I was planning on posting this at the end of the year, but I feel that sooner is better than never. This is a very serious and important topic to discuss about.
Caution: Without mentioning people or activities in particular, these are my thoughts on cancel-culture throughout 2024 and the possible future of it; I am not supporting or defending anyone, nor do I condone or support any problematic, illegal, creepy, or disturbing activity (or crimes) of any kind. I am also not saying that any groups or people are in the right or wrong; I’m just sharing my perspective. With that out of the way, you have been warned.
With cancel-culture throughout 2024 (or the 2020s so far), that got me thinking. “Will cancel-culture be the same moving forward? Will canceled people be treated differently, or will cancel-culture be abolished.” 2024 has been the biggest year for cancel-culture, and I feel that it's going to get worse moving forward; it is not going to be an epidemic of criminals and creeps, it will be forever and get worse moving forward. Either that, or it may not be the same after 2024; we may treat canceled people differently, or cancel-culture might become abolished. Negative outcomes and happenings are guaranteed to happen more than positive ones; I'm positive that bad outcomes will still happen. I feel that commentary videos and callout posts create anxiety rather than educate others. I also feel that campaigns and movements against predators and creeps don't even let the criminals talk and share their side of the story (you can correct me if I'm wrong). Not everyone accused is listened to, even if they’re in the right. To say the least, it sucks to not know what can get you canceled, what it means to be canceled or problematic, and what else is illegal, creepy, disgusting or disturbing. There's no definitive list with every example to each bullet-point. With these two previous sentences, this is why we have criminals, degenerates, and cancel culture right and left.
It also sucks to not know what it means to be canceled or problematic; they are not self-explanatory words, and it requires more than common sense in my opinion. Who knows what else could be illegally creepy, disgusting or disturbing in the next ten years, am I right? Like, there’s no guarantee that you’ll keep your career forever, if that makes sense. Either way, they say: "Stand up for what you believe in," in this case, “Believing in second chances, redemption, forgiveness, people still able to make a difference no matter who they are, and anyone can change.” It may backfire and get you in trouble, but I don't blame you; even some activists out there have that mindset too, not just those who are religious. Trust me when I tell you that everyone on this planet has done something illegal or problematic in their lives, and will be called out or reminded of it one day; for their actions, it doesn't matter when. Can we possibly be educated enough, be under-educated, or overeducated (this is something to consider for everyone in the courtroom; the criminal, the victim, the witnesses and so on)? Again, I know that there are exceptions, but it’s essential that we listen to what everyone has to say, even if we think they’re not in the right. I feel that the real people that deserve to be “canceled” are those who invented and revolutionized cancel culture as we know it, as well as those who made it a mandatory community thing.
If you want to put an end to cancel-culture (or make it different), here are a few Change.org petitions relating to the topic (despite being made in 2020, they still hold up and are also legit). No, these are not malicious links:
https://www.change.org/p/woke-people-cancel-cancel-culture
Once again, this document does not support nor tolerate anyone who has done illegal or problematic stuff or even condone it. These are my thoughts on cancel-culture throughout 2024 (or this decade so far), and the possible future of it. This is not going to be an epidemic, it's going to get worse moving forward. I know that callout posts and commentary videos create anxiety rather than educate others. Please share this post with your friends, family, followers, anyone you know. Remember, educate, not silence and take away privileges from the ignorant; everyone has their own journey. By all means, if you ever get attacked by cancel-culture, please consider sharing your side of the story and debunking your accusations and possible allegations. If you have evidence, that's also great. To anyone who is afraid of being canceled, as long as you haven’t done anything illegal (or anything that is creepy, disturbing, gross, predatory, or problematic) via your work or when interacting with others, you’re fine. If you can, please be sure to also educate your audience and followers if you can; even if the internet is not a courtroom, the ignorant and under-educated are still out there. Hopefully we can have a much more caring and happy planet.
If anyone wants to come and attack me with pitchforks and torches, I used to not believe in cancel-culture and thought it’s just the internet, until I had to experience that traumatizing pain myself. Don’t worry, I’m in the right because I was ignorant; people just don’t know my side of the story and where I come from. Everyone’s lives are how their brains and thoughts are, and we are never educated enough.