Canceled

by Madison Collins

Whether you are the canceler or the one being canceled, we have all taken part in this new age phenomenon. Is it easier for you to “cancel” those who have been put on a pedestal? Someone so far away from you that you won’t see the aftermath of the bandwagon? Many debate if cancel culture actually works or if cancel culture is just a hate club that gives the target more attention (and more money). 

“Any publicity is good publicity,” stated Audra Johnson. With over 3 million followers, Johnson started her career in March of 2020. Johnson stems from the “weird” or “cringe” side of the internet, earning the title of “Wolf Girl”. Recently, Johnson has moved away from her normal “wolf girl” videos and has focused on her modeling career. She notes that her fanbase is, “very supportive but, also, very demanding.” Since her shift in content, Johnson describes the supportive side of her fanbase, alongside the followers that demand her old content. Having millions of eyes on her as she has grown up, Audra states, “It can definitely be a lot sometimes to handle. It can leave me anxious and scrolling on TikTok for hours searching for new ideas that people will like.” With as many followers as Audra Johnson has, an influencer of her nature is bound to get hate. Another TikToker claimed to have started sped up videos that popularized Johnson; he demanded credit from her when making these types of videos. This creator who had 2 million followers at the time sent shockwaves of hate to Audra’s page. At first, Audra responded to the hate, as well as the creator. “My anxiety was at an all time high,” said Audra Johnson. She eventually stopped responding to the hate and blocked the creator. “Because of the cancellation, because of the negative publicity, I got 200-300 thousand followers and hit 1 million followers,” said Johnson. 

Cancel culture’s definition tends to be different to each person, based on the justice they believe is deserved. Since the world of social media is ever-changing, the actions that are deemed as cancelable can vary from necessary to muddled. However, it is not just the actions that fluctuate, but the consequences as well. Many creators have been ‘canceled’ and have managed to prevail with more followers than they started out with; others completely vanish from the internet. Those who stand against cancel culture, argue there are inconsistencies within actions, time, and consequences, as well as, the dispute of people siding with the majority, neglecting the choice to form their own opinion.  Many feel that cancel culture is hopeless; however, it does not suppress change, and rather demands it. When properly utilized, cancel culture brings awareness to inexcusable actions and somewhat forces those to think about the consequences of their behavior, especially for those with large and impressionable audiences. Cancel culture doesn’t only hold people accountable, but incites public debate and societal change. It impacts not only the person being canceled but the audience who bears witness to the cancellation. Cancel culture forces people to recognize wrongdoings and understand different perspectives that they may normally be exposed to. Although many may dream of “canceling” a problematic influencer off of their platform, the bigger picture may outweigh the negatives.

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Model: Audra Johnson

Styling: Faith Giadolor

Photographer: Shea Baasch

Makeup & Hair: Gillian Tokar

Graphic Design: Suma Deshpande