201cTaylor Swift Fans Are Attacking\u00a0A\u00a0Star Of \u2018Ginny & Georgia\u2019 After That \u2018Deeply Sexist\u2019 Joke \u2014 But She Had\u00a0An\u00a0Important Response.\u201d BuzzFeed, 5 Mar. 2021, www.buzzfeed.com\/stephenlaconte\/taylor-swift-ginny-georgia-sexist-joke-antonia-gentry.\r\n\r\nLambert, Anthony, and Sarah Maguire. \"Has cancel culture gone too\u00a0far?\" (2020).\r\n\r\nRoos, Hailey. \"With (Stan) ding Cancel Culture: Stan Twitter and Reactionary Fandoms.\"\u00a0 (2020).\r\n\r\nTheriault, Liz. \"From cancel culture to changing culture.\" (2019).\r\n\r\nVelasco, Joseph Ching. \"You are Cancelled: Virtual Collective Consciousness and the Emergence of Cancel Culture as Ideological Purging.\"\u00a0Rupkatha\u00a0Journal on Interdisciplinary Studies in Humanities 12.5 (2020).\r\n\r\nWelsh, Michael Tyler. Disruptive rhetoric in an age of outrage. Diss. 2020.\r\n\r\nWest, Kanye. \u201cFamous.\u201d YouTube. https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Lq2TmRzg19k<\/a>\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n

<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
<\/div>\r\n
<\/div>\r\n<\/div>","rendered":"
\n

English 102, April 2021<\/h3>\n

With the pandemic we can look back on a year of things cancelled. Holidays were cancelled. Sporting events were cancelled. Concerts were cancelled. While 2020 was the big year of all good things cancelled many would say that the year itself should be cancelled. Certainly, the main<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>reasons<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>the year was hated was that most work and schools went online with<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Zoom<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>and it was hard to get a roll of toilet paper. Would I go as far to say 2020 was a god-awful year? Of course, I worked in a grocery store and people were insane. Would I say it needs to be cancelled? Well, no because that<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>doesn\u2019t<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>really apply in this setting. We had a lot of canceled events but to cancel the year is hard because in principle cancelling<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>doesn\u2019t<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>work that way. Why<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>doesn\u2019t<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>cancelling apply in this setting? Well, what is cancelling to begin with?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Is cancel culture beneficial in society? Can someone truly be cancelled, who does cancel culture<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>hurt? Is cancel culture<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>hurting<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>more than helping? When has cancel culture gone too far? How do people interact with the idea of cancel culture on social media? What happens in<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>a fandom<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>when someone is cancelled or actively being cancelled? Do fans go too far? Has there been a time when<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>a fandom<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>has gone too far? Is there still room to enjoy what is created by a cancelled entertainer?\u202f\u202fCancel culture may be a good form of social justice in society but the ways in which it is used and abused online has<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>swayed<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>far from its actual purpose.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

The conveniences that the internet and social media has brought have certainly outnumbered the bad. Today<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>social media<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>can branch together family who<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>have not<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>seen each other in days, months, or years and now especially due to the pandemic. There is however a downside to platforms like this. These platforms undoubtedly can bring the worst out of people hopping on a<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>trend or hashtag. When someone makes even the slightest misstep people<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>act<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>online to let everyone know. This has brought about a new era to social media with rising concepts of cancel or call out culture. But what is cancel culture?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>One explanation form \u201cDisruptive rhetoric in an age of outrage\u201d by Michael Welsh explains that cancel culture has become its own societal discourse of social<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>issues in<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>which people can take to social media and announce that someone is cancelled for a perceived crime by the accuser.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

