Essay
cancel culture
- Instelling
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU)
final essay about cancel culture, theory about celebrity society and liquid modernity
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SOCIAL CONTINUITY AND CHANGE: FINAL PAPERName: Noura Ibrahim
Student number: 2700341
Lecturers: H. Ghorashi, M. Rast, F. Holle
Course: Social Continuity and Change
Date: 28 October 2021
1
, Cancel culture
Nowadays, celebrities and politicians have a bigger stage than ever because of social media.
Even people who are unknown can become celebrities overnight by going viral on social
media platforms. Nevertheless, the popularity can also turn against you if, for example, you
do or say something wrong in the public eye. A well-known and recent example in the
Netherlands is of an upcoming 22-year-old actor. During an Instagram livestream, he asked a
minor to show his genitals in front of thousands of viewers. According to the actor, it was
intended as a joke, but the audience found it anything but funny. In the days that followed, he
was the most trending topic in the media. Everyone called for the actor to be cancelled. He
lost collaborations with TV and radio stations and lost his contract with a record label
(Catlender, 2021). In addition to this example, similar situations have occurred more often,
where celebrities but also politicians make a public mistake and as a result lose thousands of
followers or are banned from social media, with all its consequences. So did Donald Trump,
who lost a lot of support from both the public and some big public figures. He was even
banned from social media platform Twitter, as his account was permanently deleted. The
reason for this was the election campaign in which Trump incited his supporters to use
violence and the storming of the Capitol that happened because of it. Trump used Twitter to
reach his audience (Fischer & Nather, 2021). After committing a public error, celebrities and
politicians are getting pilloried, and get a bad image that is almost impossible to get rid of.
This phenomenon is called cancel culture, in which famous people are criticized in a social
discourse and are therefore boycotted by the (social) media (Bakher, 2021).
Van Krieken: Celebrity Society
Cancel culture shows that there has been a shift in the power relationship between the public
and celebrities. The public judges the behavior of celebrities and they, by "canceling"
someone, can end someone's career. This power relationship between celebrities and the
public is described by van Krieken (2012) in “Celebrity Society”. Modern celebrities,
according to van Krieken, are 'democratized aristocrats': celebrities depend on the approval of
the public for their power. In addition, it has become possible for more people to become
celebrities. Through the spread of 'court rationality' and individualization, celebrities earn
their fame through achievement rather than ascription. In doing so, celebrities also a have
surplus value or the advantage of being famous. They can easily reach and influence the
public thanks to their fame. It is about the ability to gain attention by appealing to emotions
and feelings and using this for their own needs. Thanks to the rise of public sphere and mass
communication, it is easier for celebrities to reach the public. But it is also easier for the
public to follow and keep tabs on celebrities through social media platforms. Celebrity society
also applies to politicians, who increasingly behave like celebrities. They use their charisma
and theatricality to attract attention and get noticed. The goal is to win over the public in this
way. In cancel culture, it is important for the celebrity to behave according to the wishes of
the public in order to maintain fame. Politicians must behave "politically correct" and appear
charismatic to convey political ideas and to gain and retain followers.
Bauman: Liquid Modernity
Celebrity society is a product of modernity, particularly through changes in organizational
power and social mobility in societies. Bauman elaborates on this social change and talks
about liquid modernity. Bauman (2000) explains that in first modernity people wanted to
emancipate themselves by getting rid of solids in society, such as religious or social traditions
like loyalty. People have become knowledgeable actors with focus on rationality and
efficiency. This led to individualization and liberalization, which contributed to a meritocratic
society in a second modernity. People value the individual so much that they disengage from
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