There’s a lot of talk lately about either a new or an increasing “cancel culture.” There’s a lot of angst and fear from some circles.
Two things. 1) There is NOTHING new about cancel culture. And, 2) today’s cancel culture is eminently tame in comparison to the cancel culture of the past.
Cancel culture is nothing new. Even just in relatively recent times we’ve seen plenty of cancel culture. When Tiger Woods turned out not to be a teetotaling perfect husband, almost every brand refused to be associated with him and immediately dropped him. When Gary Hart was the frontrunner for the 1988 Democratic Presidential nomination and it was learned he was having some extramarital fun he was quickly canceled. When Bernie Madoff… oh whatever.
But, let’s be honest, that’s not the real cancel culture, the pure cancel culture. No, long before we started diving through old tweets, our cancel culture choices were much easier. Oh, you think you as a Black man should be treated equally to whites? We are going to cancel you. And by cancel we mean kill. Oh, you as a Black man believe the White man is the devil? Then we are going to cancel you. And by cancel we mean kill. Oh, you as a White man have the temerity to argue that Black men should be treated as well as White men? Then we are going to cancel you. And by cancel we mean kill.
Muhammad Ali refused to fight for a country that refused to treat him well in a war he objected to, and as a result he was cancelled, his livelihood taken away. When Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their firsts from the Olympic medal platform in 1968, they were both threatened with suspensions and bans and routinely attacked in the media. And Peter Norman, the white Australian who supported their protest from their shared podium? Yeah, they cancelled him, too. Of course, that was 52 years ago, that would never happen today.
Colin Kaepernick knows otherwise.
So today’s cancel culture, when we just decide we’re not going to financially support you if you you’ve expressed some ignorant, racist bullshit is really nothing but child’s play. I don’t think it’s too extreme to decide I don’t want to buy your jersey if you don’t believe in equal rights. I don’t think it’s too extreme to decide I don’t want to buy your book if you don’t support the Trans community. I don’t think it’s too extreme to not donate to your organization if you don’t support LGBTQ rights.
It’s not like I’m killing you because you were a 14 year-old boy who was accused of flirting with a white woman and therefore you deserved to be not only killed but tortured then left out to be found as an example for other young Black kids. And I don’t mean cause you actually DID flirt with the white woman, only that she said you did. That’s enough, right?
But that was 66 years ago, that wouldn’t happen today. Or maybe there’s a direct line between Emmett Till and Trayvon Martin. And let’s not forget that there are likely thousands of young Black men incarcerated right now because of false testimony.
In reality all the focus on cancel culture today comes down to one thing: fear. There seems to be a lot of fear that if public opinion can turn on some of those who have been “cancelled” for what some deem innocent mistakes then that means anyone could be cancelled, anyone could have their livelihood taken away from them. That makes me think two things. First, what are you afraid of? I’m not afraid of getting in trouble, cause I don’t plan on saying any racist, ignorant shit. I believe in treating people well, fairly, kindly. I believe in trying to treat people like people. And if I DO make a mistake, I hope to learn from it. And, secondly, isn’t it lucky for those cancelled that it’s only their livelihood being taken away and not their lives?
Of course, maybe livelihoods aren’t even being taken away. Sometimes a timely N-word gets you cancelled on one side but sells albums for the other side.
I guess this world takes all kinds.
Sex And Depression 