With cancel culture social media has become reactionary instead of investigating whether these claims are true.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>In \u201cWith (Stan) ding Cancel Culture: Stan Twitter and Reactionary Fandoms\u201d Hailey<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Roos<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>explains that<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u201ccancel culture is intended to hold powerful people accountable, but it has been constantly appropriated, and its influence has been diminished because of how frequently people are cancelled for less serious offenses.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>What ways can someone be cancelled? There can be social media movements led by hashtags declaring<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>someone<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>is cancelled which can lead to extreme consequences<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>to<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>those, the people cancelling and those being cancelled. The action taken by those who are cancelled can be to take accountability in their actions and reflect on them and change or they can<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>defend and<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>deflect what is being accused of them to<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>keep<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>the status they have.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Joseph Ching Velasco in \u201cYou are Cancelled: Virtual Collective Consciousness and the Emergence of Cancel Culture as Ideological Purging\u201d explains that there can be those who are accused of committing a crime they<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>did not<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>commit for the sake of someone else\u2019s gain. In the same sense though cancel culture as an act in society is confusing as it can be used for its purpose or as a \u201cpower play\u201d which leads to a need for more understanding on how to wield such a power. There<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>is not<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>a clear-cut way of knowing for certain if<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>in<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>the moment it is merely just a business move or if the person did something wrong.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Today<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>the internet, more specifically social media platforms, have decided that there is a need for judge, jury, and executioner in the matter of social issues. Who<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>oversees<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>making such decisions and on what terms are used to judge?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>From \u201cTwitter, What\u2019s The Verdict?\u201d Aya Imam explains that it can be said that growing up we are taught through fairytales and fables that everything is good versus evil, where we take every situation and boil it down to that. In terms of defining every situation in terms of black and white that leaves little room<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>for the person to defend themselves.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>If someone is<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>justifiably<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>cancelled what are these codes of conduct that they have broken?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Then it seems for that everyday people have taken matters into their own hands by essentially \u201ccancelling\u201d someone if they<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>don\u2019t<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>follow societal rules (Imam 2).\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

When it comes to hearing about cancel culture the first people to come to mind would be celebrities. Celebrities fill our newsfeed on the daily with videos, stories, etc. for the public\u2019s entertainment. There has become a sense of connection with celebrities<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>and their audience, where they need to adhere to their publicized person or face the consequences (Roos<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>3-4). With this constant connection more issues<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>become known<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>or are dug up. In recent<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>years,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>the celebrities<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>that people associate with cancel culture are<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>names like Harvey Weinstein and Billy Cosby, who both have a list of sexual assault allegations against them. Others like Kathy Griffin, who posted a photo of herself holding a \u201cbloody\u201d Trump mask, or Taylor Swift who will be discussed later in this essay.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Aya Imam briefly discusses the disparities in cancel culture:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Does Harvey Weinstein deserve the backlash he\u2019s received? Yes, 1000% yes. But does James Charles \u2013 a very famous YouTuber who was initially called out by another YouTuber for endorsing the \u2018wrong\u2019 vitamin brand \u2013 deserve the false accusations of being a sexual predator (which, in turn, resulted in millions of people unfollowing and unsubscribing from him)? No, I don\u2019t believe he deserves that (Imam 2).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

I would like to note that as I was doing my research, I picked this article and this quote because it did display the gap between how serious or not Weinstein\u2019s or Charles\u2019s situations were but at the current time it has<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>become known<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>that James Charles has multiple allegations of sexual misconduct (texting\/messaging primarily) with minors. With the James Charles cancellation he<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>was friends with another YouTuber, Tati<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Westbrook,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>and owner of a vitamin supplement company, who recorded a video<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>accusing of<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Charles of behaving inappropriately with straight men. The video and its message were then condensed down to it being about Charles endorsing a rival vitamin company.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>In<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u201cHow Can We End #CancelCulture \u2013 Tort Liability or Thumper\u2019s Rule?\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Nanci<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Carr<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>explains how a situation much like James Charles\u2019s can show that<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>when a celebrity is cancelled it is more off a hunch than actual<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>information.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>So, then what<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>decides<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>why, how, or what extent someone is cancelled? There is no real set of rules on cancelling someone.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Carr<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>explains that<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u201cwe are living in a \u2018cancel culture\u2019 where if someone, often a celebrity, does something either illegal or unethical, society is quick to \u2018cancel\u2019 them, or lessen their celebrity standing or cultural capital<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>(133).\u201d For Bill Cosby and Harvey Weinstein, yes, they face consequences for their actions but when it comes to Taylor Swift was the punishment fitting of the crime?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

