A Chat with CANCEL CULTURE

ME: I don’t understand you.

CANCEL CULTURE: What’s to understand? If somebody makes you feel bad about something you believe, you just invoke my name and hang it around the person who made you feel bad.

ME: So, it’s like name-calling?

CC: Yes, but way better. You not only make the other person feel bad, too, but you lump in everybody else who makes you feel bad.

ME: What? When people say “cancel culture,” they’re alleging a giant plot to silence someone’s entire culture?

CC: Hmm. That’s one way of looking at me.

ME: But “culture” is a word with sweeping vibe. You’re describing the beliefs, customs, arts and other traits of an entire society or group! So, just because I dislike, say, modern art, doesn’t mean I don’t like the entire pop arts culture and all its dress, music…

CC: OK, if that doesn’t float your boat, think of me as a “culture of cancellation.” So, if you don’t like someone or something, your default is to cancel it and tell a bunch of other people to cancel it. Pretty horrible, right?

ME: So, we’re back to the conspiracy thing?

CC: Bingo! It’s a conspiracy to deprive someone of their free speech! And that’s a sin against the Constitution.

ME: But the Constitution only prohibits the government from violating your free-speech rights.

CC: Don’t nitpick!

ME: And what about my free speech? If someone says I’m “cancelling culture,” doesn’t my free speech count?

CC: No, because the person who invokes my name first gets the free-speech rights.

ME: Huh?

CC: Do you feel bad now? My work is done.