In the past decade, cancel culture—a form of social ostracism in which the public withdraws varying levels of support from celebrities after controversial behavior—has risen at an unprecedented rate. What began as a way to hold public figures and celebrities accountable has evolved into something much more harmful. In modern cancel culture, the cancellation itself has much less to do with the harm caused to affected communities and more with public attention spans. These short attention spans are fed by the more prominent figures in pop-culture, skewing the intensity of a cancellation to revolve around the popularity of that celebrity. 

I want to make one thing very clear: cancel culture is not inherently bad. In fact, the principle behind it is vital in the modern digital age, where celebrities hold massive amounts of influence and social power over massive groups of people. This is especially prevalent for celebrities that are parts of marginalized communities, where those celebrities are forced into the role of a representative and hold significant influence over how the public eye perceives that certain group. When those individuals make faults, it reflects poorly on the marginalized communities—which already have substantial amounts of opposition. Particularly, in 2020, Lil Wayne received intense backlash after claiming that Black people should assume some of the blame for racial injustices. Because his claims directly contradicted the ideals of the “Black Lives Matter” movement, which was especially prominent at the time due to the recent murder of George Floyd, he faced an acute cancellation. More importantly, this event reflected poorly on the “Black Lives Matter” movement and Black community as a whole because it made it seem as though there were inconsistencies in their beliefs. 

What the media, and specifically people who disapprove of cancel culture, fail to recognize is that the accountability involved in correcting the cause of the cancellation does not only pertain to missteps that the celebrity themself deems to be morally “wrong.” To be accountable is to have the responsibility and maturity to acknowledge the impact of your actions and make corrections when those actions cause harm, even if you do not personally believe it was offensive. Consequently, if celebrities wish to stay in a position of notoriety, it is necessary for them to take the proper steps to correct their mistakes, regardless of their perspective.

However, modern cancel culture is contradictory: not all conflicts are treated equally, and not all public figures are held to the same standard. One recent example is Chappell Roan, who has faced continual online backlash for openly expressing her frustration about celebrity life, paparazzi harassment, and fan behavior. On her social media accounts, she has shared many specific stories including fans showing up to her parents’ house in Missouri, tracking her to a hotel room in New York, and invading other aspects of her life. In one of her TikTok posts she complained “I don’t care that abuse and harassment is a normal thing to do to people that are famous.” More recently, Roan was falsely accused of having her security team confront an eleven-year-old girl, causing the child to cry. 

Her comments have quickly escalated into career-defining moments of controversy. These complaints became so popularized that other celebrities even started commenting on them. When walking the red carpet at the 2026 Grammys, pop phenomenon Sabrina Carpenter commented, “You guys are so quiet this year… Chappell [Roan] really started a movement,” even saying that “[Chappell Roan] really whipped them into shape.” Separate from others, Roan’s cancellation pertained to her tone and attitude associated with her address of grievances, as opposed to actually harmful actions.

Cancel culture is meant to hold public figures accountable for their mistakes based on the severity: the worse the mistake, the more intense the cancellation. However, in recent years, cancel culture has changed to where the media harbors more on irritating celebrities than problematic ones, diminishing the purpose of a cancellation. Kanye West, who now goes by Ye, has made countless antisemitic, homophobic, and misogynistic statements in his late-night X rants—many of which have gotten his account suspended and led to widespread condemnation. Despite the various periods of backlash and periodic losses of support, his cultural influence and popularity remain ever-present. His influence in the music industry continues to gain recognition and support, and over time, public attention shifts away from his outrageous controversies.

Similarly, James Charles has faced multiple waves of cancellation, including serious allegations of child predation circulating online over time. While these situations have led to temporary backlash and platform scrutiny, his career has repeatedly rebounded, with his brand Painted growing and his influence persisting in the beauty industry. Although the accusations against Charles remain alleged, the numerous reports from various potential victims, as well as the recurring nature of these accusations have led many to deem him guilty. Yet, each time, his extreme cancellation has gone to the backburner when a new artist like Chappell Roan gets the nerve to speak out against celebrity harassment. This is not to suggest that regular cancel culture is unwarranted or that celebrities should not be held accountable in the first place. Rather, the issue lies in certain figures remaining the focus of extended cultural scrutiny over comparatively minor conflicts, while more popular celebrities—despite facing far more serious or repeated controversies—experience backlash that dissipates over time as public attention shifts. Repeatedly, the celebrities at the latter end of this partisanship have been either minority groups or people that are considered conventionally “unlikable” when held to the standards of the social norm. While accountability remains essential and cancel culture is justified in theory, its execution is inconsistent enough to make it ineffective.

For a long time, the media has hyperfixated on whether celebrities should be held accountable—they should—what is more prevalent is whether the public will carry that cancellation out impactfully. For celebrities with larger fan bases, like Ye and James Charles, cancel culture will never serve its intended purpose, no matter the severity of their actions, making them essentially untouchable. Cancel culture was once, and should be, a way to correct mistakes or end careers if the matter is grave enough. Now, cancel culture serves as a mere popularity contest.