Is it "cancel culture" or "accountability culture" and is it really a thing?

Yes, but it exists all across the political spectrum, it always has, and the term often gets misused. Someone getting banned from social media, kicked out of an educational institution, or fired from a non-PR job for a legitimate opinion that they hold is cancel culture. Someone being criticized for their opinion is not.

I mean, even if you are to cancel someone for something they did, doesn't mean they are taking accountability, most of the time they are just trying to avoid a shitstorm, not that they're actually remorseful or sorry. Its a thing, but even if you point out something wrong that someone has done it doesn't mean they will actually feel sorry for it. Its just empty words to soothe anger.

Yeah. They are real things. Al Franken, a huge supporter of women's rights and a great Senator, was cancelled. By women.

It's not about "accountability." It's about vengeance with no opportunity for apology or growth. And, just as importantly, it seems to be more about the "look at me" virtue signalling that so many seem to get off on these days.

Moreover, from where I'm standing as a Democrat it's just handing votes to the GOP. If people want to yell at each other that's one thing. But when it comes to those in the public eye, or someone who had a brief lapse of judgement only to have their lives destroyed? That shit has to stop.

Yes. Cancle the people who deserve it. Like James Charles. He is sexually msging underage boys. That's disgusting and should know better. He is not 16 anymore.

Tbh the people who complain about it the most are usually people who say or do bad shit. The toxicity is where people make up lies in order to try and "cancel" somebody. So I'd say that's what people likely complain about, public accountability is one of the few things people have against influential people and corporations.

Like most divisive issues.. no matter what the divisive issue is, both side of the argument are correct within the terms and context of their own understanding of the issue based on a wide variety of personal experiences and information sources. So basically it's both.

What ever "that" culture is, it fades in to the rear view mirror once you leave the ant hill of city life. It's the beauty of living country life. That whole ugly culture is trumped by a back country road, where cement buildings and throngs of angry restless, urbanites crawling over each other on sidewalks are supplanted by silence, once you have left the city limits, where the change is palpable and draws a new succor from being able to hear[gasp] the wind blowing through the pines, the early morning cry of the rooster on his rounds, and the sweet smell of fallen fir needles pouring from the woods.

My world is totally different. I leave you to your angst.

I think it's real. It's not something just one side of the aisle does. I think there are times when "canceling" is appropriate, drawing attention to someone's bad behavior, like Bill Cosby or Harvey Weinstein. To me that's not "cancel culture", that's just justice. Other times it's not appropriate because it's looking at something someone did in the past and basically saying they can't change or be a better person now. It's reasonable for people to face consequences for bad things they've done; it's not reasonable to demand swift "cancelation" with no context and without knowing all the facts (the latter of which is often what gets called "cancel culture" and there's a reason why many have a problem with it).

It's a sensitive culture.
I'm going to get blocked by 10,000 people for this.🥺

Both, some things people shouldn't be canceled for, some things people go overboard with. Someones life shouldn't be put in danger or they're unable to find work over some tweets that are usually from years ago. Public apologies are also stupid for the reasons Nova mentioned

I’ve always heard cancel culture. I’ve never heard accountability culture, but I’m sure they’re both things. I know it’s popular among kids who still spend most of their life judging things.

It’s cancel culture. People who think pretending the past didn’t happen is the only way to start a future. Happily it only exists in one or two countries. The rest of the world is keeping it real

The people who are doing this need to realize that history, however bad it is, can't be canceled.