As I had said previously mentioned Taylor Swift for<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>a moment<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>had been cancelled. Most if not all articles on the topic of cancel culture touched on what happened to Taylor Swift. Truly, I<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>do not<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>think anyone would consider her to be cancelled because she faced no major backlash financially but what<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>the situation<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>did damage was her reputation, which would become the topic of her 6th<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>album.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Swift\u2019s story goes all the way back to 2009 when Swift won an award and Kanye West stormed the stage to let her and everyone know that Beyonce had the best video of the year. Swift and West had different paths from this event with Swift being pegged as a victim and West as the villain, which led to if other situations arose that Swift was playing the victim because that first moment garnered her so much sympathy and people saying that it helped her career back then. Fast forward to 2016 after West and Swift had mended fences as Swift puts it in \u201cThis Is Why We Can\u2019t Have Nice Things\u201d and West had called to ask if he could reference Swift in a song. The song in question was \u201cfamous\u201d would later be released for everyone to hear the line, \u201cI<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>feel like me and Taylor might still have sex, why, I made that bitch famous.\u201d Swift claimed she had only heard<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>the first part of the lyric and was never made aware of the part where West would call her a bitch or that he made her famous. This led to bitterness on social media between Kanye West, his wife Kim Kardashian, and<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>the<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Kardashian\u2019s friends and family.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

The following quote by Swift was at the 2016 Grammy Awards after winning album of the year and many believe it is in reference to the situation:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

As the first woman to win Album of the Year at the Grammys twice, I want to say to all the young women out there, there are going to be people along the way who will try to undercut your success or take credit for your accomplishments or your fame, but, if you just focus on the work and you don’t let those people sidetrack you, someday when you get where you’re going you’ll look around and you will know that it was you and the people who love you who put you there. And that will be the greatest feeling in the world. Thank you for this moment. (Griffiths)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Taylor Swift in this moment wanted to show that she got to where she was on her own and for<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>the<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Kardashian this moment would lead to her releasing clips of the recorded conversation. While the phone conversation was recorded what we saw in 2016 was an edited version posted on Snapchat by Kim Kardashian, years later the full conversation would be released online to reveal more truth to Swift\u2019s side of the story. The below picture is a tweet that Kardashian tweeted before the release of Kardashian\u2019s video, she posted on Twitter \u201cWait it’s legit National Snake Day?!?!?They have holidays for everybody, I mean everything these days!\u201d with a slew of snake emojis. As shown in the picture it was liked<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>over 300 thousand times and shared over 200 thousand times.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

You can see the Tweet here\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

Kardashian\u2019s tweet<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>doesn\u2019t<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>seem<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>too<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>malicious at face value. The tweet<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>doesn\u2019t<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>mention anyone by name,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>doesn\u2019t<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>mention the need to cancel anyone, nor does it attack<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>anyone. Kardashian\u2019s plan was methodical, by simultaneously posting this tweet and posting the edited video it jumpstarted others to take the idea that Taylor Swift was a snake<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>and not to be trusted. There was an onslaught of attacks on Swift and her character. The hashtag #TaylorSwiftisoverparty was a worldwide trend.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>In the article \u201cFrom Cancel Culture to Changing Culture\u201d Liz Theriault explained that<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u201c[Swift] was being sent \u2018mass amounts of messages\u2019 telling her to \u2018either shut up, disappear, or [as] it could also be perceived as, kill yourself.\u2019\u201d The extent of tweets towards Swift ranged from benign to telling her to kill herself or for her to be killed. In terms of cancellation, yes Taylor Swift was indeed cancelled but online forums made her the target of worse hate. Cancel culture should not be to take the opportunity to break down someone even more than needed, in this situation it<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>should have<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>been to take accountability of your actions however benign they may have been. For cancel culture this is one of many examples of how we make quick calls about someone\u2019s character due to social media outlets (Imam 3). In the below tweet the user says, \u201cI love this #taylorswiftisoverparty\u2026. been at this party since 1989\u2026. most annoying and ridiculous singer in the<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>biz\u2026. ok! Kill her!\u201d This shows the extreme hate that was directed at Swift during the cancellation.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>With respect to the following person, I have blacked out their image and username.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"I<\/p>\n

