“It’s not just the books under fire now that worry me. It is the books that will never be written. The books that will never be read. And all due to the fear of censorship. As always, young readers will be the real losers.”
-Judy Blume
It seems that cancel culture has hit an all-time high in prevalence publicly, especially within the United States. The essence of cancel culture seems to be designed to promote conformity into an established way of behaving or speaking that is to be considered culturally acceptable. However, that raises an even more important question. Who ultimately determines these cultural dynamics or standards?
Cancel culture refers to the popular practice of withdrawing support for (canceling) public figures and companies after they have done or said something considered objectionable or offensive. Cancel culture is generally discussed as being performed on social media in the form of group shaming.
[dictionary.com]
Often throughout history, it is we the people who frame out what is culturally acceptable or unacceptable. Yet, a collective external stance or agreement on any given cultural issue can be upheld among people that in itself constitutes as a natural intrinsic response (outside of external prompts) to our human interactions and experiences. Whether these unified societal stances or standards of agreement within a society are harmful or helpful to humanity’s progress remains up for us, the people, to choose. However, we can not dismiss the impact of excessive external influences on our human experience. This leads to another important question. Is the public really independently setting our own cultural perceptions or political standards? or are media outlets, potentially bias moderators, or Big Tech monopolies?
A grim and eerie quote by Heinrich Heine comes to mind when examining the potential downfall of authentic creativity or free speech expression perishing under the whims of cancel culture, he states,
“Where they have burned books, they will end in burning human beings.”
-Heinrich Hiene
It is obvious now that history offers the most blatant remembrance of ‘book burning’ and as for our modern day ‘content purging’ and its clear yet present danger that is dreadfully upon us, especially within the U.S. However, the most important highlight for this particular post is to attempt to briefly analyze the serious effects of the promotion of cancel culture especially in the area of creativity and the looming president of its potential to formulate into an unhealthy extreme so much so that the projectory of outcomes can dangerously develop not only the destruction of monetary gain of an individual but the tyranny of removing the individual completely from society. God forbid
Hopefully, humanity comes forth from this aggressive tyrannical push to silence the human voice and to mute artistic creative expression. It is beneficial for us to start calling out cancel culture for what it really is. This viral purge commonly called cancel culture is strategically designed to exert control over, discourse, creativity, and quite frankly the world. The reality is those who are awakening to this truth while celebrating free thought or creative expression are a threat to a mysterious established order of control. of course to the power hungry who prefer the public subservient and docile considers any deferring view to its own as dangerous.
Cancel culture is not just a thorn for the conservative in fact this isn’t a partisan issue at all. This is human race issue. The unquenchable thirst to silence dissenting voices won’t stop once one political party is oppressed into submission this repressive approach to free speech will continue until all on the left, right, or center toe the line of whatever tyrannical conformity is erected for its subjects to obey. Consequently, as much as the onslaught of cancel culture ensues it will always present itself at odds with our American values concerning free expression.
In fact the concept of free expression is not only a civil rights issue of our times but renders equally as a human rights issue worldwide. To freely express ourselves creatively is a God given gift. Believe it or not. We are endowed by Our Creator to be imaginative creators in that likeness. With that reality comes responsibility by humanity to protect this truth.
Hopefully, generations to come will continually secure their free speech right that’ll enable them to enjoy the the beneficial fruitful growth that can be rendered by the free expression of such a liberty.
Below is a broadcast of an interview with Filmmakers Clarence Felder and Chris Weatherhead conducted by Crossroads entitled, Cancel Cultures Impact on Creativity. This interview examines how ‘Cancel culture is broadening its targets, “Shakespeare” “Dumbo,” to cartoon characters like Speedy Gonzales, to children’s authors like Dr. Seuss. #CancelCulture #Hollywood #Culture Definitely worth the watch….
In conclusion, Art is a powerful creative gift that can be expressed in various forms. Entertainment should have variety in thought and artistic expression allowing the audience to decide what is acceptable and unacceptable. Yet, this is not happening. Art entertainment for a long time has been censored and heavily controlled as its set on producing one preferred view of the world and what people should do in it. There are so many stories to be told and some sadly we have missed because it didn’t fit what was acceptable to Hollywood. Hopefully we can get back to a clean art because its a lie people don’t want variety.
Season Tickets™ 