In contemporary society, cancel culture is one of the most prominent trends, and given the debate on the topic, there is definitely more than one side of this riveting culture because not only does it involve controversial statements, but controversial actions as well. As for free speech, it is also a prominent phenomenon among the youth and a valued culture, arguably an ideal cherished by countless generations. Dave Chappelle, the comedic star of the Netflix show ‘The Closer,’ has his opinion set on cancel culture disproportionately affecting the comedy industry, especially with people being quick to label opinions and jokes as offensive without understanding the context. Could his argument be considered persuasive? It indeed does have some merit. It is easy to overlook the deeper context within someone’s words when it is coated with sarcasm, because — among the old and the young — sarcasm may be perceived as offensive and not as a comedic technique. Would it be appropriate to suggest that perhaps audiences should appreciate what they do not truly understand, or that that which draws audiences to observe should be altered in a way that reflects their grasp of the matter? We can look at it like we do art. Art is undeniably unparalleled in its nature and through the evidence of abstract art, we can agree that it cannot always be understood, yet nevertheless, it is worthy of admiration. In a society where people’s views differ dramatically, unpredictability can lead to friction and disorder. Cancel culture can serve as a tool to enforce collective values and make individuals think twice before crossing certain boundaries, such as engaging in hate speech. When addressing complex issues such as racism, sexism, and discrimination, it is imperative to approach them with nuance and sensitivity, acknowledging their profound impact on individuals and society. Such topics are not ones to just joke about, especially with some people making no effort to conceal their indifference. We can agree that ‘poking the wound’ can hinder the healing process — but perhaps cancel culture could be the one barrier keeping society from further agitating the wounds that have long inflicted pain on society? It is up for debate. Cancel culture cannot be explored in its entirety without looking at its contradictory companion, free speech. Imagine a world where you can say anything publicly that comes to mind, spontaneously and without hesitation. Now, wouldn’t that just be the cherry on top of the life sundae? Elon Musk, owner of X — formerly Twitter — has pursued the realisation of this envisioned possibility through his argument for less content moderation and more open dialogue in the context of social media platforms. He made significant changes that include restoring suspended accounts such as those of Donald Trump and Kanye West, as well as other controversial figures. His rationale was that people should have the freedom to express their views without being permanently excluded from the platform unless they broke the law. He continued further with the changes by downsizing the content moderation teams. By downsizing these teams, Musk reduced the platform’s capacity to moderate content at the same level it had prior to his acquisition. Figures like Ben Shapiro, a popular conservative commentator and co-founder of The Daily Wire, have praised Musk’s leadership of X, particularly his efforts to make the platform open to diverse opinions. Shapiro himself has displayed his dislike for the left-leaning bias in mainstream media. With these implementations, therefore, X has become a neutral platform where political discourse can occur without the platform itself taking sides, not to mention more marginalised and dissenting groups are participating and engaging in socials, from the left and right ends of the political spectrum. We can see Musk bringing the idea of an expressive society to life, don’t you think? But like everything that exists, free speech is not without its imperfections. With all these changes to the platform, a corresponding increase in hate speech and misinformation has been identified since fewer moderators have caused most of it to go undetected. This underscores the reality that, as humans, not everything we express is necessarily valuable or constructive, and free speech paves the way for anything, whether constructive or deconstructive to be communicated openly. The human mind cannot be tamed, which means people will always think what they intend to think, which makes it unpredictable. While one could rant about the advantageous and disadvantageous outcomes of cancel culture and free speech, we can acknowledge that both principles carry significant weight in shaping societal discourse. Free speech serves as the cornerstone in fostering a creative and liberating collective, where harbouring diverse opinions could lead to a wave of inventive inspiration, while cancel culture raises important questions about accountability and the boundaries of harm. Striking a balance between protecting expression and ensuring responsible discourse remains a complex but necessary challenge. Ultimately, navigating this tension requires thoughtful engagement and a commitment to fostering a dialogue culture that values freedom and responsibility. The author is a high school graduate. Views expressed in this article are of the writer.