\n

After seeing such malice towards a celebrity for a crime<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>committed<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>how can being cancelled affect them? As with Swift she disappeared for a year, no trace of her in public or on social media where she was an avid user prior to this scandal because<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>that is<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>what she thought people wanted. Even with years prior of being primarily silent on political issues, she knew the optics of getting involved in the 2016 presidential election.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Taylor Swift in the following explains why she felt adding her opinion in such a polarizing election year would have added fuel to the fire:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

The summer before that election, all people were saying was \u2018She\u2019s calculated. She\u2019s manipulative. She\u2019s not what she seems. She\u2019s a snake. She\u2019s a liar.\u2019 These are the same exact insults people were hurling at Hillary. \u2018Would I be an endorsement, or would I be a liability? Literally millions of people were telling me to disappear. So, I disappeared. In many senses (BBC News).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

With the rise of social media platforms there has become a sense of connection with celebrity and their audience, where they need to adhere to their publicized persona or face the consequences (Roos<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>3-4). As with the case of a cancelled celebrity what happens to their respective fandom? I can say that I do have a bias in this situation because I am a Taylor Swift fan, while I am still on the fence of the idea of being called a \u201cSwiftie,\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>a hardcore stan, I can say seeing this used against a celebrity that I liked can also put a form of shame on a fan. Should I<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>still like her? If I still like her what will people think of me? Did she really lie about the situation? If she lied, then is it true she just plays the victim any time she gets called out? All valid questions I had for myself which now looking back on were a little over the top, if she had done what she was accused of it really<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>was not<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>that bad of a crime. During that time when it came to Taylor Swift most of my friends just labelled her as annoying, not a good singer, and that she deserved it. After watching several other celebrities or content creators being cancelled or held accountable, I can say that sometimes it is hard to say that I am a fan without there being some amount of judgment.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

There is a way for people and celebrities to hold themselves accountable for past actions without social media going for them. In the case of YouTuber Jenna Marbles whose real name is Jenna Mourey, she did just that. Mourey held herself accountable for old YouTube videos with highly questionable content.<\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
As discussed in \u201cHas Cancel Culture Gone Too Far?\u201d Anthony Lambert and Sarah Maguire discuss how with last summer\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>the continued rise of the Black Lives Matter movement after the horrific death of George Floyd, media companies were showing support to the movement in performative ways of removing content that could be seen as racist. All of this led to many people questioning the content of their favorite online creators with maybe a few people asking Mourey to respond to questions about her content. One video was her acting like rapper Nicki Minaj in a dark tan\u00a0<\/span>close\u00a0<\/span>to blackface and another was a music video where she says an Asian slur. Now\u00a0<\/span>in\u00a0<\/span>this moment her action to hold herself\u00a0<\/span>was not\u00a0<\/span>to be performative to join a movement, she was under pressure after constantly being crowned an unproblematic queen. Mourey was certainly not perfect and her fans, like many other fandoms, put her on a\u00a0<\/span>pedestal in\u00a0<\/span>which she never wanted to be on. The video in which she apologized and talked about all these concerns\u00a0<\/span>was public on her YouTube account for a day or so then\u00a0<\/span>later\u00a0<\/span>removed. Mourey\u00a0<\/span>is still\u00a0<\/span>off the platform and taking care of her mental health.\u00a0<\/span>The photo below is a screenshot of her final apology video\u00a0<\/span>about\u00a0<\/span>her taking accountability.\u00a0<\/span>As I said Mourey did\u00a0<\/span>remove\u00a0<\/span>this\u00a0<\/span>from\u00a0<\/span>her\u00a0<\/span>channel,\u00a0<\/span>but it was uploaded again by many other accounts. You can see her in the video in this screenshot.\u00a0<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n
\n
\n

We<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>have really seen cancel culture only affect those who have fame and money but cancel culture is not a solo phenomenon to affect only celebrities, it also affects everyday people like me and you. With call out culture it is<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>seen<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>with bringing awareness to social issues.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Unfortunately,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>you will see more videos of people acting out on racist ideas. The purpose of call out culture is in its name; you call out that behavior.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>In the essay \u201cCancel Culture: Posthuman<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Hauntologies<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>in Digital Rhetoric and the Latent Values of Virtual Community Networks\u201d Austin Hooks discusses the possibility there is<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>with<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>cancel culture,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>social media, and how it<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>can<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>drudge<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>up the past holding people accountable to their past actions, which can be referred to as a \u201chaunting\u201d or doxing and is the basis of this culture. While most people think<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>it is<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>fun to revisit posts from their pasts on apps like<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Timehop<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>and Facebook, others suffer this as an unfortunate consequence as their past self comes back to haunt them.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

