THE LATEST ON CANCEL CULTURE

I found this interesting article on cancel culture and comedy the other day.  The gist is that maybe we should all take a breath and realize that comedians have faced backlash over their material for decades – as far back as Mae West in 1927.  And most of the time when it happens, people bemoan the death of comedy.  But of course, that has never been the case and we live in a world where edgy comedy thrives.

But on the other hand, this article makes a pretty compelling argument that cancel culture brings with it a chilling effect that should give all of us pause.  The sheer magnitude of social media, coupled with the notion that disagreement over certain issues itself constitutes a form of violence, makes the current climate more conducive to chilled speech than in earlier times.

Of course both sides of the political spectrum cry foul over perceived misguided cancellations while at the same time demanding cancellation in some fashion of speech they don’t like.  I know some lawyers say that a good settlement is when neither party is happy.  Maybe that’s where we are on this issue.  But I can’t help but worry when it looks like dissent is being stifled.