Intellectuals weigh in on Cancel Culture

Tired Gardener

Tired Gardener wrote: »

The more this sort of crap happens, the more cancel culture just makes a joke out of itself. In a few years time I suspect that this craze will be over.

I wonder if Pokémon Go was keeping all these nutbags too busy to trawl through people's SM accounts for any bit of slight grievance.

Culture appropriation is something that I just don't get, culture is not a stagnant thing, it is part of the shared Human history. Trying to block people from enjoying parts of other people's culture just seems the opposite of multicultural society.

Again, it all seems to stem from a vocal minority on the internet.

Yes, but the Internet is not just on the Internet anymore.

Let me put it this way. In China, everyone has a smartphone of some kind. The vast majority of payments are done electronically. Go to any bar, restaurant, etc and you'll find most people chatting on their phones rather than speaking to someone in front of them. Many people have stopped going out because they can order everything they need online (clothes, food, etc). Traditional dating habits have decline in favor of dating apps. etc etc etc. It's amazing how connected most people are to the internet, and it's always on.

The point is that for many people, they carry the internet with them throughout their day. They'll check twitter 8 times an hour, look at whatsapp, or whatever. Which means for the people who are interested in these things, they're constantly feeding the outrage they feel, and recommending it on to others.

The case of saying "it's only on the internet" doesn't really work anymore, because the world is on the internet now. Less so in Ireland, but in many other countries, people are far more hooked into it.

Edit: Sorry, I should have said that a vocal minority has far greater influence these days. I've seen similar attitudes in China about white women wearing traditional Chinese dresses. A minority complaining, but a minority can still be quite numerous when added up.

mick087

Deleted User wrote: »

Yes, but the Internet is not just on the Internet anymore.

Let me put it this way. In China, everyone has a smartphone of some kind. The vast majority of payments are done electronically. Go to any bar, restaurant, etc and you'll find most people chatting on their phones rather than speaking to someone in front of them. Many people have stopped going out because they can order everything they need online (clothes, food, etc). Traditional dating habits have decline in favor of dating apps. etc etc etc. It's amazing how connected most people are to the internet, and it's always on.

The point is that for many people, they carry the internet with them throughout their day. They'll check twitter 8 times an hour, look at whatsapp, or whatever. Which means for the people who are interested in these things, they're constantly feeding the outrage they feel, and recommending it on to others.

The case of saying "it's only on the internet" doesn't really work anymore, because the world is on the internet now. Less so in Ireland, but in many other countries, people are far more hooked into it.

Edit: Sorry, I should have said that a vocal minority has far greater influence these days. I've seen similar attitudes in China about white women wearing traditional Chinese dresses. A minority complaining, but a minority can still be quite numerous when added up.

Yes i do have to agree with you on this.
The internet is coming out of its infancy.

Young people around the world lives revolve around the net every thing they do or say even future partners.
And like in most things in life the few will be controlling it.

fly_agaric

Deleted User wrote:

The point is that for many people, they carry the internet with them throughout their day. They'll check twitter 8 times an hour, look at whatsapp, or whatever. Which means for the people who are interested in these things, they're constantly feeding the outrage they feel, and recommending it on to others.

mick087 wrote: »

Yes i do have to agree with you on this.
The internet is coming out of its infancy.

Young people around the world lives revolve around the net every thing they do or say even future partners.
And like in most things in life the few will be controlling it.

I'd imagine (?) in China it is on a very tight leash.
No one will be virtually pilloried or social media "witch-hunted" over the internet unless the govt. have decided they are an acceptable target for the venom of the public. Otherwise (again ?) it will be shut down right quick!
It's a bit more chaotic in democracies.

Overheal

https://www.mediaite.com/entertainment/viacomcbs-fires-nick-cannon-over-anti-semitic-remarks/

Just to point out cancel culture doesn't pick favorites: Nick Cannon has been fired for his anti-semitic remarks in a recent interview.

Silentcorner

Overheal wrote: »

https://www.mediaite.com/entertainment/viacomcbs-fires-nick-cannon-over-anti-semitic-remarks/

Just to point out cancel culture doesn't pick favorites: Nick Cannon has been fired for his anti-semitic remarks in a recent interview.

What he said about white people was disgraceful...a lot of anti semitism coming from black people and feminists over the last few years...the Labour Party in the UK is having huge issues with it as well...a nasty undercurrent you get at a political extreme.

In other news, the BBC and The Guardian both cutting jobs...

fly_agaric

fly_agaric wrote: »

I'd imagine (?) in China it is on a very tight leash.

I've found over the last few months, that people outside of China imagine all manner of things happening inside China that aren't terribly accurate. It's not near as controlled as people here think.

It's monitored.. and as long as you avoid overly political statements (or morally degenerate/erotic), the vast majority of people will be ignored.

Overheal

Overheal wrote: »

https://www.mediaite.com/entertainment/viacomcbs-fires-nick-cannon-over-anti-semitic-remarks/

Just to point out cancel culture doesn't pick favorites: Nick Cannon has been fired for his anti-semitic remarks in a recent interview.

Because those who start these movements never consider that it might be applied to them from a different angle...

fly_agaric

Deleted User wrote: »

I've found over the last few months, that people outside of China imagine all manner of things happening inside China that aren't terribly accurate. It's not near as controlled as people here think.

It's monitored.. and as long as you avoid overly political statements (or morally degenerate/erotic), the vast majority of people will be ignored.

Fair enough. Imagination is all I have to go on other than I know it is monitored and political dissent is off limits. My thinking was that the dog-piles/witch hunts [which can result in people being sacked or "cancelled" etc in the US] would be considered disruptive to the social order or what not + might be likely to get instigators of it on the Chinese social media eco-sphere in some trouble.
If such things happen on Chinese social media also and authorities don't mind too much (or usually tolerate it, provided it is not touching on politics), that is interesting.

fly_agaric

fly_agaric wrote: »

Fair enough. Imagination is all I have to go on other than I know it is monitored and political dissent is off limits. My thinking was that the dog-piles/witch hunts [which can result in people being sacked or "cancelled" etc in the US] would be considered disruptive to the social order or what not + might be likely to get instigators of it on the Chinese social media eco-sphere in some trouble.
If such things happen on Chinese social media also and authorities don't mind too much (or usually tolerate it, provided it is not touching on politics), that is interesting.

Cancel culture exists within China, not from the government but by "netcitizens". Chinese people talk a lot online through weibo, or wechat.... with internet opinion having strong influence over peoples lives. This aspect of internet culture has received a lot of criticism online over the last few years due to problems with cyber bullying which resulted in some suicides.

It's more the case that there are modes of behavior, and only fools break them. In a population that large, there are always some fools who think they're above such criticism, but Chinese culture has been changing over the last decade, as consumers gain more power in the marketplace. Their opinions count for more than before.