Is cancel culture real, or a right-wing bogey man?
I decided to dig in and was taken aback by how many stories I came across of 'canceled' people. I expected a few dozen, found well over 200.
In this🧵, I will post some of these stories. But first, some context👇
I decided to dig in and was taken aback by how many stories I came across of 'canceled' people. I expected a few dozen, found well over 200.
In this🧵, I will post some of these stories. But first, some context👇
First, what do I mean by cancel culture? I was not interested in celebrities or politicians whose living is intertwined with their public image.
Instead, I wanted to know how many ordinary people were affected.
My criteria were therefore:
1) non-public figures ...
Instead, I wanted to know how many ordinary people were affected.
My criteria were therefore:
1) non-public figures ...
... 2) called out by others – sometimes a mob, sometimes publicly – for an alleged perceived offense *which is not punishable by law* and does not constitute hate speech
3) Suffered a real life impact as a consequence, many times without due process
Why these criteria?...
3) Suffered a real life impact as a consequence, many times without due process
Why these criteria?...
... Because IMO these are the cases that separate a rule of law from a rule of the mob.
In this age of growing censorship by tech companies, it is scary to observe ordinary people getting fired or otherwise punished for perfectly legal personal or professional views and deeds.
In this age of growing censorship by tech companies, it is scary to observe ordinary people getting fired or otherwise punished for perfectly legal personal or professional views and deeds.
I’m interested to know what people conclude when reading these stories. One thing I hope to achieve is identify patterns -- what are people getting canceled for? How does it usually happen? How often is due process given? etc.
One thing I've noticed is that many cancellations follow complaints from only one or a few individuals.
This resonates with the argument that the real danger is a growing culture of conformity, where leaders are pandering to a few: aei.org/op-eds/cancel-…
This resonates with the argument that the real danger is a growing culture of conformity, where leaders are pandering to a few: aei.org/op-eds/cancel-…
It also *appears* to me that in instances when courts or investigations are involved, the 'canceled' person is vindicated.
I need to verify this still. But if true, it means that if held to the rule of law, many of these individuals would not have suffered any real life impact.
I need to verify this still. But if true, it means that if held to the rule of law, many of these individuals would not have suffered any real life impact.
You may ask, "How widespread is it really? A few hundred cases sounds small. Why spend so much time worrying about a fringe phenomenon?"
While I'd love to know the answer, I can't extrapolate from my list the extent of the trend itself.
But in my view, it's a moot point....
While I'd love to know the answer, I can't extrapolate from my list the extent of the trend itself.
But in my view, it's a moot point....
... If I tell you that every year 50 people with blue ties lose their jobs because of their ties, will you say that’s ok, as it’s only 50, and some people are offended by blue ties?
And what happens when some people decide to be offended by yellow ties, just the color you like?
And what happens when some people decide to be offended by yellow ties, just the color you like?
That said, those who do want a deeper dive into statistics may be interested in this report cspicenter.org/reports/academ… by the Center for the Study of Partisanship and Ideology published in March 2021. 
An equally common talking point runs along these lines: “Sure this isn’t great. But isn’t it a small trade-off compared to the fact that bigoted behavior is no longer tolerated?”
I think people’s views will diverge significantly here. I believe creating a tolerant society...
I think people’s views will diverge significantly here. I believe creating a tolerant society...
... shouldn’t infringe on anyone's free speech. Fight ideas with ideas and all that.
So many of the cases I found reveal an absence of civil discourse, an unwillingness to give others a charitable interpretation or seek out their perspective.
So many of the cases I found reveal an absence of civil discourse, an unwillingness to give others a charitable interpretation or seek out their perspective.
My research started with a few stories in news articles, mainly from news sources such as @reason, @TheAtlantic and @Quillette
But a huge credit goes to canceledpeople.com & the NAS, many of the cases I found were through their detailed databases nas.org/blogs/article/…
But a huge credit goes to canceledpeople.com & the NAS, many of the cases I found were through their detailed databases nas.org/blogs/article/…
As said, I'll be posting some of the stories I've found below every day. I hope it'll create a single place to observe the phenomenon and let people do their own analysis.
