It’s the one fear that every celebrity, influencer, or online personality has in common. It’s lurking around every corner, waiting to strike when they least expect it. It has hundreds of people backing it up, stashing hateful remarks and offensive Tweets from 10 years ago in their back pockets, ready to release them into the comment sections of every social media platform possible. This big, terrifying, career-ending dread is none other than…Being canceled. From Kanye and Lizzo to Sienna Mae and James Charles, there are thousands of names that cancel culture has under its belt. Cancel culture, which became HUGE in 2020, is the term used for many people taking the action of unfollowing, exposing, or deciding to end support for celebrities who have done wrong. Whether you’re a minor TikTok star or an incredibly popular music artist, nobody is safe from being canceled. But is cancel culture even relevant anymore, and is it being used in the right ways?
Now, think of the names I previously mentioned. Kanye, for one, just released a popular album (Vultures) which received tons of praise online. Despite being “canceled” countless times for antisemitism, he continues to reign king in the rap industry. In the summer of 2023, Lizzo was “canceled” for being accused of sexually harassing her backup dancers, but was presenting (and winning) a Grammy just a month ago. 2021 TikTok-star Sienna Mae was “canceled” for sexual assault accusations, but has 12.7 million followers and a swimwear line. Influencer James Charles lost thousands of subscribers and brand partnerships after being accused of texting minors in 2021 but is releasing new makeup palettes and music to 38 million followers. These are just a few of the people who have been “canceled”, but is it being canceled if they continue to live their lives and stir up more success?
It seems that society likes to pick and choose who they cancel and for how long. Although “canceling” someone is made out to be a career-shattering moment, it seems the main effect of it is to just shame the celebrity for something wrong, typically hateful speech, that they have done. The celeb usually replies with a Notes app apology of some sort which is critiqued for 48 hours and then forgotten about. The same goes for brands–yes, people have attempted to cancel brands. Dolls Kill, Shein, and Balenciaga have all been boycotted in the past for their use of child employees, yet they still profit off customers every single day. If anything, canceling someone or something creates more popularity out of their name. It starts to trend on the internet, get more clicks, and eventually more success.
I believe cancel culture has become a thing of the past…Or it has at least adapted into a different form. Let’s be real: When cancel culture first blew up, we were all just cooped up in our homes bored and looking for some sort of entertainment. Stirring up drama on the internet was an easy and anonymous way to watch something play out right in front of our eyes. But now, four years later, things have changed. Rather than fully canceling someone through mass unfollowing and boycotting, people will take to comment sections to let the celebrity or influencer know what they have done wrong. The cycle is pretty simple: Celeb posts a Tweet, video, etc., people comment on it with critiques, the celeb responds with an apology, and life goes on.
As the years go on, Gen Z continues to get older; Our generation now focuses on teaching someone what they have done wrong and how to correct it rather than feeding off the drama of pushing a celebrity out of the world for a brief moment just for them to bounce back a couple months later. What was once a bandwagon of shame has now become an opportunity for forgiveness; A world where celebrities can learn, grow, and create a positive influence on their watchers.