In recent years, it’s been a common trend that certain products, celebrities, public figures, etc. will inevitably face the scrutinizing agony of “cancel culture.” But truth be told, this pattern is nothing new.
Parents across the world lost their minds in the 1950s at the sight of Elvis Presley swinging his hips, and in the 1960s when the Beatles spread their devilish rock ‘n’ roll. Nevertheless, in this age, we have social media platforms that give more volume to minority voices.
What has happened recently?
In February, the Hasbro corporation announced a gender-neutral name change to the Mr. Potato Head toy line, rebranding to “Potato Head.”
In early March, Dr. Seuss Enterprises announced it would cease the production of six of his books, citing racist imagery depicted in the books.
“Ceasing sales of these books is only part of our commitment and our broader plan to ensure Dr. Seuss Enterprises’ catalog represents and supports all communities and families,” the business said in an interview with the Associated Press.
Also, in March, pop singers Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion preformed Cardi’s hit song “WAP” at the Grammys, which depicts some highly sexualized content that many groups deemed inappropriate.
Is this really a problem?
I, for one, wish I could live in the world of conservative commentators who express these concerns as though they’re the biggest issues we face as a country at this time. Sadly, I live in a world where the biggest issues we face continue to be COVID-19, jobs, and health care.
It certainly doesn’t help that the narrative being told with these stories is completely false. The “cancellation” as they put it, is non-existent, furthering the misconception of left-wing political pressure and the stereotype of the “whiny left.”
Regarding Potato Head, Hasbro decided that since many products also feature a Mrs. Potato Head, it didn’t make sense to call the product by the pronoun “Mr.” But, the narrative that’s been incorrectly told is that the company was placating to non-binary gender pronouns.
Furthermore, the Dr. Seuss Enterprise was never pressured by anyone to stop production of those six books, they decided it on their own.
Why is it being talked about?
This is just a theory on my part. But given how Joe Biden is possibly the most conservative Democrat that could’ve gotten the role of president, conservatives need something to complain about regarding the left, because Biden is secretly on their side and they can’t admit it.
That’s not to say there aren’t people out there with legitimate gripes about the products they consume — there always are. Just remember, it’s only a fraction of the human population standing up in arms, so don’t let the conservative pundits fool you into thinking it’s bigger than it is.
Op-ed pieces do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Globe or its staff.
