According to a Politico survey, Americans are acutely aware of what has been dubbed "cancel culture." And they are overwhelmingly not in favor of it.
The survey found that 25 percent of Americans had no opinion on cancel culture. 46 percent more Americans indicated that in their opinion, cancel culture had gone too far, leaving only 29 percent who had any modicum of support for it. This majority was replicated across every demographic.
Cancel culture is defined by this particular survey as: "the practice of withdrawing support for (or canceling) public figures and companies after they have done or said something considered objectionable or offensive."
People have tried to deny its existence, but it is unfortunately very real, and often widely practiced, especially on social media and within academia. It has had real life consequences for the undeserving the world over, from job and income loss to events being cancelled.
Long-standing publication The New York Times has recently been rocked by a wave of prominent scandals related to cancel culture. Editorial page editor James Bennet was ousted, which sparked the resignation of Bari Weiss, one of Bennet’s writers and editors. In fact, Bennet’s leaving prompted many resignations all over the industry, including Andrew Sullivan of New York Magazine.
Cancel culture is not a strictly political or politically slanted issue. Politicians such as Barack Obama and Donald Trump, who disagree on just about everything, are united on this one point. Both of them have gone on record in voicing their strong opposition to any type of cancel culture.
