Ethical Dilemma: Cancel Culture -
Is cancel culture fueled by accountability or social influence?
Case:
Groups Involved: Body positivity Activists, Nutritionists, Social Media Influencers
Platforms: Youtube, Podcast, TV Show, Coorporations, Instagram, TikTok, Talk Show
Cancelled Individual: Lizzo, a musical artist/singer/actress/influencer
Dilemma: Lizzo gets cancelled after sharing her 10-day smoothie diet (Lizzo is a body positivity icon in social media)
Ethical Philosophers
Dewey's Pragmatism
Rawl's Egalitarianism
Mill's Utilitarianism: Cancelling someone simply to bring the most happiness. Only doing it to please others
Definitions
What are the components of cancel culture?
Ethical Issues/Questions
Boycotting: Non-violent, voluntary and intentional abstenation from buying, using or dealing with a person, company, country as an expression of protest.
1. Allegations: calling someone out, hashtags that start trending (Who has the authority to “cancel” someone, or is it a group decision? What is the intention of cancelling people? Is it possible that we're being too sensitive and searching for mistakes in influencers, or are there real and serious issues that need to be addressed? Are we going to cancel anyone as soon as we have the opportunity?Do we, as a generation, “cancel” all too quickly?)
2. The proof: in the form of screenshots, voice memos, tweets, videos, direct quotes, phone calls, posts (Does the accusation have merit or not?)
3. Process of cancellation, social media response (trending), social media suspension:
4. Damage control (form of apology): public statement on twitter, video, platform their associated with (television show) (Is “cancelling” someone a form of temporary punishment in the hopes of redemption, or is it a long-term punishment?)
5. Public response and media response (What are the influences of social media on cancel culture? How does the media portray cancel culture?)
6. Outcomes: (Does “cancelling” someone have a long-term effect?Is the cancel culture effective?)
Controversy: disagreement, a long public dispute or debate of a point of view
Trolling: carefully and systematically searching in an area for something. Looking for deep information on a topic or a person.
Sociometric status: how much someone is like by their peers. It is a broader reflection than simple friendship, the individual wants their peers acceptance. It includes categories such as: popular, rejected, controversial and average people
Calling out: people picking up on what people have said and purposely naming that person to others to promote what they have said, whether it is positive or not.
Free speech: the right to express information, ideas or opinions free of restrictions. Expression yourself without censorship or restraint
Canceling: Announcing the something or someone will not take place.
Kant's Categorical Imperative
Judeo-Christian "Do Unto Others": Cant call on someone or shame others, if you wouldn't want it done.
Aristotle's Mean
False promotion for health and nutrition (nutrition expert opinions)
triggers for eating disorders, diet culture?
Ethical Perspectives
Teleological
Deontological
Accusation: a charge or a claim that someone has done something wrong or illegal
Is it ethicaql to shame one (Lizzo) but not the other (Adele)? What influences what gets backlash or not, is it their social standing, their platforms, their outreach?
What changes an influencers lifestyle from an average person's? Why can people post whatever they want but influencers can't? Does being an influencer forbid you from posting what you want?
What makes someone a better candidate for body image?
promotion of what a certain body type eats in a day/workout of the day.
Is she posting to say that you're only pretty if your skinny? Is she just trying to better her health and nutrition? is she just trying to update her followers on her life? Where do you draw the line of what is right or wrong to post?
Whats the effects for someone who is "too skinny"? Larger women need to hide eating healthy, do skinny girls have to hide eating unhealthy foods? Skinny girls = "get meat on your bones" but also "you're trying to get thick". Larger women = "you need to diet" but also "skinny people aren't the only ones that are beautiful, are you saying thick women aren't beautiful, can you still be a face for body positivity"
Would she have still had this much backlash if she posted unhealthy foods? Would she have received any backlash at all?
Was she being insensitive to those with eating disorders?To larger women? To her followers? Can she still be considered a role model?
Key Concepts: Eating disorders, body positivity, health and nutrition, diet culture, cancel culture