JK Rowling, Chris Pratt and Chrissy Teigen had to cancel cultivation in 2021

Last January, actor Bryan Cranston took to Twitter, saying his wish for 2021 was to end the culture of cancellation.

“I think we are unfortunately in a rougher environment,” said Cranston, best known for playing Walter White in “Breaking Bad”. “I think our societies have become harsher and less understanding, less tolerant, less forgiving. My question for today is: where does forgiveness live in our society?

This question would be asked in different ways by different people over the course of the year, and Americans were almost as tired of the term ‘cancel culture’ as they were of COVID-19. But when the Pew Research Center examined attitudes about cancellation culture in May, researchers found that 58% of Americans view the ‘cancellation’ of a person as a positive thing, a way to hold people accountable, while 38% said that the cancellation of culture punishes people who didn’t deserve it.

Which may explain why the culture of cancellation has not disappeared.

This year’s cancellations, however, showed that the cancellation culture affects high-profile celebrities differently than lesser stars and ordinary people. “Harry Potter” author JK Rowling has been repeatedly “canceled” for transgender comments, but still has 14 million Twitter followers. Some celebrities, it seems, are too important to undo, although a wave of social media shame can still cost them fans and money, and damage their reputation.

Others, however, lose more than money. It has been six months since the internet star Yashar Ali posted anything on Twitter.

Here’s a look back at the Year of Cancellation Culture and how those involved weathered the storm.

Chris Pratt

The “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Parks and Rec” star was one of the faces of cancellation culture in 2020 and returned for an encore in 2021, for things he did and did. not done.

In February, social media turned on Pratt for fake tweets attributed to him. Then, in November, he got into even more trouble after posting a tribute to his wife, Katherine Schwarzenegger, and their “beautiful, healthy daughter,” whose wording was seen as a subtle slam to his ex-wife. and her son, who has health problems. Unlike previous controversies, this one seems to have troubled Pratt, who later noted on Instagram that he was “upset and depressed” but got away with exercising while listening to Christian worship music.

Chrissy teigen

Teigen, a former swimsuit model and cookbook author married to singer John Legend, miscarried in 2020, earning her a lot of sympathy from fans. But many turned on her in June when she was accused of Internet harassment other celebrities including Avril Lavigne, Lindsay Lohan and Sarah Palin. She then took to Instagram to lament being part of the “cancellation club.”

“Cancel club is a fascinating thing and I learned a lot,” she wrote. “Only a few understand it and you can’t tell until you’re in it. And it’s hard to talk about it in that sense because obviously you sound plaintive when you’ve clearly done something wrong. It just sucks. There is no victory.

Yashar Ali

One of Teigen’s fans is Yashar Ali, an internet celebrity who was mainly famous only on Twitter, where he was known as a passionate advocate for wild elephants, celebrities and the media stars he was with. was befriended, and people in trouble during the pandemic. His tweets prompted thousands of people to pay Venmo money to others who had lost their jobs due to COVID-19. But as Ali’s fame grew, the scrutiny of his secret life grew, and after a month of June profile in Los Angeles magazine, portrayed him as an inauthentic con artist, many of his fans backed away. He has not used his old Twitter account since June, nor spoken publicly about the article and its allegations. If he returns to Twitter in 2022, Ali still has over 748,000 followers waiting for him.

Jk rowling

This is the third year critics have said the author of “Harry Potter” should be canceled due to statements she made who were called transphobic. As late as December 29, Rowling took to Twitter to explain her beliefs, which she says have been widely misrepresented.

While Rowling remains a megastar with a dedicated international following, and released a new children’s book (“The Christmas Pig”) this year, The Washington Post highlighted her tiny presence on the 20-year-old special. Harry Potter (which premiered in Jan. 1 on HBO Max), speculate that Warner Bros. did not want the show to “carry even the slightest hint of controversy”.

Dr. Seuss

Theodor Seuss Geisel was not a doctor, and his contemporaries knew him as a political cartoonist whose work was often controversial, even in his day. But for people who only knew Dr. Seuss for heartwarming stories like “Horton Hears a Who” and “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”, it was shocking to learn that some of his books contained disturbing racial stereotypes and did not. no longer be published. But it’s not just those titles, but Geisel’s entire legacy at risk, as Cathy Young, writing for The Nation, Noted. “Now the NEA says that Read Across America is no longer affiliated with Dr. Seuss Enterprises, and at least one school district in Virginia asked schools to downplay the day’s connection with Dr. Seuss because of the “strong racial undertones” found in his work. ”

Young called the growing movement to quash Seuss creepy, saying that if “… the exorcism targets racial codes so subtle they are invisible or harmless to the naked eye (a black and white cat wearing white gloves represent a racist minstrel?), it could do far more harm than good, fostering both paranoia and backlash. And imagine how much art and literature will have to be thrown away if we ever apply the same magnifying lens to gender stereotypes. “

Dr Mehmet Oz

The notorious surgeon who recently jumped into the race for the Pennsylvania Senate seat held by Republican Pat Toomey recently took to Twitter to announce that it had been quashed after his political views were widely disseminated. He said the Philadelphia Inquirer used the honorary title “Dr”. for him before the announcement of his candidacy, but no longer does.

Vanity Fair magazine quickly weighed in, claiming that Oz, “like a lot of conservatives,” has no idea what it really means to be canceled.

But the year is young. And as Evan Nierman, crisis consultant, said on Forbes.com earlier this year, “Pay attention: Cancel the culture is here to stay. “