Why Cancel Culture Should Be Cancelled: Part 2 – Fighting Strangers’ Battles

Hi all!

Earlier in the year, I posted Why Cancel Culture Should Be Cancelled. I thought I had covered everything on the topic but as it turns out, I’m not quite done yet! There is another layer to to discuss, which I’m calling: ‘Fighting Strangers’ Battles.’ This is when people on the Internet take it upon themselves to act as vigilantes, flooding the social media accounts of celebrities they have never met, in an effort to defend someone they perceive as a victim. They see these actions as noble – wielding digital torches and pitchforks – not grasping they are actually doing more harm than good. Let’s explore when parasocialism goes too far…

*Trigger warning for SA and ED’s.*

1.) Obsession at Halloween Horror Nights

Among the scare actors set to appear at this year’s Halloween Horror Nights, is Nikki from Obsession. Universal announced she would be roaming the park in 2026, delivering a disturbing performance reminiscent of her appearance in the film. What sounded like a spooky season to remember, soon devolved into something extreme. “Fans” of the movie demanded that the production company not only apologise for featuring a fictional victim of sexual assault, but also remove Nikki from the line-up altogether. Do I even need to explain why this is ridiculous? Firstly, the horror genre is made up of iconic fictional serial killers and twisted monsters doing bad things. If we are going to clutch our pearls over the events of Obsession, then why should Michael Myers, Pennywise, Jason Voorhees etc be allowed to make an appearance? They’ve committed all sorts of atrocities in their franchises and yet, we allow it, because they aren’t real. This is called selective outrage – where we die on a hill for one cause, yet excuse similar issues elsewhere. Secondly, Inde Navarrette (Nikki herself) said in an interview that she would love a scare-actor to play her at Halloween Horror Nights. If the idea of that makes her happy, who are we to fight her imaginary battles? She didn’t need, nor want anyone to step in on her behalf. The naysayers tried to ruin it for everyone else, including Inde. Thirdly, it’s a MOVIE! I’m so glad Universal didn’t listen, nor issue a public apology. I’ve since seen clips of “Nikki” walking around and she’s fantastic. Patrons of the park are really engaging with her performance. If you feel uncomfortable by what was portrayed in the film, you do not have to attend Halloween Horror Nights. However, don’t deprive others a chance at experiencing Obsession come to life at Universal Studios. This is not the noble act you think it is. Cody Leach has a very intelligent, well-thought out video on the subject I recommend watching.

**2.) Ariana Grande’s Body**

This topic is a lot more sensitive but I do want to discuss it. In the last couple of years, Ariana Grande has lost a significant amount of weight. During her Eternal Sunshine tour, where it was most evident, fans expressed their concern over her emaciated figure. However, some took it too far. In the name of “care”, many demanded she seek help, or, at the very least, announce publicly that she was suffering from an eating disorder. The noise grew so loud, Ariana was forced to cancel an appearance on the West End, as well as take an extended hiatus from the spotlight. To be clear, I understand how triggering this was for many with existing or past histories with ED’s. I acknowledge how hard it must’ve been to see her that way. However, the way the Internet went about things, was disgusting. Anorexia nervosa is far more mental, than it is physical. You cannot simply push someone to just ‘eat something’, undergo a formal diagnosis or even admit something is wrong. 9 out of 10 victims of the disease don’t even see it themselves. Clinicians and medical professionals have said for years that these types of comments only make things worse. In fact, it can make a sufferer retreat even further into the illness. The common thread of this post is that we should not be fighting stranger’s battles for them. We do not know Ariana on a personal level. We are not her doctors. This is not our business. It goes beyond parasocialism. What right do any of us have to make demands of a celebrity? None of this behaviour helped Ariana. It just harmed her mental state even more. Well done! I wrote a similar post about Eugenia Cooney years ago, which you can check out here.

3.) Olivia Rodrigo on Anthony Fantano

This last example is probably the most nonsensical of them all. Women are burnt at the stake, no matter what they do. After the release of ‘You Seem Pretty Sad For A Girl So In Love’, Olivia Rodrigo appeared on Anthony Fantano’s show to discuss the album. Fantano is an American music critic, best known for his YouTube channel: ‘The Needle Drop.’ He has a controversial past and, at times, has harshly criticised other artists. Despite his history, it was Olivia who received an overwhelming amount of hate, simply for associating with him. Furthermore, because Fantano had previously insulted Halsey’s record: The Great Impersonator, Olivia was deemed a feminist hypocrite, as this interaction “proved” she was not in support of Halsey. How do people make these connections? Olivia wanted to talk about music. That is it. If you don’t like Anthony, that’s your choice, but don’t start drawing Zodiac Killer-style conclusions. You can be disappointed that Olivia collaborated with Fantano but relating it back to Halsey is ridiculous. The girls are fine. We need to stop pitting women against other women. Let Halsey work out her own issues with the man – leave Rodrigo out of it! There is no nuance these days.

In Summation

Just because we have access to social media, does not give us the right to shame, attack, diagnose and defend people we don’t know, in the name of something “noble.” What we consider helpful is, in reality, a major overstep of boundaries. Think about if you were on the receiving end. Would you appreciate hordes of people on the Internet being all up in your business? I don’t think so. Cancel culture in essence, comes across as very ‘holier than thou.’ It’s adopting the role of judge, jury and executioner, despite having no actual personal involvement in the situation. There is nothing wrong with sharing your opinion amongst friends/loved ones/colleagues etc. It becomes problematic when it is directed at the celebrities themselves. Whatever your intentions, keep them to yourself. You are doing more harm than good, trust me.

Thank you so much for reading. Feel free to leave any of your own examples down below. Who knows – a part 3 may come in the future!

Peace & Love xoxo