Coping with Dystopia: Coping with Cancel Culture

May 31, 2024 — COPING WITH DYSTOPIA

In the final episode of our podcast series, we cope with the topic of cancel culture. But what exactly is cancel culture? For some, it may signify holding others accountable for their action, while to others it may imply censorship of speech. 

Generally speaking, cancel culture is an act of publicly calling out somebody - often public figures - for expressing ideas that are deemed to be offensive or controversial. The Pew Research Centre in the US has shown that cancel culture’s definitions and implications can vary widely across political views and demographic groups. Cancel culture has been weaponised by both sides of the political spectrum, dampening any common ground and suppressing debate. 

To help us unpack this all we are joined by Loretta J. Ross, an activist, public intellectual, and professor at Smith Colledge in Massachusetts, who has an interesting take on this topic. In her work, Loretta came up with the concept of ‘calling in’ culture, which she believes is an antidote to people being called out, or canceled. She doesn’t believe in the public shaming that has become so widespread in Western society. Instead of promoting a culture defined by anger, blaming, and lack of mutual understanding, she strives to turn these moments into teachable opportunities. Even for people who you don't agree with. 

During her work at the Center for Democratic Renewal in the 90s, Loretta helped reintegrate Floyd Cochran, a national spokesperson of the Neo-Nazi group Aryan Nation into society, after he was kicked out from his compound. She strongly believes that society should give people a second choice. 

Instead of our usual 5 pieces of advice, Jonathan asked Loretta to advise him on a personal situation: “I have friends, they are family really. They are people with whom I grew up, they are really like family. They voted for Trump, they are vaccine deniers, and because of that, we can’t talk anymore, I feel like I have lost them. How do I start to get them back?”

Loretta: 

“How well do you know them outside of their politics? That’s where you assure them of your relationship. You can talk about your shared values, by going underneath their words. What do you believe family members should do for each other? What do you believe children deserve from parents or the school system?”

“If you go underneath people’s words and talk about their values, you will always find a lot of common ground. You can call on someone’s inner goodness.”

Find out more about ‘call-in culture’ in Loretta’s Ted Talk.