Is cancel culture real or is it just a right-wing myth?

Personally, I think it does exist but it's niche and massively blown up by the right. Conservative YouTubers seem much more obsessed with university social science departments than anyone else on the planet. If you complain about being 'cancelled' it's the fastest way to get a book deal but then if you criticise the government of Israel you get called an anti-semite.

BTW, most of the 'free-speech absolutists' on this site will never read this post because they have blocked me. Oh well.

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InOtterWords · F

First of all....hiiiiiiii!!!!!!

I think there are two levels in this. There is this whole social media level where someone spouts hate towards a group of people and then is attacked, vilified, bullied for their view or opinion. Some may lose jobs, reputations and even their social media accounts.
It is real, it is not always a bad thing, but it does get horribly ugly when people hide behind their anonymity to return that hate...for example rape threats to jkr

On another level I have seen it in my daughter's peer group. A boy, a nice boy, was removed from all WhatsApp groups and social media friends....for an inappropriate joke about sexuality. And whilst it is right that they tell the boy it is unacceptable I really feel for a kid who is just 14 to be "cancelled" like that.

Burnley123 · 41-45, M

@InOtterWords Hi to you.

[quote]On another level I have seen it in my daughter's peer group. A boy, a nice boy, was removed from all WhatsApp groups and social media friends....for an inappropriate joke about sexuality. And whilst it is right that they tell the boy it is unacceptable I really feel for a kid who is just 14 to be "cancelled" like that.
[/quote]

Wow that is BAD. FFS, let the kid learn and repent.

InOtterWords · F

@Burnley123 I think they see this behaviour on a larger scale and replicate it. It is such a shame.

Burnley123 · 41-45, M

@InOtterWords When I was growing up in East Lancashire, kids at school used to call the local off-license 'the paki shop.' I feel slightly guilty even typing those words but at the time it was normal and the kids who said that insisted it was OK to call it that because they didn't mean it in a bad way!?!

There were no openly gay kids in my school and my sister was the only kid in her sixth form to ever be involved in a mix raced relationship and that was controversial.

I think it's great that times have changed and it is more good than bad. I mean it's great that kids see tolerance of race and sexuality as a given. However, canceling a kid at 14 is freakin harsh.

InOtterWords · F

@Burnley123 I'm hoping it is a short term thing.

I love that the kids are more aware, they also need to learn to be more tolerant of those that aren't quite there yet.

Burnley123 · 41-45, M

@InOtterWords 100%

InOtterWords · F

@Burnley123 all I can do is to continue to have these conversations with my daughter. She's a sensible kid.