The Off Topic Topic

[Admiral Yi]

I don't think anyone has argued that cancelling is permanent.  There's plenty of precedent for media figures (Don Imus and Marv Albert come to mind) who quietly spent a year or so in limbo before returning to the spotlight.

Incidentally I forgot Marv Albert's name and googled "US sportscaster with toupee."  Marv was first hit.

[Barrister]

I don't think anyone has argued that cancelling is permanent.  There's plenty of precedent for media figures (Don Imus and Marv Albert come to mind) who quietly spent a year or so in limbo before returning to the spotlight.

Incidentally I forgot Marv Albert's name and googled "US sportscaster with toupee."  Marv was first hit.

One of the more troubling aspects of that though is it means that prominent, wealthy people who have been "cancelled" have both the wealth to safely sit out a "time out" period, and have the name recognition to rebuild once it's over.

But cancel culture doesn't just come for famous people.  The Twitter mobs sometimes go after random non-famous people too.  Do you remember the high school kid who "smirked" in front of a native protester from 2019?  His name is Nick Sandmann, and he was pilloried on all corners of the internet.  Now his case is a bit different in that other videos came out showing a different interpretation, and he ultimately sued and settled with CNN.  But for his entire life know if you google his name that incident is what's going to come up.

[Sheilbh]

That could be fixed if the US had a concept of "right to be forgotten" or something similar so you can get de-listed.

[garbon]

I don't think anyone has argued that cancelling is permanent.  There's plenty of precedent for media figures (Don Imus and Marv Albert come to mind) who quietly spent a year or so in limbo before returning to the spotlight.

Incidentally I forgot Marv Albert's name and googled "US sportscaster with toupee."  Marv was first hit.

One of the more troubling aspects of that though is it means that prominent, wealthy people who have been "cancelled" have both the wealth to safely sit out a "time out" period, and have the name recognition to rebuild once it's over.

But cancel culture doesn't just come for famous people.  The Twitter mobs sometimes go after random non-famous people too.  Do you remember the high school kid who "smirked" in front of a native protester from 2019?  His name is Nick Sandmann, and he was pilloried on all corners of the internet.  Now his case is a bit different in that other videos came out showing a different interpretation, and he ultimately sued and settled with CNN.  But for his entire life know if you google his name that incident is what's going to come up.

I just googled him and there are 6 links on first page. One is a wikipedia article to the incident and preview text doesn't say what happened. 3 are about CNN's settlement and 1 is about how the media mangled the story and 1 is about how he was maligned.

[garbon]

That could be fixed if the US had a concept of "right to be forgotten" or something similar so you can get de-listed.

A terrible thing if ever there was one.

[Sheilbh]

German postal workers exposed to durian
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/22/europe/durian-germany-evacuation-scli-intl-grm/index.html?utm_source=twCNN&utm_content=2020-06-22T17%3A00%3A07&utm_medium=social&utm_term=link

A suspect package sent six people to the hospital and caused an evacuation -- its contents turned out to be some very smelly fruit
By Rob Picheta and Frederik Pleitgen, CNN
Updated 1631 GMT (0031 HKT) June 22, 2020


Durian is popular in Southeast Asia, but its smell puts a lot of people off.

(CNN)Twelve German postal workers received medical treatment and dozens more were evacuated due to a pungent suspect package -- which turned out to be a shipment of the notoriously smelly durian fruit.
Police, firefighters and emergency services were called to a post office in the Bavarian town of Schweinfurt on Saturday after staff noticed the smell coming from a package.

[derspiess]

I don't think anyone has argued that cancelling is permanent.  There's plenty of precedent for media figures (Don Imus and Marv Albert come to mind) who quietly spent a year or so in limbo before returning to the spotlight.

Incidentally I forgot Marv Albert's name and googled "US sportscaster with toupee."  Marv was first hit.

One of the more troubling aspects of that though is it means that prominent, wealthy people who have been "cancelled" have both the wealth to safely sit out a "time out" period, and have the name recognition to rebuild once it's over.

But cancel culture doesn't just come for famous people.  The Twitter mobs sometimes go after random non-famous people too.  Do you remember the high school kid who "smirked" in front of a native protester from 2019?  His name is Nick Sandmann, and he was pilloried on all corners of the internet.  Now his case is a bit different in that other videos came out showing a different interpretation, and he ultimately sued and settled with CNN.  But for his entire life know if you google his name that incident is what's going to come up.