(I should say, the accounts are in no particular order)
(I should say, the accounts are in no particular order)
/1
Jan 2021: literary agent Colleen Oefelein was summarily fired for having personal accounts on the conservative platforms Gab and Parler. This wasn't against company guidelines.
The employer announced its decision on Twitter. No due process was given.
reclaimthenet.org/literary-agent…
Jan 2021: literary agent Colleen Oefelein was summarily fired for having personal accounts on the conservative platforms Gab and Parler. This wasn't against company guidelines.
The employer announced its decision on Twitter. No due process was given.
reclaimthenet.org/literary-agent…
2/
June 2020: During mandatory diversity training at the Lake Washington Institute of Technology, English professor Elisa Parrett raised concerns about the methods of such training and the curbs on free speech that were happening...
June 2020: During mandatory diversity training at the Lake Washington Institute of Technology, English professor Elisa Parrett raised concerns about the methods of such training and the curbs on free speech that were happening...
The training sessions were segregated by race & called "Courageous conversations". I'll let the irony sink in.
LWTech's president denounced Parrett's comments school-wide, she was placed on temp leave & subjected to a 9-month investigation that likely cost the school>$250K...
LWTech's president denounced Parrett's comments school-wide, she was placed on temp leave & subjected to a 9-month investigation that likely cost the school>$250K...
A tenured professor, Parrett faced the prospect of losing her job. The investigation concluded with a written reprimand.
The entire incident resulted from one sole disciplinary complaint against her. Filed by an administrator, the complaint accused Parrett of...
The entire incident resulted from one sole disciplinary complaint against her. Filed by an administrator, the complaint accused Parrett of...
"insolent, insubordinate and disruptive behavior" that was "downright scary, startling, and bewildering as she yelled a diatribe." reason.com/2021/04/05/a-p…
3/
July 2020: Damika Bates, an assistant principal at Tussing Elementary School (Ohio) posted a photo on Facebook of her daughter posing near anti-police graffiti.
Damika later said that the photo was part of multiple photos she had posted from a trip downtown and that...
July 2020: Damika Bates, an assistant principal at Tussing Elementary School (Ohio) posted a photo on Facebook of her daughter posing near anti-police graffiti.
Damika later said that the photo was part of multiple photos she had posted from a trip downtown and that...
... the photo had been cropped in the preview so that she hadn't seen the graffiti. The photo got auto-posted on Facebook via Instagram and she removed it once she realized what had happened.
Nevertheless, the photo led to calls for her termination, and the school district reversed her promotion to become principal of Pickerington Elementary School.
dispatch.com/news/20200728/…
dispatch.com/news/20200728/…
4/
Jan 2021: Harvard cancelled an upcoming course by Kevin Kit Parker, a Harvard bioengineering and physics professor, after students complained that it supported violence against marginalized communities.
The course, titled "Data Fusion in Complex Systems: A Case Study"...
Jan 2021: Harvard cancelled an upcoming course by Kevin Kit Parker, a Harvard bioengineering and physics professor, after students complained that it supported violence against marginalized communities.
The course, titled "Data Fusion in Complex Systems: A Case Study"...
... planned to assess the effectiveness of Counter-Criminal Continuum policing (known as "C3") in Springfield, IL.
In a Jan. 24 petition, critics asked for the course to be cancelled and for "a full independent, third-party review" of Parker among other things.
In a Jan. 24 petition, critics asked for the course to be cancelled and for "a full independent, third-party review" of Parker among other things.
The dean of the engineering school responded by cancelling the class (even if indirectly, see screenshot) and committed to reviewing the process of vetting class offerings. wgbh.org/news/education…
C3 originated during the US occupation of Iraq, one of the reasons it's controversial.
Proponents say it's focused on relationships with locals. According to Wikipedia, the technique proved popular and effective after being applied in Springfield. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C3_polici…
Proponents say it's focused on relationships with locals. According to Wikipedia, the technique proved popular and effective after being applied in Springfield. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C3_polici…
Whatever one thinks of C3, the course was specifically aimed at assessing its impact. And if students thought it bad, what better setting than a data analysis course to debate this in?
More details on the petition here insidehighered.com/news/2021/01/2…
More details on the petition here insidehighered.com/news/2021/01/2…
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