For an example of a haunting I would like you to meet Carson King. King was a regular college student who<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>needed<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>beer money and made a sign that said to Venmo him Busch Light Beer money, this led to many donating a large amount of money to the beer cause which he in turn donated to charities and would later team up with the same beer company to donate upwards of one million dollars to a charity of his choice (Carr<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>135-136). The story at the time was a feel-good moment where you could see a kind college kid doing something for laughs would end up turning his life upside down. King was eventually cancelled for two old racists tweets that were dug up by a reporter, Aaron Calvin, while writing a feel-good piece on the donations (Carr<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>136). Was it necessary for Calvin to report this while<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>writing<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>an article on a large donation? No, it really<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>was not<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>necessary but Calvin \u201cfelt obligated to publicize the existence, confirming once again, no good deed goes unpunished (Carr<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>137).\u201d The story on his tweets turned into companies backing out<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>of partnerships with<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>King<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>and<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>getting negative attention online. King apologized for his past remarks but also felt that they<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>did not<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>represent<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>who he was as person at the time. After King\u2019s apology,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>he was still receiving criticism for his past remarks, many online had thought it was unnecessary for Calvin to go through King\u2019s social media the story was on how King was able to get money to donate to charity and not for King\u2019s past. The public then<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>acted<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>and as with Calvin, they felt obligated to<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>investigate<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Calvin\u2019s old tweets and found some highly questionable tweets (Carr<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>138). For King, it was unnecessary to do<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>a deep dive into his past actions online so was it necessary to do the same to Calvin?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u201c[Calvin] acknowledged that [the tweets] were \u2018frankly embarrassing\u2019 but then asserted that they had been \u2018taken out of context\u2019 to \u2018wield<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>disingenuous<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>arguments against [him]\u2019 (Carr<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>138)\u201d Calvin had lost his job and suffered similar consequences for the same judgment he had placed on<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>King.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

On the other hand, with the case of Bill Cosby some repercussions with \u201cthe way the public villainized Cosby\u2019s family, and even the fans of the show, mirrors the ways that incarcerated citizens are being reduced to their \u2018guilty\u2019 label and vilified, as described by Jamison (Imam 3).\u201d When a celebrity is cancelled it goes so far to say that if you partake in their media, you are also just as bad. As I have said<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>there<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>was a mild villainization on being a part of a fandom where their celebrity is being cancelled but of nothing criminal. In the case of Bill Cosby, Harvey Weinstein, R. Kelly, among others who have a list of sexual assault allegations against them, can you still enjoy their art?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Yes, you can still enjoy their art but also remember what they did. You<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>do not<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>have to take accountability for their actions but also<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>do not<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>vilify<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>their victims.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

We have looked at cancel culture in terms of celebrity, regular people, and the reaction to their said cancellation. Briefly mentioned is cancel culture in terms of fans but what contribution do fans have on social media especially<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>on<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>cancel culture? \u201cFandoms often serve as a buffer to being cancelled on Twitter (Roos<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>4).\u201d Many fans especially the hardcore fans, also known as stans or depending on who it is for have a special name like<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Swifties, can help soften the blow that the celebrity is experiencing. For<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Taylor Swift,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>her fans were online trying to defend her but would mostly go on to send a brief tweet to show their support or love. Recently<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>this has become more of a popular thing for her fans during a time where she was battling for the rights to the<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>masters<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>to her first six albums.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>In the article \u201cTaylor Swift needs to call off her fans as they send Scooter Braun death threats\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Mel<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Evans discusses how<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>in 2019 it was announced that the record label that owned Swift\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>masters<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>was being<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>sold to<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Scooter Braun.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

In the following quote from a<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Tumblr<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>post of Swift\u2019s she explains everything surrounding the battle to owning her<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>masters:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

