by Miracle Okah

Cancel culture is a phenomenon in which people, particularly public figures, are ostracised/shunned because of their objectionable actions, statements, or beliefs. 

This involves a collective online movement that calls for the "cancelling" of a person by withdrawing support, boycotting their work, or demanding their removal from platforms or positions of influence. 

According to Wikipedia, cancel culture as we know it today began in March 2014, when activist Suey Park drew attention to a tweet from the official Twitter account of The Colbert Report which she believed to be blatantly racist towards Asians with the hashtag #cancelColbert. It became popular during the #Metoo movement, where women openly called out their abusers, which then led to the cancellation of some notable figures. Ostracisation is not a new concept, especially within Africa, where women are shunned or excluded from society for several reasons like infertility, witchcraft, widows and divorcees, etc.

Cancel culture has its pros and cons. Though it can emerge from any section of society, the majority of people who do the “cancelling” usually have less social and economic leverage than the people on the receiving end. For them, It has been a crucial tool for promoting justice and social change, addressing power imbalances. On the flip side, it also has the potential to inflict harm on those targeted, moulding it into a destructive force. 

Calling out and cancel culture may appear similar. It is, however, important to note that both differ slightly and should not be mistaken for each other. Calling someone out is a formative approach aimed at holding someone accountable for actions that are perceived to have gone against societal norms. An example is the case of Tiwa Savage, a Nigerian musician who was called out by the public over her choice of song at King Charles III’s coronation concert in the UK. Another example is Blakk Rasta, a Ghanaian reggae artist and radio presenter who was called out over his comment on Sarkodie’s verse on the recently released version of Bob Marley’s “Stir it Up” song. Cancel culture, on the other hand, entails the complete backlisting of the person involved. It is also worth noting that calling out often leads to the eventual cancellation of the individual, which blurs the line between the two concepts.

Social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, Tiktok, Facebook e.t.c have made it easier to get publicly criticised and boycotted.  Former The Daily Show host, Trevor Noah, gave his opinion of cancel culture during the Kanye West and Will Smith incident. Noah, on Variety’s Awards Circuit Podcast, talked about how people are now “instantly defined” and how in this media age, society is “quick to render verdicts on the behaviour of people, both celebrity or not”. 

According to research done by Culture Intelligence from RED, 47% of Nigerians think that cancel culture is not a problem as it allows people to be held accountable for their actions, while 53% of the respondents think it is unfair to be cancelled and that society needs to be more forgiving. Has the cancel culture on social media transformed into a form of bullying where people now abuse their freedom of expression? There are numerous instances where public figures have been made scapegoats. A very recent example is Toyin Abraham, a Nigerian actress who, during the last presidential election campaign, staunchly supported and endorsed Bola Tinubu as her candidate. This didn't go well with the public, as they criticised, shamed, and cancelled her online going as far as reporting her movies on Netflix. In the aftermath, she took to her social media page to talk about how she was bullied, threatened and reported when all she did was express her freedom of speech and the right to vote. Stacy Dash, an actress who was once famous for her controversial opinions faced public criticism due to her numerous controversial rants on transgender rights, politics, and immigration. This got her fired from Vox, and the Twitter-sphere was so unsympathetic that the news of her firing became a national holiday. 

A lot of public figures have faced cancellation that resulted in the termination of their careers; unfortunately, some of these individuals have been unfairly targeted and are unable to recover from the consequences. Publicly cancelling people, especially public figures, can lead to adverse negative effects on their mental health, leaving them feeling isolated, rejected, depressed, and lonely. They may lose their jobs and relationships with family and friends. 

In a “Where America Stands Survey”, about 45% of people say they have not expressed an opinion because of the fear of punishment and about 49% have never shared a political opinion on social media. Cancel culture can also hinder the growth and development of diverse perspectives in public discussions, leaving little to no room for personal growth and redemption, though everyone deserves a chance to learn from their mistakes and make amends.

Challenging this culture is very important to encourage free expression and protect one’s right to share their own opinions. Women in particular have suffered the most from cancel culture, like in the case of Temmie Ovwasa, the Nigerian musician who came out as gay. Everyone deserves the chance to speak openly and explore their individual rights. 

Humans without freedom of speech are at risk of becoming puppets controlled by their society and, in the case of social media, by the people who wield influence within those platforms. When individuals are denied the right to freely express their thoughts, opinions, and ideas, their ability to assert their autonomy and shape their own lives is severely restricted.

Ultimately, fostering an environment where people feel empowered to express themselves freely requires finding a balance between accountability and understanding. This can be done by encouraging an open dialogue that creates opportunities for understanding and growth instead of resorting to public shaming and condemnation. And while accountability is important, the goal should not be to permanently exclude or shun the people affected while also encouraging constructive criticism.