Or: Calling-out a questionable practice?

Have you ever experienced, witnessed or participated in a shitstorm? Everybody is talking about Cancel Culture but what does it really mean? Is it really ‘ok’ or even ‘your right’ to call for a “cancellation” of a certain political or public figure, popular series or musician/band?

If you ‘share’ these perceptions and questions, then the next “Zoomin’ in” is for you!

“Zoomin’ In” is a series of zoom meetings organized by the Cultural Studies team of the English Department at Landau University to promote the discussion of culture between students and teachers in an informal setting.

Cancel culture is one of the more recent phenomena that expose the boundaries of democratic societies by veering between freedom of speech and self-justice as well as self-government and ‘sousveillance’. ‘Canceling’ someone publicly online has indeed been compared to biblical or medieval practices. At the same time, calling-out can be a tool to unmute hitherto unheard voices, misogynistic structures or guilty perpetrators.

But isn’t there also a danger in the “#[participation], too”-movements that so rapidly take off without reflection or (sometimes) proof? How come Barack Obama and Donald Trump call out Cancel Culture? What are the pitfalls of a collective identification with certain figures and/or movements? Is there a real impact at the end of these sharing-practices that can be compared to ‘actual’ political activism? Or does it rather turn our society against each other? Does Cancel Culture work across cultures? And – if so – how does it possibly even enrich it?

For this discussion, we suggest to briefly familiarize yourselves with the recently published open letters on this matter, namely A Letter on Justice and Open Debate and A More Specific Letter on Justice and Open Debate, signed – in both cases – by notable public figures.

Looking forward to seeing you on 19 May.

Food and drinks welcome.

Zoom-Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85220324941?pwd=TFN6d2g4YkI4aGNKZUtWaWdUTlZhQT09

Meeting-ID: 852 2032 4941

Kenncode: 101193