As a 15-year-old, I chose to paint my bedroom walls neon green––the kind of neon green that pierces through the dark and is permanently imprinted on the underside of your eyeballs even when you sleep. That was a bad decision. This was just one of the many bad decisions I made as an adolescent that I would hope not to be judged for as a more mature, rational, and green-averse adult. However, in the modern technological era, more and more people are being punished for choices they made in their past with little regard for the ways in which people can grow and evolve with time.
Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms that were once used for social connection and friendly conversation are more frequently doubling as arenas for the public humiliation of anyone who dares to make a mistake. Behind the comfort of their screens, social media users across the nation are jumping at the chance to punish “wrongdoers” through retributive posts that accuse, shame, denounce or destroy their target. This 21st century phenomena is what people are labeling “cancel culture.”
More precisely defined, “cancel culture” is the practice of withdrawing support from certain individuals or organizations in response to something they have done or said that is considered objectionable or offensive. With the permanence of online content, the inherently flawed nature of humans, and the constant surveillance of celebrities, it is almost guaranteed that a public figure will face the wrath of cancel-culture-adherents at one time or another.
While the virtual rage directed at celebrities is often short-lived, the damaging consequences from it are not. Celebrities that are currently suffering the brunt of cancel culture in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement are––among others––Eiza González from “Bloodshot” and Stassi Schroeder from “Vanderpump Rules.”
González, a successful 30-year-old Mexican actress, was thrust into the spotlight recently thanks to her budding romance with younger actor, Timothé Chalamet. While the couple’s poolside kiss took the internet by storm, skeletons from González’s past resurfaced online and caused double the splash.
Fans were livid to see photos of the actress as a 15-year-old adorned in dark makeup that mimicked blackface while on the set of the telenovela Lola, Érase Una Vez in 2007.
Since then, Gonzalez has issued an apology saying, “As a 15-year-old child actor on my first job in a Mexican telenovela, I was pressured against my will, and with no negotiating power, I could not advocate for myself in the situation. I wish I had the voice and knowledge then that I have now.”
Despite González’s earnest attempt to reconcile the hurt she inadvertently inflicted on fans with the decisions she made as a naive child, cancel culture rarely stops to consider the events that led to the given transgression or any form of context. All that matters is that you messed up, and therefore, you are cancelled.
Another cancellation that received national attention because of prior, racially insensitive actions is that of Stassi Schroeder, the reality TV star, fashion blogger, and best-selling author. Schroeder’s downfall came after previous co-star Faith Stowers spoke out against the racism she experienced while working with the Vanderpump star.
Stowers recalled how Schroeder and Kristen Doute, another seasoned vet of the Vanderpump franchise, wrongfully called the cops on her because of a personal vendetta due to Stower’s involvement with Schroeder’s ex-boyfriend, Jax Taylor. While the motives behind the event may not have been racially charged, Schroeder’s lack of sensitivity to the extreme tensions that exist between the American police force and the black community moved Stowers to feel victimized and unsafe around her white colleagues.
Bravo executives wasted no time in terminating the contracts of Schroeder, Doute, and two other employees who had made racially insensitive comments. Schroeder has since publicly apologized to Stowers and has vowed “to listen, to learn, and to take accountability for [her] own privilege.”
However, Schroeder’s journey toward education on the racial inequalities in America isn’t going to cut it in the midst of cancel culture. Not only was Schroeder fired from the “Vanderpump Rules” TV series, she lost several sponsorships and had her writing column discontinued––all of which contribute to a loss of over $700,000 in income. As a soon-to-be-mother, Schroeder’s actions from 2018 will not only affect her for years to come, but affect the well-being of her new family.
While it is imperative to hold celebrities and citizens accountable for their actions, at what point do we trade ridicule for understanding? At what point do we realize that Eiza González was a child under executive pressure when she failed to see the impact of her actions? At what point do we recognize that Stassi Schroeder is capable of change and growth that could be harnessed into enacting change in society?
In 2019, former President Barack Obama spoke out about the harmful effects of equating cancel culture with social activism. During the Obama Foundation Summit on Oct. 29, he remarked, “If all you’re doing is casting stones, you’re probably not going to get that far. That’s easy to do.”
The moral of his message was that it is far too easy to place blame on others when they misstep, but the ease of virtual bashing and shaming does not make it right. Real “wokeness” comes from the desire to engage in meaningful dialogue with the common goal of mutual understanding in mind.
Nevertheless, it is a difficult task to balance accountability with understanding, but it is one that members of the 21st century need to confront more often in order to productively coexist. Let’s allow each other to learn and grow from our mistakes. Let’s cancel “cancel culture.”
