In the internet age, “cancel culture” and “call-out culture” are double-edged swords. Born out of necessity to expose social wrongs, they can also be consumed by blood lust. Cancel culture has greatly impacted our social tapestry by acting as advocate, judge, jury, and occasionally executioner.
Cancel culture and call-out culture have created keyboard cowboys dispensing vigilante justice one comment at a time. Words like “racist,” “privilege,” and “Trump” are weaponized as much as calling someone a witch in colonial Massachusetts.
It seems cancel culture has seeped into everything from porn to RuPaul’s Drag Race. Ten years ago, RuPaul Charles was an LGBT pioneer and hero, bringing drag and gay culture into the mainstream. He has undoubtedly changed the world in a positive way.
Fast forward ten years and a couple of Emmys later, and instead of a pioneer, to some he is now labeled transphobic, responsible for creating a toxic fandom filled with racism, and a fracker. Call-out culture will not allow social infractions to go unseen at any level.
More recently, people in the gay porn industry have been in the spotlight for less than pleasant reasons. Individuals who have been advocates, pioneers, and allies are now social targets. The public voice is forcing social accountability, as it should, but cancel culture has already judged them guilty without knowing all of the facts and backstory. I don’t advocate for anyone by saying that, but there should be due process before you execute someone and potentially ruin them for the foreseeable future.
Somewhere a blood lust is developed. Simply correcting a wrong is not enough. They have to lose their jobs, sanity, and become a social outcast. With so much evidence of hate mail and death threats, where do we draw the line? Are the actions righteous because they are for a righteous cause, or has the solution become as bad as the problem?
Beating the life out of someone does not equal winning a war. Winning is when that person adopts and implements new morals and ideals that correlate more with modern social standards. Having a dialogue allows for post-traumatic growth and an opportunity to make an ally.
We all want to be heard and live in a civil society where we have a free exchange of ideas and harmony with our fellow humans. That takes a lot of work from all involved. Yes, the social infractions must be corrected and people ignorant of their actions must be held accountable. However, we don’t have to be executioners. People can be rehabilitated and brought into the fold. It just takes empathy. Beating someone down and destroying their life does not make an ally. It makes an enemy. You have not brought enlightenment into the world when you have fought fire with fire, but instead polluted it more from the inside out.
The award-winning Leo Forte has over a decade of experience in the industry, with extensive experience as a model and cameraman/photographer. He is a longtime production crew member for Falcon/NakedSword.
Was reading with interest and open mind until, “to some he is now labeled” … a phrase better suited (and widely abused) in places like Fox News, this is a coward’s way out; is it you saying it? Own it, then. Is it a majority/minority of users on a particular platform? Make it clear if you want to sway public opinion. And why, as an “award winning”* writer the sudden need to speak up now? Where was this (watered-downed, orphaned) insight, wisdom and compassion when HRC and others went after straight people for using the word tranny? (With outdated, incorrect information.) What changed? Is it because your corner of the community is being held to a standard you seen as unfair? Something happen personally? You’re right when you say we all want to be heard and live in a civil society… unsure if this post helps or muddies the water, but will support your right to speak no matter what. *I only mention it because it seems an odd thing to put in what is clearly an opinion piece; what impact are said awards supposed to make on the intended audience? This post smacks of fence-sitting despite it containing a call to be on a particular side of the fence (would say we’re on the same side of the fence but unclear where you truly stand, what is posturing or protection of a friend, employer, loved one, etc.).
Couldn’t agree more. Trial by media or in this case social media – never gets all the facts and is historically inaccurate. It makes it that much harder for a person to come back from something when potentially millions of people have already made up there minds about you.
It’s scary to think that at any given time someone can publicly call you out on just about anything, true or untrue, and change your life forever. Anyone at anytime can take away what you’ve built for yourself over a lifetime, your career, your reputation… this is very dangerous, it can lead to loss of income, depression, potentially even suicide.
Empathy is much harder to have than anger. People need to remember to treat others as they would like to be treated. We are all human and we all make mistakes but there’s still good in us all and we can change for the better if given that chance.
Sure there are consequences to “cancel culture” and “being called out”. But look at what happens when nothing is done. They got this attitude of “no worries” nothing will happen to the person using offensive acts. By doing nothing, we are encouraging it or it doesn’t both us.
*bother us