My thoughts on Cancel culture...it's not a real thing.

Shunning someone isn’t always bad. Many people might think of stories like The Scarlet Letter and how shunning has a negative connotation. History has many stories of people being shunned for reasons we accept today as acceptable. We may fear that we may ostracize someone for the wrong reason and shouldn’t shun anyone for any reason. But sometimes ignoring is the most responsible thing to keep society protected. It’s a way of telling a person or group that their behavior isn’t acceptable. We should resent the shunning of uncontrolled behavior but accept that shunning is appropriate when conduct is so offensive the offender must be taught a lesson through shame. Suppose the offended person refuses to accept the behavior was objectionable or inappropriate or they refuse to learn from the experience (generate empathy towards the victim). In that case, they shouldn’t be surprised that they are deprived of attention from society.

What is controlled and uncontrolled behavior?

It does not improve society when people or groups are shunned for behavior or situations that cannot be controlled. Examples would be color of skin, sex, heritage, and ethnicity. These are all traits that people cannot change if they are shunned for them. The victim of shunning might be a productive citizen that benefits society. They are often victims of shunning to control and gain or sustain power.

People underestimate how much control they have over their behavior. There are exceptions, such as people with neurological disorders (i.e., psychotic disorders due to altered brain chemistry). We don’t have much control over our thoughts, but we should control how we act, including deciding what to say when and where statements are made. How you behave in public, including on the internet and social media/networking websites, is within most people’s control.

People have free will, and with it comes the responsibility to understand it. They must take responsibility for their actions if people see it as inappropriate. They must be aware that a consequence of inappropriate behavior is social alienation. It might result in a loss of relationships or even income. People have the responsibility to think before they act. They do this by asking themselves what the reaction might be from the audience if I say what I’m thinking.

“Would I lose my job if I make a joke about my coworker having sex with random strangers?”

People who use “cancel culture” as a reason for being publicly ostracized want to continue to say what they think without the consequence of shunning. They resent being held accountable for being rude or inappropriate. They want the free will to speak and behave how they want to, often to control people or the situation. They also want to be free of consequences that result in people being offended by their actions. They want complete control.

Why the term “Cancel Culture”?

The far-right groups created " Cancel culture " to hang onto control after they lost it from saying or doing something most society found unacceptable. The Far-right groups seek power through violence. To use violent force to persuade a group or person to do what they want instead of using logic and reason. It’s not based on political parties.

Theoretically, there is more resentment towards far-right extremists in America today. More Americans are empathizing with the groups that far-right organizations have victimized. It has increased since the killing of George Floyd and the overturning of the Roe V. Wade decision. More Americans continue to have liberal views longer instead of becoming more conservative later in life.

The Alt-right is losing control of persuading people with logic and reason to support their interests. With the loss of power comes desperation. They see themselves as victims because they are now held accountable for their anti-democratic behavior. With that comes consequences. They could change their behavior to fit into society. Or they can continue to act the same way and lose relationships and opportunities. But they want it both ways. They want to say whatever they want, and they want to be socially accepted.

The idea of “cancel culture” is a last-ditch effort to keep control over people by turning the victimization around. They are the victims because the person they offended chose to be offended by their actions. There is some truth to this. People don’t have control over what people say or how they say it. They do have control over how they interpret and what actions they take from being offended. Understanding other cultures and social norms is essential.

People are not always perfect and say stupid stuff.

I might be the perfect person to explain how someone might say something stupid and regret it. Not everyone has access to what is socially acceptable in a particular culture. Suppose a person is brought up in an isolated racist community. They might not have had access to how others think specific actions are offensive. Understanding is reciprocal. It can be difficult to fully comprehend how ignorant people can be in 2023 regarding cultural norms in America. But regardless, some people have not been exposed to information that many take for granted. It’s up to the offended to believe that some people do not intend to offend and don’t know how to communicate with other cultures within the United States.

This is not “victim blaming”. The control always lies with the person who throws the first punch (metaphorically speaking). We might excuse a child’s ignorance of a cultural taboo. Many people are guilty of offensive behavior and have the resources to know the effect of what they say. We should assume that a person required to have education for their occupation, such as a nurse or a teacher, would have established critical thinking tools to comprehend what could offend a person or group of people. They must know that their actions or words will have consequences. It is society's responsibility to dish out those consequences.

Shunning behavior

That consequence might be social alienation. People protect themselves from hurt feelings by avoiding people who hurt them. If someone doesn’t want to be accused of being deviant, they should control their behavior. The time is changing, and more Americans have given up their tolerance for racism, sexism, and anti-LGBTQ in society. Americans are just choosing to watch a different comedian, listen to another musician, or read another author. Society is not obligated to give people who say offensive things a pass. It’s nice when it’s evident that the offender was ignorant and is sorry they hurt the feelings of someone. But if there is no remorse from the offender, it’s morally acceptable to shun the offender. There is no requirement to accept lousy behavior to prevent hurting the feelings of someone who should have controlled their inappropriate behavior. There is no “cancel culture”. People are just no longer accepting offensive behavior towards vulnerable groups.

Articles Used

Comparative Analysis of Violent Left-and-Right Wing Extremist Groups in the United States by M. Blumberg (1986) from U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs

Boundaries of Legitimate Debate: Right-wing Extremism in Norwegian News Media in the Decade after the July 22, 2011 Attacks by Anna Grøndahl Larsen from Perspectives on Terrorism, June 2021, Vol. 15, No. 3 (June 2021), pp. 96-108.

The Comedy of Cancel Culture in a Post-Carlin United States: On the Politics of Cultural Interpretation by Bryant W. Sculos from Class, Race and Corporate Power: Vol. 10: Iss. 2, Article 4.