Entertainment
Opinion: Let’s Cancel ‘Cancel Culture’
Share
Tweet
Share
Share
0 comments
As a 15-year-old, I chose to paint my bedroom walls neon green––the kind of neon green that pierces through the dark and is permanently imprinted on the underside of your eyeballs even when you sleep. That was a bad decision. This was just one of the many bad decisions I made as an adolescent that I would hope not to be judged for as a more mature, rational, and green-averse adult. However, in the modern technological era, more and more people are being punished for choices they made in their past with little regard for the ways in which people can grow and evolve with time.
Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms that were once used for social connection and friendly conversation are more frequently doubling as arenas for the public humiliation of anyone who dares to make a mistake. Behind the comfort of their screens, social media users across the nation are jumping at the chance to punish “wrongdoers” through retributive posts that accuse, shame, denounce or destroy their target. This 21st century phenomena is what people are labeling “cancel culture.”
More precisely defined, “cancel culture” is the practice of withdrawing support from certain individuals or organizations in response to something they have done or said that is considered objectionable or offensive. With the permanence of online content, the inherently flawed nature of humans, and the constant surveillance of celebrities, it is almost guaranteed that a public figure will face the wrath of cancel-culture-adherents at one time or another.
While the virtual rage directed at celebrities is often short-lived, the damaging consequences from it are not. Celebrities that are currently suffering the brunt of cancel culture in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement are––among others––Eiza González from “Bloodshot” and Stassi Schroeder from “Vanderpump Rules.”
González, a successful 30-year-old Mexican actress, was thrust into the spotlight recently thanks to her budding romance with younger actor, Timothé Chalamet. While the couple’s poolside kiss took the internet by storm, skeletons from González’s past resurfaced online and caused double the splash.
Fans were livid to see photos of the actress as a 15-year-old adorned in dark makeup that mimicked blackface while on the set of the telenovela Lola, Érase Una Vez in 2007.
Since then, Gonzalez has issued an apology saying, “As a 15-year-old child actor on my first job in a Mexican telenovela, I was pressured against my will, and with no negotiating power, I could not advocate for myself in the situation. I wish I had the voice and knowledge then that I have now.”
Despite González’s earnest attempt to reconcile the hurt she inadvertently inflicted on fans with the decisions she made as a naive child, cancel culture rarely stops to consider the events that led to the given transgression or any form of context. All that matters is that you messed up, and therefore, you are cancelled.
Another cancellation that received national attention because of prior, racially insensitive actions is that of Stassi Schroeder, the reality TV star, fashion blogger, and best-selling author. Schroeder’s downfall came after previous co-star Faith Stowers spoke out against the racism she experienced while working with the Vanderpump star.
Stowers recalled how Schroeder and Kristen Doute, another seasoned vet of the Vanderpump franchise, wrongfully called the cops on her because of a personal vendetta due to Stower’s involvement with Schroeder’s ex-boyfriend, Jax Taylor. While the motives behind the event may not have been racially charged, Schroeder’s lack of sensitivity to the extreme tensions that exist between the American police force and the black community moved Stowers to feel victimized and unsafe around her white colleagues.
Bravo executives wasted no time in terminating the contracts of Schroeder, Doute, and two other employees who had made racially insensitive comments. Schroeder has since publicly apologized to Stowers and has vowed “to listen, to learn, and to take accountability for [her] own privilege.”
However, Schroeder’s journey toward education on the racial inequalities in America isn’t going to cut it in the midst of cancel culture. Not only was Schroeder fired from the “Vanderpump Rules” TV series, she lost several sponsorships and had her writing column discontinued––all of which contribute to a loss of over $700,000 in income. As a soon-to-be-mother, Schroeder’s actions from 2018 will not only affect her for years to come, but affect the well-being of her new family.
While it is imperative to hold celebrities and citizens accountable for their actions, at what point do we trade ridicule for understanding? At what point do we realize that Eiza González was a child under executive pressure when she failed to see the impact of her actions? At what point do we recognize that Stassi Schroeder is capable of change and growth that could be harnessed into enacting change in society?
In 2019, former President Barack Obama spoke out about the harmful effects of equating cancel culture with social activism. During the Obama Foundation Summit on Oct. 29, he remarked, “If all you’re doing is casting stones, you’re probably not going to get that far. That’s easy to do.”
The moral of his message was that it is far too easy to place blame on others when they misstep, but the ease of virtual bashing and shaming does not make it right. Real “wokeness” comes from the desire to engage in meaningful dialogue with the common goal of mutual understanding in mind.
Nevertheless, it is a difficult task to balance accountability with understanding, but it is one that members of the 21st century need to confront more often in order to productively coexist. Let’s allow each other to learn and grow from our mistakes. Let’s cancel “cancel culture.”