When Cancel Culture Goes Too Far

It started out as a good thing. When the unspeakable came to light about beloved personalities like Bill Cosby, Louis CK, and even Michael Jackson, the people saw it as their duty to sever emotional ties with their favorite performers. It was a profound statement: however much your work meant to me, I can’t turn the other cheek and leave your name unscathed. After all, celebrities (especially actors and television personalities) have a long and tired history of being untouchable. I bet you don’t even know how many times your faves have been arrested.

You knew about her, though.

And you’re not supposed to know.

That’s the complicated thing about celebrities: they can only maintain their respective careers if their image in the public eye is untainted. They go through the trouble of recruiting publicists and social media managers and lawyers in their army of image preservers just to keep their goddamn jobs. No one wants to stan an actor who doesn’t seem just a little bit too good to be true. In exchange for living up to constant scrutiny, they can float above the common folk and sleep well knowing their devout followers will comment “Omg sweet bb would never” if they find themselves in trouble.

Or at least, they used to. (Cue the arrival of cancel culture.)

It’s fair to say that people are drawn to things that shock them. Every news outlet…