Cancel Culture: Tool of Social Justice or Merciless Mob Intimidation?
“[Cancel culture] is not activism [or] bringing about change. If all you’re doing is casting stones, you’re probably not going to get that far. ”
“Can we talk?” was groundbreaking female comedian Joan Rivers’ famous catchphrase. For Rivers — the first woman to fill in for Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show and later to host an eponymous but short-lived late-night network talk show of her own — this was a rhetorical question.
Rivers loved pushing both boundaries and buttons, and no topic was off limits in her often raucous monologues. By the time she died in 2014, however, “Can we talk?” had taken on a very different meaning, with entertainers — even comedians — increasingly being “canceled” by their employers. As social media has exploded, everyone’s voice is ripe for judgment, at any time, anywhere.
When Bill Maher’s show Politically Incorrect was (literally) canceled by ABC in 2002 for suggesting that terrorists might be braver than American soldiers, Maher simply switched to a pay cable station that had fewer viewers but was not beholden to advertiser boycotts. Today, however, artists are more likely to dig in their heels and fight back. The comedian Dave Chappelle, for example, kept his special on Netflix despite the streaming giant’s employees who objected to his comments about trans people. In fact, Chappelle released another Netflix special July 2022 called What’s in a Name?, in which he defends his jokes. The famed author of the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling, faced similar backlash for comments she made about the trans community.
What is cancel culture, anyway?
Of course, being “canceled” is not exactly new; celebrities and public figures have been yanked from the spotlight for centuries, typically for causing scandals large and small. What’s new is so-called “cancel culture,” a social media-driven phenomenon where celebrities, influencers, politicians, or even your next-door neighbor risk being driven from their careers, often for simply expressing their opinions — albeit typically on controversial topics.
Cancel culture focuses on words that show an implicit bias. One example is referring to a woman as “a girl.” This does not have a direct impact necessarily but it supports a patriarchal view that can harm women. The effect of the statement is damaging and positions the communicator as someone who may disregard women and their abilities.
“However, cancel culture walks a fine line between silencing harmful terminology and silencing any kind of speech as a result of hyper-sensitivity and mob mentality that arises easily thanks to social media. ”
But now, the backlash to insensitive comments has provoked a backlash of its own. Critics of cancel culture say that online communities and social media mobs revel in bullying and intimidation. Moreover, these mobs are never satisfied until their target is de-platformed and de-monetized. Dave Chappelle’s biggest beef with being “canceled” was that his livelihood was being threatened. Criticize someone all you like, he basically said, but don’t take away a person’s ability to provide for themselves and their family. So far, he has won the argument.
PR Cheatsheet
How to Avoid Being Cancelled
As a PR professional, my advice is to avoid controversies before they turn into cancellations, or attempted ones. Yes, there are those who still believe that “any publicity is good publicity,” but social media has changed the game. Do you want to designate a winner in the Johnny Depp/Amber Heard trial/publicity war? Me neither. Here are a few pointers that I give my clients:
PR strategies must be developed with social issues in mind. If you think that your product or idea is above politics, be prepared for others to disagree with you — loudly. Be comfortable with your position and be prepared to defend it, if necessary.
Clients must undergo media training, especially if they are discussing a controversial and/or political topic. Again, what you may consider a simple difference of opinion may very well turn into the center of a Tweetstorm. If something as microscopic as a virus can become polarizing, anything can.
Be prepared for the trolls and the bullies; they are always looking to pick a fight. Remaining agnostic is not considered a suitable defense on social media. If you attract enough attention, you may be maligned as tone-deaf, racist, sexist, or worse by some. Others, still, may ridicule you as a “social justice warrior.” Don’t take it personally, but be sensitive — and have a good sense of humor.
Learn how to approach conversations in a manner that allows you to say novel or slightly provocative things that aren’t inherently offensive and won’t get you canceled. It all comes down to how you are able to convey the message in a way that guarantees it will be received as intended.
Do your research so you can ground your statement in something relevant and of value to your point. You need to create a safe space rather than making judgments. At the end of the day, someone has to have the conversation, but your tone, approach, and method of communication must align with your intention. Learn to respectfully disagree while taking alternative perspectives into close consideration. Being abrupt and quick to comment isn’t always the way; be thoughtful and gentle in your approach.
As women in the age of social media, we don’t need to give up our empathy in order to step up to bat for our clients. Even so, we should always strive to find those places where we can connect with others, rather than outright cancel them.
This expert produced this original thought leadership piece free of charge to SheVentures. This expert values educating female entrepreneurs and the SheVentures community. SheVentures is not receiving affiliate compensation from the author/expert. Questions? Contact social@sheventurespodcast.com.
