A racist remark here, a homophobic tweet there and cases of sexual harassment or assault are common happenings among the entertainment industry. In real life, when people say or do something that is inappropriate, people can make the choice to stop talking to them or cut them out of their lives.
In the entertainment industry, however, when someone does something inappropriate, audiences face whether or not they can continue to be fans of the person’s work due to their behavior.
The question is this: When should fans “cancel” artists because of bigoted remarks or inappropriate behavior, and if they come forward and hold themselves accountable, is it OK to become fans again?
There is no algorithm for forgiving entertainers; it’s typically a case-by-case basis. Most of the time, if the entertainer doesn’t have a major offense and genuinely holds themselves accountable for their actions, it’s OK to move on and support them again. There are some major cases where their actions are unforgivable, or they don’t hold themselves accountable for what they’ve done, and that’s when audiences should officially cancel them.
Musician John Mayer, who, back in an interview with Playboy in 2010 said the N-word and joked about his penis being a “white supremacist” who didn’t want to date any black women.
That is obviously problematic, and Mayer recognized that himself. His intent was actually the opposite of the effect of the word, but he apologized for trying to “intellectualize the use of a word that is so emotionally charged.” Mayer took accountability for his actions and has evolved; therefore, he is someone people can support again.
Another example is comedian and actor Aziz Ansari who, from late 2017 through early 2018, was accused of sexual misconduct by a woman. Ansari believed everything that took place was consensual, whereas she felt he was blatantly ignoring her denying of his advances.
Ansari took responsibility for his actions, addressing the incident by saying, “It was true that everything did seem OK to me, so when I heard that it was not the case for her, I was surprised and concerned.” Ansari responded apologetically and assured everyone he is in full support of the #MeToo movement.
Those men are entertainers who have taken responsibility for their actions and can be supported again.
There are some entertainers, however, who don’t hold themselves accountable and, therefore, are deemed “cancelled” by public opinion.
Take Kodak Black, a rapper who has been charged with rape and has made extremely inappropriate comments toward women, combats the situation by saying he’s allowed to say whatever he wants. Black has been arrested a few times and still shows no remorse for his actions. He is the perfect example of an artist who is cancelled.
It’s not just Black: there’s people like Harvey Weinstein, R. Kelly, Chris Brown, Nicki Minaj and Shane Gillis who have varying levels of offense but haven’t taken responsibility for their actions, other than weak apologies.
It all comes down to one word: accountability. An entertainer’s career can be ruined in one tweet — just look at Roseanne Barr. But accountability and owning up to one’s actions can make all the difference in how the incident unravels moving forward. Holding oneself accountable shows humanity, humility and remorse for inappropriate actions or wrongdoings and can determine whether or not entertainers keep their fans.
This doesn’t just go for entertainers, however. It’s a lesson everyone needs to learn. Holding oneself accountable is one of the best traits a person can have. Everyone makes mistakes, but it’s how people handle mistakes that makes all the difference.
Riley Runnells is a sophomore studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Do you agree? Let Riley know by emailing her at rr855317@ohio.edu.
