What Can We Achieve By Calling Someone Out On Social Media?

And what does “cancelling” really mean anyway?

Photo by Chris J. Davis on Unsplash

As far as the calling out of celebrities on social media goes, there’s nothing particularly remarkable about the recent Billy Eilish racist slur video. But it’s as good a place as any to start in coming to grips with the mechanisms of it.

To bring you up to speed, the 19 year old singer was recently confronted by a video she appeared in when she was “about 13 or 14” in which she mouthed an anti-Asian slur. In the following days she posted an apology on Instagram in which she explained that she was ignorant of the term’s meaning and recognised that it was hurtful. She stressed that she was coming from a place of “inclusion, kindness, tolerance, equity and equality”.

Many, including the person who brought the video to light were satisfied with her explanation. Others, including fans judged her more harshly, doubting her sincerity.

Unsurprisingly, the anti-cancel culture mob stepped in to accuse the cancel culture mob of, well…cancelling her.

The concept of cancel culture is a highly contested one and it can’t be taken for granted that there is such a thing. I find the child-like certainty, akin to saying “you’re dropped” makes it overly simplistic. In any event, it…