"Cancel Culture"
"Cancel culture" is a political buzzword that deals with the exclusion of people or organizations. Authors of statements that are perceived as discriminatory or offensive are publicly discredited. There are no factual discussions, but people or organizations are boycotted to punish the wrong behavior.
What is "Cancel" about?
The term "cancel culture" comes from the English-speaking world. In German, expressions such as cancellation, deletion or censorship culture are used. "Cancel Culture" originated on Twitter. In 2014, the term "cancel" was used here in the US. In response to a statement with which you absolutely disagreed, you replied "this person has been canceled for me".
It's about withdrawing media attention. Typical areas include political correctness, sexism, heterosexism, homophobia, and racism. "Cancel Culture" is directed against those who are considered privileged because of their skin color, gender or social status.
A basic idea underlying the cancel culture is the idea that people could be flawless and politically correct at any time. It's about sensitivity and "wokeness" towards people from minorities and moments of discrimination.
Danger of "Cancel Culture"
For critics, "Cancel Culture" is a threat to basic democratic rights. This not only applies to freedom of expression, but also to the freedom of art and science. Often defamatory allegations are also made that have led to layoffs or the cancellation of films and TV series in the past.
There are already a number of prominent examples of “cancel culture”. The cabaret artist Lisa Eckhart was invited to the Harbor Front Festival in Hamburg because of anti-Semitic statements. J.K. Rowling, the author of Harry Potter, repeatedly causes conflict with tweets about trans people. In "RIP J.K. Rowling" tweets are called upon to let the author rest in peace or to stop reading her books.
You will encounter the word "integrity" again and again in the media. You are sure to...
Another example is the German comedian Dieter Nuhr. According to statements that were considered to be trivializing the climate crisis and corona pandemic, the comedian was exposed to the so-called "cancel culture". The Muppets also fell victim to the “cancel culture”. And the late children's book author Dr. Seuss was introduced to censorship culture posthumously.
“Cancel Culture” is more than a political term. It's also about cultural appropriation. Anyone doing something wrong or says or says something perceived as discriminatory writes is "cancelled". Critics of the "cancel culture" see freedom of expression in danger because people are afraid to speak out publicly on certain topics. Proponents of the "cancel culture" regard it as an important tool for pointing out discriminatory behavior and demanding consequences.