For years I asked, pleaded for a chance to own my work. Instead, I was given an opportunity to sign back up to Big Machine Records and “earn’ one album back at a time, one for every new one I turned in. … I learned about Scooter Braun’s purchase of my masters as it was announced to the world. All I could think about was the incessant, manipulative bullying I’ve received at his hands for years. (Taylor Swift)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Swift also said \u201cPlease let Scott Borchetta and Scooter Braun know how you feel about this. Scooter also manages several artists who I really believe care about other artists and their work.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>This message would lead her fans known as\u00a0<\/span>Swifties\u00a0<\/span>to go on the attack.<\/span><\/p>\n

Swifties\u00a0<\/span>would go on Scooter Braun\u2019s social media and either just tell him to give her the\u00a0<\/span>masters\u00a0<\/span>back or actively threaten him, his family, and company. Braun would ask Swift to talk about this privately instead of broadcasting it to her many fans (Evans). This\u00a0<\/span>was not\u00a0<\/span>the only example of\u00a0<\/span>Swifties\u00a0<\/span>going past the message she was trying to send to her fans. More recently a tv show on Netflix titled \u201cGinny\u00a0<\/span>& Georgia\u201d and one of its lead\u00a0<\/span>actors\u00a0<\/span>was on the receiving end of this. You can see the Tweet here.\u00a0<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

The following is a quote from the image above of a tweet from Taylor Swift:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Hey Ginny & Georgia, 2010 called and wants it lazy, deeply sexist joke back. How about we stop degrading hard<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>working women<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>by defining this horse shit as<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Funny. Also, @netflix after Miss Americana this outfit<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>doesn\u2019t<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>look cute on you Happy Women\u2019s History Month I guess (Taylor Swift).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

The image that Swift had post was of the line from the show which says, \u201cWhat do you care? You go through men faster than Taylor Swift.\u201d Swift had been the punchline of this joke for many years having called it out in the past and even writing songs about how the media portrays<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>her like \u201cBlank Space\u201d and \u201cLook What You Made Me Do.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Swifties<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>took this tweet as a call to action to attack the show, but not the writers of the joke, the<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>actor<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>who spoke the line. A lot of responses were<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>like<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u201cRespect Taylor Swift\u201d or \u201cApologize to Taylor\u201d but then there were quite a few racist replies which many wanted Taylor Swift herself to apologize for.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Swifties<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>as a culture I<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>would not<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>say they are racist, but when people start swinging for their favorite they tend to punch down and unfortunately aim to hurt. The<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>actor<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>was not the target of Swift\u2019s disdain, it was the show writers and Netflix but because she used the online platform to air her grievance her fans wanted to take their turn at cancelling someone. Unfortunately for Swift, her fans will<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>continue<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>this path of destruction for the sake of preserving her legacy.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Fans have the power to build up<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>and<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>tear down.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

I have talked about different variations of cancelling, the reactions the public and fandoms have made,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>and<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>the<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>vague rules that are broken but what are these rules to online social platforms?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Who makes these rules? If you break these<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>rules,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>are you thereby cancelled?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Throughout all social media online we have a collected idea of<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>what is<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>right and wrong and that is referred to as \u201ccollective consciousness\u201d (Velasco 2).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>As a society, we have applied some baseline rules to ourselves of what is acceptable and what is not. When people break these<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>rules,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>they have committed a high crime<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>where people see no difference between people convicted of crimes and people who are cancelled (Imam 3).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>When there is no difference between those incarcerated and those cancelled<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>the<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>rules need to be revisited and revised much like the justice system altogether.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>With this cancel culture can be beneficial in society after it is closely reexamined<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>so it is not used as a power gain or to tear down someone for simply not agreeing to something. People should be held accountable for serious indiscretions<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>like derogatory remarks, violence, and sexual assault. Cancel culture should not be used as a witch hunt for the rich and famous to root out people who are their rivals. With the current political climate and with current news media we need to stop labeling everything as being cancelled when it truly is not. Mr. Potato Head is not being cancelled for the company declaring it is genderless,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>it is<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>a potato of course it has no gender. Dr. Seuss made highly racist books that the estate wants to withdraw from the public because of their content, not because they are being cancelled. Instead of cancel culture it needs a stiff remarketing as accountability<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>culture.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>As<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>a society we need to cancel \u201ccancel culture\u201d and instead help people become accountable of their actions.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Work Cited<\/p>\n

