The Consequences of Cancel Culture Gone Wrong: 5 Shocking Examples
Cancel culture has become a ubiquitous term in today’s society, as people increasingly hold individuals and businesses accountable for their actions by calling them out on social media. While cancel culture can be a tool to address wrongdoing and societal issues, it can also have unintended consequences. Here are five examples of cancel culture gone wrong:
1. The Case of Justine Sacco
In December 2013, PR executive Justine Sacco tweeted a joke about AIDS before boarding a flight to South Africa. By the time her plane landed, the tweet had gone viral, and Sacco was called out for being racist and insensitive. Sacco lost her job and became the subject of public ridicule, with many people using the hashtag #HasJustineLandedYet to follow her flight. Cancel culture had gone too far, and Sacco’s life was ruined in a matter of hours.
2. The Starbucks Boycott
In 2018, Starbucks faced backlash after two black men were arrested at one of its stores in Philadelphia. The incident went viral, and people called for a boycott of the coffee chain. While the boycott eventually led to the company changing its policies and pledging to train its employees on racial bias, it also resulted in innocent workers losing their jobs as stores closed due to decreased sales.
3. The Covington Catholic High School Incident
In 2019, a video of a group of Covington Catholic High School students went viral, showing them wearing Make America Great Again hats and appearing to taunt a Native American protester. The video sparked outrage, with the boys being called racist and disrespectful. However, a longer video showed that the situation was more complex than it had initially appeared, and that the boys had actually been harassed by a group of black Hebrew Israelites before the Native American protester arrived. Cancel culture had once again jumped to conclusions without understanding the full story.
4. JK Rowling and Transgender Activism
In 2020, JK Rowling faced criticism after tweeting her opposition to a news article that used the term “people who menstruate” instead of “women.” Rowling’s position was construed as being transphobic, and many people called for her books to be boycotted. Rowling has since written at length about her views on gender and has faced continued cancel culture attempts.
5. The Case of Paula Deen
In 2013, celebrity chef Paula Deen faced backlash after admitting to using racial slurs in the past during a deposition for a lawsuit. The admission led to the Food Network not renewing her contract, and many other companies severing ties with Deen. However, some argued that Deen was being unfairly targeted and that her past actions should not define her present.
Cancel culture can be a double-edged sword. While it can be an effective means of holding individuals and companies accountable for their actions, it can also lead to unintended consequences such as innocent employees losing their jobs or people’s lives being ruined by public shaming. It’s important to approach cancel culture with caution and to ensure that all sides of a story are heard before jumping to conclusions.