I just googled him and there are 6 links on first page. One is a wikipedia article to the incident and preview text doesn't say what happened. 3 are about CNN's settlement and 1 is about how the media mangled the story and 1 is about how he was maligned.

The reaction at the time was beyond insane.  Woke Twitter blew up, saying he had a "punchable face", with celebrities doxxing him and all sorts of nasty threats made against him and his family.

But hey, it did give us the term "weaponized smirking".

[DGuller]

I'm frankly scared by people who have no problem with cancel culture, these people strike me as potentially very dangerous in the right (or wrong) environment.  Maybe I'm not not scared by the people themselves, but I'm scared that they exist.

[The Brain]

What exactly is cancel culture? I feel like I know roughly what it is but the term is pretty new to me.

[garbon]

I don't think anyone has argued that cancelling is permanent.  There's plenty of precedent for media figures (Don Imus and Marv Albert come to mind) who quietly spent a year or so in limbo before returning to the spotlight.

Incidentally I forgot Marv Albert's name and googled "US sportscaster with toupee."  Marv was first hit.

One of the more troubling aspects of that though is it means that prominent, wealthy people who have been "cancelled" have both the wealth to safely sit out a "time out" period, and have the name recognition to rebuild once it's over.

But cancel culture doesn't just come for famous people.  The Twitter mobs sometimes go after random non-famous people too.  Do you remember the high school kid who "smirked" in front of a native protester from 2019?  His name is Nick Sandmann, and he was pilloried on all corners of the internet.  Now his case is a bit different in that other videos came out showing a different interpretation, and he ultimately sued and settled with CNN.  But for his entire life know if you google his name that incident is what's going to come up.

I just googled him and there are 6 links on first page. One is a wikipedia article to the incident and preview text doesn't say what happened. 3 are about CNN's settlement and 1 is about how the media mangled the story and 1 is about how he was maligned.

The reaction at the time was beyond insane.  Woke Twitter blew up, saying he had a "punchable face", with celebrities doxxing him and all sorts of nasty threats made against him and his family.

But hey, it did give us the term "weaponized smirking".

Not sure what that has to do with my post.

[grumbler]

What exactly is cancel culture? I feel like I know roughly what it is but the term is pretty new to me.

The relatively benign version of it is canceling public support for a public figure in response to them saying or doing something that transgresses against what the canceler thinks are the social rules.  Think Kevin Spacey here.  I don't have a problem with people boycotting individuals they don't want to support.

The toxic version of cancel culture is to do everything in one's power to publicly shame the target:  release private information, publish private photos, call their bosses, etc.  These are online lynchings.  I have a huge problem with people who engage in this behavior, and those who condone it.

[Barrister]

What exactly is cancel culture? I feel like I know roughly what it is but the term is pretty new to me.

The idea is that there is an online mob who tries to "cancel", or erase from the conversation people who have transgressed certain norms.  It means generating a lot of online chatter and traffic (because this is 99% online) calling for boycotts, people to be fired, etc.

As grumbles points out, sometimes targets have been quite valid.  Kevin Spacey, Harvey Weinstein, Louis CK haven't been able to seriously work since their own atrocious behaviour was called out online.

The concern though is when the bad acts are more ambiguous, or when the acts are bad but isolated and by a person who isn't remotely famous.

[viper37]

What exactly is cancel culture? I feel like I know roughly what it is but the term is pretty new to me.

The relatively benign version of it is canceling public support for a public figure in response to them saying or doing something that transgresses against what the canceler thinks are the social rules.  Think Kevin Spacey here.  I don't have a problem with people boycotting individuals they don't want to support.

The toxic version of cancel culture is to do everything in one's power to publicly shame the target:  release private information, publish private photos, call their bosses, etc.  These are online lynchings.  I have a huge problem with people who engage in this behavior, and those who condone it.

it goes beyond that.  It is guilt by association.  You disaprove of J.K. Rowling statement(s), you go after everyone who is friend with her, who speaks to her, who interviews her, etc, etc.

[Saladin]

So...
What happened to CountDeMoney?

[Josquius]

So...
What happened to CountDeMoney?

Exploding fire hydrant.