Topic > Analysis of the Politics of “Cancel Culture” in the Philippines

With just 280 characters, a Twitter user can start a trend, tell a story, and spark a movement. As we wrap up a year filled with economic and leadership crises amid a pandemic, we take a look at how social media has augmented a host of problems, some of which are likely worth more than others. So, what are the debates and discussions that have the Philippine social media community buzzing? Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay With the ongoing pandemic constantly changing our lifestyles, it becomes tiring to watch the news or check social media updates regarding COVID-19. This pandemic has not only brought more attention to underlying issues deeply rooted in our society, but has also exposed several leaders, companies, and even celebrities for serious misconduct. The level of misconduct committed by these people could lead to their lives being erased by the online mob. Before we delve further into this matter, it is crucial to understand what being canceled means for someone. According to Dictionary.com, cancel culture “refers to the popular practice of withdrawing support for public figures and companies after they do or say something considered objectionable or offensive.” In the most extreme cases, people canceled have seen their careers end as a result. This phenomenon emerged in 2019, when many incidents of celebrities committing crimes or problematic behavior on social media. While cancel culture is a fairly widespread phenomenon, especially in our online communities, we must remember not to confuse it with call-out culture. Call-out culture is the process in which people point out (or “call out”) when someone has done something they consider unforgivable. This differs from cancel culture because cancel culture goes one step further after calling someone out, which is to figuratively remove a person from society, hence the use of the term “cancel.” While call-out culture demonstrates that an individual should face the consequences of their mistakes and will be held accountable for their actions; Cancel culture could prove harmful to the accused in the long run. The downside of promoting cancel culture is that it does not give the wrongdoer the opportunity to mend their ways. It does not allow wrongdoers to grow out of their mistakes. Those who fall victim to this type of culture have no means to return from their mistakes and redeem themselves, as the masses figuratively “removed” them from society. An example of calling culture in the Philippine context is the history of Philippine popular culture. singer-songwriter Yeng Constantino – came under fire online due to a particular vlog she published recalling an event she experienced with her husband in a hospital in Siargao. Constantino highlighted the hospital staff's lack of training and professionalism in her vlog, leading netizens to call her out for her medical professionals being allowed to "doctor shame", and ignoring the fact that they were in a provincial hospital, which could not having some amenities and staff that you might be used to. On the other hand, we can also see numerous examples of cancel culture in our country. Aside from the most recent incident with the CEO of Cookies by the Bucket, with Philippine politics being a major topic of discussion on any Philippine online news feed, it becomes a topic that i.