Know Your Meme

Rachel Zegler controversy over playing Snow White

“Cancel culture” has taken the world by storm. In a new age where social media is one of the biggest influences of our time, it is very easy for a person’s actions to go viral. However, the path of fame on social media comes with millions of viewers watching your every move. The catch? One mistake can get you “canceled” in a heartbeat.

If you are unaware of what being “canceled” means in this new generation, it can be described as being rejected by society. The question we are covering today is not what cancel culture is but whether this new trend is beneficial or harmful. Some argue that it is great because it holds people accountable for their mistakes. In contrast, others argue that cancel culture is harsh and limits people to make mistakes and grow from them.

From Yorba Linda High School, the Mustang Business Academy teacher, Miss. Waltemeyer is currently teaching her Business Communications class what cancel culture is and how it could affect a business/workplace. When asked whether she believes cancel culture is good or bad, she responded, “I would say overall, there are two sides to cancel culture. It is helpful in the sense that it can hold people to a higher standard. Conversely, it can be taken too far when there are second chances and room to grow” states Ms. Waltemeyer (S). This is the perfect explanation for cancel culture. It is neither only good nor only bad; there are sides to this culture.

One notable example of cancel culture happened this past June with Colleen Ballinger. Colleen Ballinger is a famous influencer with a huge social media following, and she is renowned for her vlogs and online persona, Miranda Sings. Ballinger has been canceled for inappropriate allegations tied to minors on the internet. In this case, cancel culture is beneficial because one should naturally receive the consequences for horrible behavior.

Another example of cancel culture is when the actor who will portray Snow White in the new Disney adaptation, Rachel Zegler, was accused of slandering the character Snow White; Zegler was “canceled” since she seemed as if she hated the original Snow White movie and should be grateful for the character/role. In this case, cancel culture was a bit excessive because it is now rumored that Zegler lost the job for saying things that were completely harmless to the public.

So, is cancel culture good or bad? Miss Waltemeyer says, “At times, cancel culture has good intentions, but overall, in my opinion, it has become more harmful than good nowadays.”