What is ‘cancel culture’? J.K. Rowling controversy leaves writers, scholars debating

You can cancel Netflix subscriptions, Amazon orders and even Zoom happy hours, and now in the last several years, you can cancel people.

The idea of canceling celebrities, companies or other public figures gained a foothold when the #MeToo movement gave voices to the thousands of women coming forward about their sexual abuse and abusers. But the practice has grown to shun anyone and anything that does or represents something offensive to particular people, cultures or ideologies.

And in the most recent bout of cancel culture, over 150 writers, scholars, playwrights, poets and journalists published “A Letter on Justice and Open Debate” on Tuesday in an attempt to decry cancel culture and attacks on free speech, which they call “the lifeblood of a liberal society.”

“The forces of illiberalism are gaining strength throughout the world and have a powerful ally in Donald Trump, who represents a real threat to democracy,” the group wrote in Harper’s Magazine. “The way to defeat bad ideas is by exposure, argument, and persuasion, not by trying to silence or wish them away.”

“We need to preserve the possibility of good-faith disagreement without dire professional consequences. If we won’t defend the very thing on which our work depends, we shouldn’t expect the public or the state to defend it for us,” the group continued.

The signatories are prominent figures in their craft who at one point in their career have been publicly shamed for promoting their ideas that are considered racist, offensive or insensitive to many.

But what exactly is cancel culture and what does it mean for those who are “canceled?”

According to Dictionary.com, “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. [It’s] generally discussed as being performed on social media in the form of group shaming.”

Although the practice is used by people of all ages, it is especially popular among teens on apps such as Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.

“When it comes to cancel culture, it’s a way to take away someone’s power and call out the individual for being problematic in a situation,” Chicago high school senior Neelam, 17, told The New York Times. “I don’t think it’s being sensitive. I think it’s just having a sense of being observant and aware of what’s going on around you.”

Sarah Hagi, a writer from Toronto, shared her thoughts on the topic as a Black, Muslim woman.

“Marginalized people like myself can express ourselves in a way that was not possible before. That means racist, sexist, and bigoted behavior or remarks don’t fly like they used to,” Hagi wrote in Time. “This applies to not only wealthy people or industry leaders but anyone whose privilege has historically shielded them from public scrutiny. Because they can’t handle this cultural shift, they rely on phrases like ‘cancel culture’ to delegitimize the criticism.”

Although the group of writers and scholars didn’t quote the term directly, they do call their experiences acts of “censoriousness.”

Of the most recent episodes of cancellation is J.K. Rowling — who has 14.3 million Twitter followers — and her beliefs about transgender rights and biological sex.

“If sex isn’t real, there’s no same-sex attraction. If sex isn’t real, the lived reality of women globally is erased,” Rowling wrote in a June 6 tweet. “I know and love trans people, but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives. It isn’t hate to speak the truth.”

The tweet has received more than 95,000 retweets and over 46,000 comments from angry and supportive users.

Scarlet Envy, an American drag queen who competed and performed on “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” shared her thoughts: “You’ve written so many, but these are the words you will be remembered for.”

Other signatories include “The Handmaid’s Tale” author Margaret Atwood, cognitive scientist Noam Chomsky and British novelist Salman Rushdie, who lived in hiding after receiving death threats for his 1988 book “Satanic Verses” for which he was accused of blasphemy against Islam.

Cancel culture has also affected the careers of Bill Cosby, Roseanne Barr, Louis C.K. and R. Kelly — to name a few — in recent years.

Podcast and video producer Seth Andrews took to Facebook to explain why he both refutes and supports Rowling.

“When I was religious, I was a homophobe, a transphobe, a brainwashed Fox News Christian Nationalist, and a host of other unfortunate things. ... I wasn’t hated into enlightenment,” Andrews wrote.

“The internet has made this kind of mob rule far too easy. It has never been easier to pounce on someone from a distance, jam them into a box, and set the box on fire. I’m just fine declaring my strong and public disagreement with J.K. Rowling on trans issues, but she shouldn’t be wiped off the map for having a terrible idea.”