Cancel Culture is a trending topic on social media right now. It originates from the word cancel. Cancel culture refers to the phenomenon and practice of openly boycotting, rejecting, or non-cooperation with a particular person or group because of an activity or viewpoint that is not socially acceptable. Canceling a celebrity, political figure, party, or group means opposing their ideals and activities. If the general public expresses dissatisfaction with any of their activities, then they refrain from supporting them.
Nowadays, almost everyone judges each other on social media. If someone dislikes another person’s activities, he or she will simply throw numerous slurs online. So cancel culture has become a kind of online court. The film industry has been the most affected by cancel culture. Cancel culture is manifested by boycotting film actors, actresses, or directors from their work. Taking a break from reading and promoting an author’s book is another example. Currently, this cancel culture is much discussed in politics. But cancel culture has both good and bad sides. Some people think that through this culture, individuals and groups have to be held accountable for their actions, while others think that it is a kind of punishment. The careers of individuals, teams, and groups are threatened by cancel culture.
Cancel culture refers to the practice of withdrawing support or canceling individuals, usually celebrities or public figures, due to perceived offensive actions or statements. Many people have been affected by the cancel culture. Kevin Hart faced backlash for past homophobic tweets, leading him to step down as the host of the 2019 Oscars. JK Rowling, author of the famous Harry Potter series, has been criticized and called anti-gay for opposing a transgender movement. Shane Gillis was fired from Saturday Night Live before even starting due to past offensive comments in his podcast. James Charles lost millions of YouTube subscribers after a public fallout involving a dispute with fellow beauty influencer Tati Westbrook.
It’s important to note that opinions on cancel culture vary, with some seeing it as a way to hold individuals accountable, while others view it as excessive or detrimental to free speech. Speaking out in favor of Palestine in the Western world can lead to job losses, social boycotts, and harassment. Thus, cancel culture is visible in every field in Bangladesh.
Currently, most of the executive members of the Bangladesh Cricket Board and some players of the national team are facing cancel culture vehemently. Due to their poor performance in the ODI World Cup 2023, they have become victims of cancel culture. People on social media are boycotting them. They are criticizing them for making these off-form performers out of the team. Especially, the captain, Shakib Al Hasan, is the most affected cricketer who is canceled by the majority of cricket fans in Bangladesh. They are alleging him giving the nickname Showroom-Al-Hasan. Thus, Shakib Al Hasan is also a strong victim cancel culture.
This culture is present in every sector, from friends to educational institutions, society, politics, and the film arena. If your own opinions, ideas, and behavior in the circle of friends conflict with theirs, then you will also be canceled. Being a victim of the cancel culture makes you rejected from your professional world. Cancel culture is spreading great influence in the politics of Bangladesh. Just like when someone expresses a dissenting opinion within the party, he is fired; similarly, ignoring a dissenting opinion and taking undue action against it is also one of the examples of cancel culture.
A survey by the American Pew Research Center shows that about 58% of people think that through cancel culture, individual groups and teams can be brought under accountability. As a result, they try to refrain from abnormal activities. And 38% of people think that those who are boycotted, disrespected, and harassed by cancel culture do not really deserve it. They are unfairly judged online. Their careers are destroyed. In many cases, the allegations are found to be false and fabricated. Are people rushing to judge or trying to be helpful? This survey found that the most common area of opposing arguments about calling out other people on social media arises from people’s differing perspectives on whether people who cancel others are rushing to judge or instead trying to be helpful.
One in five Americans who see this type of behavior as a form of accountability point to reasons that relate to how helpful calling out others can be. For example, some explained in an open-ended question that they associate this behavior with moving toward a better society or educating others on their mistakes so they can do better in the future. Conversely, roughly a third (35%) of those who see calling out other people on social media as a form of unjust punishment cite reasons that relate to people who call out others as being rash or judgmental. Some of these Americans see this kind of behavior as overreacting or unnecessarily lashing out at others without considering the context or intentions of the original poster. Others emphasize that what is considered offensive can be subjective.
The Western world is the most affected by this cancel culture. As a result of the cancel culture, most of the time, minor sins are punished severely. Many are afraid to express their opinions freely. Many do not express their thoughts for fear of ruining their career by getting different tags. Such misuse of cancel culture has resulted in many celebrities opposing it. A few days ago, Elon Musk said in a tweet, “cancel cancel culture”.
In a nutshell, cancel culture is also criticized. It is our duty to prevent the abnormal spread of this culture and to hold the appropriate application of this culture accountable for any untoward activities. This cancel culture should not be misused or propagated to ruin someone’s career.
Author : Columnist and Researcher
Md. Parvez Has... |
