Fans are clicking the “cancel” button on these celebrities in 2021.
Cancel culture is everywhere and whether you agree with the practice of “canceling” public figures for their possible problematic views or ideas, it’s probably here to stay.
From political figures to film stars, it turns out that celebrities make public boo-boos just like the rest of us. However, their mishaps are broadcast for all the world to see — and fans get to “Command+Delete” these celebs all over social media and watch as their careers fade fast.
For some figures like Mel Gibson and Louis C.K., cancel culture seems to not exist, despite them being called out time and time again for their controversial actions.
But, fans digress.
Dr. Jill McCorkel, a professor of sociology and criminology at Villanova University, previously told The Post that the foundation of cancel culture can be found throughout history.
“Cancel culture is an extension of or a contemporary evolution of a much bolder set of social processes that we can see in the form of banishment,” she said. “[They] are designed to reinforce the set of norms.”
Here are just some of the stars who found themselves in scalding hot water this year.
Matt Damon
The Oscar winner got himself into trouble with the LGBTQ community when he spoke with the Sunday Times and explained that he retired the “F-slur for a homosexual.”
“I made a joke, months ago, and got a treatise from my daughter,” the 51-year-old said in August. “She left the table. I said, ‘Come on, that’s a joke! I say it in the movie “Stuck on You!”‘
“She went to her room and wrote a very long, beautiful treatise on how that word is dangerous. I said, ‘I retire the F-slur!’ I understood,” Damon continued. The actor later clarified his comments, saying that he “never called” anyone the slur.
In a statement he later made to the Hollywood Reporter, the “Good Will Hunting” actor said, “I have never called anyone ‘f—-t’ in my personal life and this conversation with my daughter was not a personal awakening. I do not use slurs of any kind.”
“I have learned that eradicating prejudice requires active movement toward justice rather than finding passive comfort in imagining myself ‘one of the good guys,’” he continued. “And given that open hostility against the LGBTQ+ community is still not uncommon, I understand why my statement led many to assume the worst. To be as clear as I can be, I stand with the LGBTQ+ community.”
Dave Chappelle
The comedian garnered much hate from viewers with his Netflix special “The Closer,” which was released in October and deemed transphobic by fans. The special led to two transgender Netflix employees filing labor complaints against the streaming service.
Critics called to cancel the funnyman and he addressed his comments in an Instagram video last month. Chappelle stated in his clip that he would meet with transgender employees; however, he won’t be “bending to anybody’s demands.”
“If you want to meet with me, I am more than willing to, but I have some conditions … First of all, you cannot come if you have not watched my special from beginning to end,” he said.
“This has nothing to do with [the LGBTQ community]. It’s about corporate interests and what I can say and what I cannot say,” he added. “For the record, and I need you to know this, everyone I know from that community has been loving and supporting, so I don’t know what all this nonsense is about.”
Chrissy Teigen
The controversial undercover bully made headlines when model Courtney Stodden alleged that Teigen cyberbullied them and suggested they commit suicide.
“She wouldn’t just publicly tweet about wanting me to take ‘a dirt nap’ but would privately DM me and tell me to kill myself,” Stodden said in a profile published by the Daily Beast. “Things like, ‘I can’t wait for you to die.’”
The “Cravings” author responded with a lengthy social media post. “Not a lot of people are lucky enough to be held accountable for all their past bulls–t in front of the entire world. I’m mortified and sad at who I used to be.”
She added, “I was an insecure, attention-seeking troll. I am ashamed and completely embarrassed at my behavior but that… is nothing compared to how I made Courtney feel.”
Andrew Cuomo
Ex-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo resigned in August after several women accused him of sexual harassment. In the 64-year-old’s resignation announcement, he said, “I think that given the circumstances, the best way I can help now is if I step aside.”
“This is one of the most challenging times for government in a generation,” he said. “Government really needs to function today, government needs to perform. It is a matter of life and death. Wasting energy on distractions is the last thing [the] state government should be doing.”
Chris Cuomo
The 51-year-old was fired from CNN in December after allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced. News also came up that he aided in the defense of his embattled brother Andrew Cuomo following the latter’s own accusations.
“This is not how I want my time at CNN to end,” Chris said in a statement after his firing earlier this month. “But I have already told you why and how I helped my brother,” he said.
Dr. Seuss
Despite the fact that the children’s author is long dead (he died in 1991), Dr. Seuss still found himself canceled this year. Six of his books were pulled from publication because of their alleged racism this past March.
The company that publishes the works decided to yank the titles “If I Ran the Zoo,” “And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street,” “McElligot’s Pool,” “On Beyond Zebra!,” “Scrambled Eggs Super!” and “The Cat’s Quizzer.’’
“We believed that it was time to take action,” Dr. Seuss Enterprises told The Post in a statement. “We listened and took feedback from our audiences including teachers, academics and specialists in the field, too, as part of the review process.”
Armie Hammer
The “Social Network” star, 35, caused a stir when he was accused of “violently” raping an ex-girlfriend. She claimed in March that he abused her “mentally, emotionally and sexually” during their four-year relationship. Because of the scandal, Hammer dropped out of the Jennifer Lopez rom-com “Shotgun Wedding.”
He responded to the allegations, saying in a statement: “I’m not responding to these bulls–t claims, but in light of the vicious and spurious online attacks against me, I cannot, in good conscience now, leave my children for four months to shoot a film in the Dominican Republic. Lionsgate is supporting me in this and I’m grateful to them for that.”
Mike Richards
The former “Jeopardy!” executive producer scored the much-coveted job as the game show’s host following Alex Trebek’s death this past summer.
However, shortly after the 46-year-old was announced as the show’s host, sexist comments he made on a podcast eight years ago resurfaced and he was forced to resign.
The father of two apologized in a statement, saying: “It is humbling to confront a terribly embarrassing moment of misjudgment, thoughtlessness and insensitivity from nearly a decade ago,” he said. “Looking back now, there is no excuse, of course, for the comments I made on this podcast and I am deeply sorry.”
DaBaby
DaBaby got a lot of heat when he went on a homophobic rant during his Rolling Loud set. The rapper then went on to make several comments regarding AIDS misinformation.
He was later dropped by brand endorsement deals and music festivals including Lollapalooza, ALC Music Festival and iHeart Radio. He then issued a half-apology on Twitter, writing: “Anybody who done ever been effected by AIDS/HIV y’all got the right to be upset, what I said was insensitive even though I have no intentions on offending anybody. So my apologies. But the LGBT community… I ain’t trippin on y’all, do you. Y’all business is y’all business.”
Demi Lovato
The former Disney Channel star, who came out as non-binary in May, received backlash when they blasted a frozen yogurt shop and criticized them for having sugar-free products in their store.
The “Sorry Not Sorry” singer said it was “triggering” as a person recovering from an eating disorder to see the diet snacks. “Finding it extremely hard to order froyo from @thebiggchillofficial when you have to walk past tons of sugar-free cookies/other diet foods before you get to the counter,” they wrote in an April Instagram Story. “Do better please.”
They later apologized and said their “emotions got the best” of them during their exchanges with the store because they were “so passionate” about calling out diet culture.
Credit: Source link
