“CANCEL CULTURE”
You can’t say anything anymore. Nobody can take a joke, and everyone is so easily offended
We’ve all heard this kind of stuff for a very long time, hell many of you have probably said something like this before.
But is it actually true?
Can we really “not say anything anymore”? Is society “losing its sense of humor”? Are people “more easily offended” than ever?
In the wake of Dr. Seuss, Mr. Potato Head and Pepe Le Pew, I felt compelled to write an article that takes a closer look at “cancel culture”.
Are we on the precipice of a dangerous cultural shift? Or is “cancel culture” just the latest political narrative?
”You can’t say anything anymore”
Surely nobody can stop you from moving your lips and uttering any word or thought you choose. It just feels like you can’t say anything anymore because people nowadays are much more willing to speak up and call you on your shit. You’re just miffed because you can’t speak with impunity like you used to.
Here is my advice
Keep saying whatever you want. If you say something that is perceived as ignorant or offensive, it’s not the end of the world. Even if someone were to call you a racist it’s not a problem. Well intentioned people can unconsciously express ignorant, racist, or sexist things. It’s called growth. And if you don’t have hate in your heart what are you worried about?
The question is, are you strong enough to have an uncomfortable conversation with someone who calls you on something you said?
“People can’t take a joke”
I am and always have been obsessed with comedy. One of my favorite places in the world is the Comedy Cellar in New York City. This club is home to many of the biggest names in comedy. I used to go to the early shows on an off night and sit in the audience all night long watching hours and hours of stand up.
Before covid, my local open mics were packed. People were eager to get up on stage and practice the craft of joke writing. So when I hear somebody say “people can’t take a joke anymore”, my first thought is always… yeah bullshit.
“People can’t take a joke anymore” is usually uttered by that guy at work who’s expecting a courtesy laugh after repeating an old trope you’ve heard a million times.
Here’s a truth, making people laugh isn’t easy and the guy at work isn’t actually funny. It’s not that he’s too lazy to come up with original material, it’s that he’s not as talented at the art of joke writing as he thinks he is. But don't worry, his lack of comedic talent isn’t your problem and it’s definitely not evidence of some deep state liberal plot against conservative ideology.
“Everyone is so easily offended”
DeAnne Lorraine is a former congressional candidate, podcast host, and self-described political correspondent. She tweeted a wonderful example of how people use the word “offended” incorrectly.
DeAnna thinks that her family members aren’t inviting her over to hang out because they’re “offended” by her.
But here’s the truth.
DeAnna’s family doesn’t distance themselves because they’re offended, or because she’s a conservative, or because they’ve fallen victim to some mindless groupthink of woke culture.
They distance themselves because they find DeAnna irrelevant and insufferable.
But this is hard for her family and most families to say, and it would be even harder to accept. So, people like DeAnna paint themselves as victims whose views are too outrageous for those sensitive crybabies to handle. They think they’re using the word “offended” to point at the people who are the problem, but it’s really a defense mechanism that is used to avoid a harsh truth.
Calling people “offended” is also a really efficient way to avoid having a conversation you would rather not have.
Black Lives Matter protests, they’re offended
They stopped printing some Dr. Seuss books because people were offended
People ripping down monuments, they’re offended
The Washington Redskins changing their team name because people were offended
See how easy that is? No need to dive any deeper or consider new information. Simply say “they’re offended”, and you can move on with your life without having to confront anything.
But while this seems innocent enough, dismissing people you disagree with as “offended”, is actually kind of destroying our country.
When we paint out political enemies as illegitimate, we never re-examine our beliefs or engage in conversations that actually matter.
We should look at what we’ve always taken for granted and have enough humility to see if it’s still worth holding onto.
The world is always changing and you’ll be left behind if you aren’t part of us all moving forward.
To My fellow liberals…
Liberals believe in the free exchange of ideas, democracy, freedom of the press, freedom of religion, civil rights, human rights, equality before the law.
The narrative that “liberals” are the ones shouting people down, doxing and trying to get people fired for something they said, is a lie.
These are not the actions of a person who says they are “liberal”, they are the actions of sanctimonious assholes. Real liberals hate these people and resent that they are attempting to co-opt our political identity.
If you do this kind of stuff, you should know that we consider you part of the problem.
Don't agree? Listen to the words of one of our liberal hero’s, President Barack Obama.
Stay Lovely