March 11th, 2021
I don’t believe in “Cancel Culture.”
I’m not saying there aren’t people out there who want things removed or ended because of their subjective views. I’m saying I don’t believe in the phrase “Cancel Culture.”
It’s made up.
Used by a group of people to further seed divide in a world that, last I checked, is already doing a darn good job of dividing itself on its own.
People have actually been cancelling things since the beginning of time. Jesus got cancelled hard, if I remember that correctly. Christian groups themselves have been boycotting people, groups, brands and companies for decades. As a huge fan of Kevin Smith, I suggest you ask him what the overall response to his film Dogma was back when it was released.
Spoiler alert: people boycotted it.
And it might surprise you to learn this: fictional cancel culture has absolutely nothing to do the current Mr. Seuss and Potato Person and Horny Skunk uproars.
These were all business decisions solely made by the companies involved. And I have another surprising theory for you: they did it because it makes *financial* sense.
How can that be? Because young people live longer than old people. And young people have made it abundantly clear that they have had enough of old people, and their racism, sexism, and outdated and offensive beliefs.
So if companies make decisions *now* to appeal to young people and their worldviews, they have a chance to gain customers for life.
So while 80-year-old Barb might be livid that one of the Dr. Seuss books that nobody liked anyway isn’t getting printed again, 18-year-old Anna might think it’s really cool they made that decision, and the Seuss estate might start seeing revenue from Anna for decades, while Barb and her ancient, primordial anger will soon be dead and gone.
I don’t believe in cancel culture — but I do fully believe in consequence culture and action culture. I think we have to be accountable, all of us, and I think that is the real threat that has people trying to invent labels.
The Den 