Based on the work you’ve done with Contrapoints’s “Canceling” video and related
Based on the work you’ve done with Contrapoints’s “Canceling” video and related to our discussions on morals and ethics, you will consider on what level addressing cancel culture is a moral and/or logical issue. In your essay, you should discuss how free speech might be maintained while dealing with figures in pop culture, how bias can be avoided in attempting to prove or disprove reasonable standards for cancelation, and what responsibility critical thinkers have to refute false claims of cancelation. When you respond to the prompt, think about:
One example of a politician, pop culture icon, or celebrity who has been “canceled” (you may discuss other examples of cancelation, but not at length; this example will be your overall focus)
The grounds on which they were “canceled,” and whether those grounds are within reason (your focus here is whether this person deserves to be canceled, and why or why not)
Whether cancel culture is ethically and/or logically dangerous, and why
What steps should reasonably be taken to combat cancel culture, if combating it is the right way to go
What should have been done in the case of your chosen politician, icon, or celebrity
Because you are exploring a real life case of cancel culture, you must use a source exploring the cancelation of your chosen figure; this may include one or more of their interviews, Tweets, or set of court documents. You must also use one scholarly source to address why this cancelation was or was not justifiable. Both of these sources must be properly attributed both in in-text citations and the Works Cited.
You may not use Natalie Wynn or James Charles as examples of canceled figures (because Wynn already gave us a detailed account of why they were canceled and whether this was justified), but some examples of canceled figures you can explore may include:
DaBaby
Shia LaBeouf
J.K. Rowling
Aaron Rodgers
Ellen DeGeneres
Kris Wu
Kanye West
Marilyn Manson
Armie Hammer
R. Kelly
Gina Carano
Dave Chappelle
Colin Kaepernick
Optional: A few films have addressed the idea of cancel culture without explicitly forcing a stance on their audience. Tár and Whiplash may be thought-provoking movies for you to check out; they encourage us to explore their characters as both absolutely detestable and immensely talented people.
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