Cancel culture, sometimes also called call-out culture, is a kind of modern form of pillory. Online, at work or privately - anyone who says or does something discriminatory, for example, will be "cancelled", i.e. they should disappear from the stage or from the TV program, lose their job or no longer be part of the group of friends.
So cancel culture represents a form of boycott – certain (often prominent) people or groups are to be avoided because they have acted in questionable or controversial ways. It is usually about more than harmless expressions of opinion. It is about questions of social justice, sexism, racism and homophobia.
The term itself comes from the English-speaking world and was probably first used in the mid-2010s by black Twitter users who criticized problematic behavior by celebrities and, above all, demanded that this behavior should no longer be tolerated.
“Cancel culture” is nowadays a political term, usually directed against left-wing politics. In the US, conservative broadcasters like Fox News use the term because they fear that left-wing politics could “cancel” unwelcome opinions. In Germany, for example, the AfD tried to instrumentalize the cancel culture against the cabaret artist Lisa Eckhart. At the same time, however, conservative and right-wing people and parties use exactly the tactics of the cancel culture, from terminating the dialogue to denouncing individual people or organizations.
Pros & Cons – Criticism of Cancel Culture
There are often two camps when it comes to criticism of cancel culture.
Opponents of the cancel culture see it as a threat to freedom of expression because it is said to restrict debates by making people afraid to speak out publicly on certain topics. The other side is accused of intolerance towards “mainstream opinions”, and there are also accusations of censorship.
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The cancel culture is not about leading debates or solving deeper problems, but only about discrediting. At the same time, it is ignored that no human being is perfect and everyone can make mistakes. Individual mistakes should not immediately lead to a person being publicly ostracized.
On the other hand, there are those who take a more relaxed view of the Cancel Culture issue. After all, freedom of expression continues to exist - in Germany everyone can freely reveal their thoughts. However, cancel culture is seen as an important tool to denounce discriminatory behavior and demand consequences. Minorities in particular, who otherwise often have no voice in public debates, can be heard thanks to loud cancel debates, which are mostly conducted online. These debates raise awareness of injustice, uncover grievances in society and address important social issues.
Cancel culture certainly becomes problematic above all when the "cancelling" is based on assumptions and rumours. Expressing criticism when someone has spoken or behaved problematically is one thing - pillorying someone based on hearsay is another.
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Examples of Cancel Culture
According to his own statements, the German comedian Dieter Nuhr was exposed to the so-called cancel culture in the summer of last year. The triggers were statements by Nuhr, through which he allegedly downplayed both the climate crisis and the corona pandemic. However, it is questionable whether he really became a victim of a cancel culture. In the spring of 2021, his show "Nuhr im Erste" continued to run on ARD and in the summer of this year he was on stage with a new comedy program.
Joanna K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter books, who has repeatedly expressed herself as transphobic, is also considered "cancelled". Although many former Potter fans online say they no longer want to support the author, it is unknown whether Rowling really cares.
But: does cancel culture even exist?
Both in the USA and in Germany there are now networks that speak out against Cancel Culture. As a rule, these organizations belong more to the conservative spectrum. In Great Britain, at the beginning of 2021, there was even talk of a law against Cancel Culture.
But the debates surrounding cancel culture are not just about whether this form of ostracism should be viewed positively or negatively. It often revolves around whether cancel culture even exists.
In fact, many people who claim to have been "cancelled" experienced little or no negative effects after an initial shitstorm. They continue to be invited to talk shows, continue to be on stage, make films and so on – as Dieter Nuhr's example shows. In part, therefore, there is the assumption that the alleged cancel culture in Germany is giving careers a boost rather than canceling them.
One thing is certain: freedom of expression must never be jeopardized. Whether the cancel culture threatens freedom of expression or merely creates space for necessary debates - everyone has to form their own opinion.
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