Cancelling is Complicated...

So, the Cannes Film Festival occurred and Johnny Depp got a standing ovation for his role in Jeanne du Barry. Now, depending on your view of him, this is either well-deserved or maddening.

Maybe you are a fan of Woody Allen and think that what he does in his personal life should be separate from his films. Similar to J.K. Rowling and her comments towards transgender people. But this begs the question, "Can we separate the art from the artist?"

Honestly, up until a few days ago, I would have said, "You cannot separate them. By giving them money/views, you are condoning their actions." But I read a Tumblr post by Wil Wheaton, which adds more complexity towards cancel culture and separating art from the artist. Link here: https://www.tumblr.com/wilwheaton/665768411296645120/i-have-more-of-an-opinion-question-for-you-when

It's easy to cancel someone when they work by themselves, but it's harder when they work with other people or have had such an influence on culture. In Woody Allen's case, he worked on film sets with a whole crew, who also get paid based on how the films did. So do we punish people who worked with him before his actions became public who may not have even known what he did? Public persona is different from private personality. You don't start a career as a writer, filmmaker, musician, etc., by saying things majority of the people you would be working with disagree with. If you know about their actions and continue to work with them, well, that's a different story.

But what about those that had a big impact on culture? For example, H.P. Lovecraft was anti-Sematic, xenophobic, racist, sexist, whatever; you name it, he was most likely it. Yet, he impacted the horror genre massively and even other genres. Many writers in horror, like Stephen King, and writers outside horror, like George R.R. Martin and Neil Gaiman, were majorly inspired by him. Do we cancel them for being influenced by him when they are not racist, sexist, etc.?

Now to get even more complicated, what about Picasso? Yep, that Picasso. He was a Communist and misogynistic. However, he created an art style that is revered even today. Do we shun those that are inspired by his work and draw influence from it? Kanye West is one of the most influential rappers alive yet he's generated controversy due to his comments on racism and Jews. Do we cancel anyone who has been inspired by or worked with him?

That's the tricky part: many of these people worked with others. It's not just one person who creates a song, a movie, a book, etc. It's usually a group of people, some of whom are just wanting a job, no matter who they are working with. Unfortunately, especially in the entertainment industry, it's who you know, not what you know, that gets you very far. If you worked with Kanye West or Eminem, you're going to go farther in getting jobs versus working with someone like Travis Scott or MGK, simply due to their influence on music. You could have been working in the industry for years and yet, all it takes, is that one song, one name, to make you big in the industry.

So, do we cancel people for not knowing about things about the people they worked with? Again, it's not an easy yes or no answer. In Joss Whedon's case, if they did not know, then it's hard to fault them. If they did know but were limited in their options (as is the case in a lot of situations with influential people), again, can you blame them? However, if they knew and were only concerned about money and image, then it becomes a little easier.

Unfortunately, it usually is a hierarchy issue. The higher up you are in a chain or ladder, the easier it is to not care and the harder it is to be cancelled. Because they are high up, they have multiple projects happening, so it's hard to punish multiple people who are probably unaware of what is happening on another set until after it has been made public, if it becomes public.

So, how do we let people know that this shit isn't okay? Honestly, utilizing the Internet and supporting people who were similar in style but not in personality. After J.K. Rowling's comments on transgender women, many people went to Etsy to get Harry Potter merchandise from people who created their own versions of her characters instead of going to a store that is affiliated with her and where she gets some of the profit. You can go on YouTube and support artists on there who are creating covers of or are reacting to MJ's music.

Cancelling isn't easy or simple to do simply because it's hard to affect an entire machine and industry that thrives on money and views and downloads. However, you can do small things to let them know that the culture there needs to change.