The 'cancel culture' myth

Let's cancel the term 'cancel culture' once and for all (Image: Fox News)

In recent months, we have seen the UK's Supreme Court declare 'what a woman is', the rise of the 'far right' in the United States and larger parts of Europe and the centre-left being accused of echoing words which were deemed unacceptable the day before. These stories as isolated items don't seem a big deal but, through their individual merits, have become significant societal shifts. That's largely thanks to the campaign groups who led them. For a long time, they have been playing cry wolf, sharing viral sop stories about how their 'plight' has resulted them being on the verge of 'losing everything', including relevance. With victories heading their way, and their crocodile tears turning into money eyes, it is fair to say that 'cancel culture' is officially over.

Let's be honest, 'cancel culture' never existed. The myth has brainwashed many decent minds for too long. I often roll my eyes when anyone says something like, "Nobody is talking about x on mainstream media," or "I don't care if saying x will get me cancelled," when, actually, they were simple tactics to grab attention. The age of 'me, me, me' is truly embedded into today's society. The sense of human entitlement has never been stronger, and narcissistic attitudes are dominating agendas and leading offices.

I'm not targeting any campaign group, or pinpointing one side of an argument to another with my above analysis. Sadly, debates today are not civil, nor two (or more)-way. They're accusatory, shouty and no conclusions or resolutions are offered at the end of them. Social media can be blamed, but deep down, it's been going on for years and years before that, through other mediums. The difference? British newspapers had the Press Complaints Commission since 1990 and broadcasters followed with something similar around the same time. Social media has no filter, the algorithms fuel division and as a result, trap people in their confined cages of narrow-minded thoughts.

The rebalancing of considered thought takes time. While some bemoan the BBC for swaying one way or another, having a BBC-type mindset is exactly what's needed. For all BBC's faults, its' mindset is about respectfully understanding those with opposing views, seeking consensus, appreciating the motivation of others, and collect as many anecdotes as possible without trying to 'catch' someone out simply for a few likes on a social media post. For every GB News, be a Victoria Derbyshire.

'Cancel culture' has come in different guises, the classic being to trying to call someone out for a controversial opinion. But others are a little more complex than that. For example, many of us were stunned to see that Israel received the highest number of public votes in the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest (but lost to Austria overall, who did much better in the jurors' vote). But, why should it be a surprise? Yes, Yuval Raphael's entry was pretty, although not a showstopper. Yet, with millions across Europe apparently boycotting the show thinking it would result in 'cancelling' the country, it completely backfired. We know full well that Israel consistently scores high in the competition, it was inevitable this would be reflected on the night, unless those boycotters decided against the empty gesture and voted for other nations. You cannot force 'cancel culture'.

The reason why Israel is included in Eurovision will continue to bewilder. The country's government is carrying out persistent attacks on Palestinian soil at genocide levels - matching Russia's ambitions to discredit Ukraine's independence by invading like there's no tomorrow, which consequently banned the country from any Eurovision involvement for the foreseeable. I often argue that the Eurovision Broadcasting Union (EBU) should include or exclude both - so both in, or out. The EBU's decision-making has made this a political issue rather than a competition one, and if Israel had won, next year would have been justifiably compared to the 1936 Berlin Olympics hosted by Nazi Germany, 90 years after that Games took place. But we are where we are - if we are asked to treat Israel as a musical entry, then so be it. And if the country is not included in the future, we must accept that too. The EBU will continue to find itself in a tough situation, doomed either way.

Boycotting - or trying to enforce 'cancel culture' - only favours those being targeted. I tried it in 2023 when Nigel Farage entered the ITV reality show, 'I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here'. As a result of me and up to four million others turning to other channels, he made it to the final. If we put our pride to one side and watched it, yes, there would be more squirming about his appearance than the Bushtucker Trials, but we'd have voted for others to go through and he be out much earlier. But he managed to convince many of the seven million about his supposed 'man of the people' persona and fast forward 18 months, his political career has elevated to levels that are making media commentators giddy.

The 'cancel culture' label is penned by those - including the likes of Nigel Farage - who want to impose fear on others. The reality is, there's a platform for everyone. When people say 'mainstream', they may mean the more traditional broadcasters or papers, yet, while they are still popular, podcasts and streaming channels arguably have a wider reach, and will continue to do so for some time yet. Can you imagine a 'Netflix News', for instance? Wouldn't that be seen as more 'mainstream' than Sky News? 

Even those who people assume are definitely 'cancelled', most certainly aren't. If former BBC News presenter Huw Edwards wanted to do a 'tell-all' interview, despite recently pleading guilty to possessing child pornographic content, he will get one. Gary Lineker, whether you agree with his political opinions or not, will continue to be his brilliant self on any other TV or radio station away from the BBC. And there is a platform for Michelle Mone (a subject of a new BBC documentary about her 'downfall' due to the controversial PPE deal secured during the Covid-19 pandemic) once she is ready to come out with her thoughts. Even those who committed the most horrific crimes and are since passed - Jimmy Savile, the Yorkshire Ripper, Adolf Hitler - they are nowhere near 'cancelled' as we're still talking about them today. The only way to 'cancel' someone is to not talk about them anywhere, at all, ever again. Now wiping their memory from people's consciousness is a challenge, which I dare anyone takes. But if anyone cries 'cancel culture' to you, laugh it off.