The Human Condition: Cancel culture

By Daniel Schnee on May 18, 2022.

As a general rule a thing is neither true nor false until there is at least some tiny bit of logic or evidence to go on. In the meantime we get a feeling that something may be right or wrong, based on what we know of the world so far. So if we feel there is such a thing as “cancel culture” for example, then we have to try and base that feeling in fact to know the actual truth. So is there any actual objective proof of cancel culture in word or deed? I think I found at least a little bit.

Recently I started reading a controversial book. Before it was finished being printed and assembled its publisher was already receiving demands for its cancellation, its critics having not read a single word. Eventually, a group of concerned parents started a GoFundMe campaign to advertise the book on billboards when it was ignored by e-commerce sites. Then, when the book finally caught the attention of legacy media, it was hailed by many prominent authors and sites as one of the best of the year; a vital work about its topic.

But it continued to stoke controversy, and a major retail chain pulled the book from its stores after two Twitter users complained about it. A university professor even suggested stealing the book from stores and burning it on a pyre. Then in 2020 the High Court of Britain ruled on a case related to the central theme of the book, and the decision was hailed as a landmark, further affirming the book’s relevance to society.

Thus, I was curious to see if the local library had a copy of the book, and what local reviewers might have to say about its contents.

Many give it a half-star review, calling it hate speech. One reviewer even wished a case of permanent hiccups on its author. Others describe it as well researched and well written, an important exploration of its subject matter. Many of these reviews are flagged as “offensive”, seemingly because it gives the book multiple stars and is positive. To be fair, many of the books 136 reviews do contain bias, but there are enough neutral, well written 5 star reviews flagged as “offensive” to be beyond coincidence. It is the flagging of such reviews that suggest the spirit of cancel culture exists and may be at work.

By comparison, the library’s copy of Adolf Hitler’s autobiography Mein Kampf (with only 36 reviews) contains mostly flags for trolling comments clearly meant as tasteless jokes. Also, its positive reviews praise the library’s decision to provide access to such a book for educational purposes, rather than any quality of Hitler’s beliefs.

The book I have been referring to all along is “Irreversible Damage” by Dr. Abigail Shrier, an analysis of the unexpectedly rapid rise of transgenderism in teenage girls. By flagging positive commentary (while offering zero discussion of the book’s contents) some local reviewers are sending a clear message: even discussions of Shrier are less fit for public consumption than a full work by Adolf Hitler. Neither Shrier nor her book and reviews are cancelled… but it certainly seems more than a few people sure want them to be.

Dr. Daniel Schnee is a cultural anthropologist and jazz drummer.

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