@kimkardashian. \u201cWait it’s legit National Snake Day?!?!?They have holidays for everybody, I mean everything these days!\u201d Twitter, 16 July 2016 7:22\u00a0P.M.\u00a0https:\/\/twitter.com\/KimKardashian\/status\/754818471465287680<\/p>\n

BBC News. \u201cTaylor Swift: \u2018Saying You\u2019re Cancelled Is like Saying Kill Yourself.\u2019\u201d BBC News, 9 Aug. 2019, www.bbc.com\/news\/newsbeat-49289430.<\/p>\n

Carr,\u00a0Nanci\u00a0K. “How Can We End#\u00a0CancelCulture-Tort Liability or Thumper’s\u00a0Rule?.” Cath. UJL & Tech 28 (2019): 133.<\/p>\n

Evans, M. (2019, November 26). Taylor Swift needs to call off her fans as they SEND Scooter Braun death threats. Retrieved March 16, 2021, from https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2019\/11\/25\/taylor-swift-attack-scooter-braun-danger-toxic-fandom-11215672\/<\/p>\n

Griffiths, K. (2016, February 16). Transcript of Taylor SWIFT’S 2016 Grammys speech that was a HUGE Feminist Victory. Retrieved April 16, 2021, from https:\/\/www.bustle.com\/articles\/142222-transcript-of-taylor-swifts-2016-grammys-speech-that-was-a-huge-feminist-victory<\/p>\n

Hooks, Austin. “Cancel culture: posthuman\u00a0hauntologies\u00a0in digital rhetoric and the latent values of virtual community networks.” (2020).<\/p>\n

Imam, Aya. “Twitter, What\u2019s The\u00a0Verdict?”<\/p>\n

Laconte, Stephen. \u201cTaylor Swift Fans Are Attacking\u00a0A\u00a0Star Of \u2018Ginny & Georgia\u2019 After That \u2018Deeply Sexist\u2019 Joke \u2014 But She Had\u00a0An\u00a0Important Response.\u201d BuzzFeed, 5 Mar. 2021, www.buzzfeed.com\/stephenlaconte\/taylor-swift-ginny-georgia-sexist-joke-antonia-gentry.<\/p>\n

Lambert, Anthony, and Sarah Maguire. “Has cancel culture gone too\u00a0far?” (2020).<\/p>\n

Roos, Hailey. “With (Stan) ding Cancel Culture: Stan Twitter and Reactionary Fandoms.”\u00a0 (2020).<\/p>\n

Theriault, Liz. “From cancel culture to changing culture.” (2019).<\/p>\n

Velasco, Joseph Ching. “You are Cancelled: Virtual Collective Consciousness and the Emergence of Cancel Culture as Ideological Purging.”\u00a0Rupkatha\u00a0Journal on Interdisciplinary Studies in Humanities 12.5 (2020).<\/p>\n

Welsh, Michael Tyler. Disruptive rhetoric in an age of outrage. Diss. 2020.<\/p>\n

West, Kanye. \u201cFamous.\u201d YouTube. https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Lq2TmRzg19k<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":253,"menu_order":8,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":["mwroblewski"],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[82],"license":[],"class_list":["post-492","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry","contributor-mwroblewski"],"part":71,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/understanding-literacy-in-our-lives\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/492","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/understanding-literacy-in-our-lives\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/understanding-literacy-in-our-lives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/understanding-literacy-in-our-lives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/253"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/understanding-literacy-in-our-lives\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/492\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":562,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/understanding-literacy-in-our-lives\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/492\/revisions\/562"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/understanding-literacy-in-our-lives\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/71"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/understanding-literacy-in-our-lives\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/492\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/understanding-literacy-in-our-lives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=492"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/understanding-literacy-in-our-lives\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=492"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/understanding-literacy-in-our-lives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=492"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/understanding-literacy-in-our-lives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=492"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}