In this Chatterbox episode, Andrew and Anna discuss the controversial topic of cancel culture. Cancel culture refers to the recent culture of mass criticism and ostracization of people in power after they have said or done something offensive. Because of social media, word spreads quickly when famous people commit a crime or even simply say something inappropriate. The responses to these behaviours can happen so fast that an actor could go from beloved celebrity to hated figure overnight. But is this culture helping or hurting us? If you’ve got an opinion on this topic, this is the perfect episode for you— listen and see if you agree with Anna and Andrew’s thoughts!

Fun facts

One of the first notable uses of “cancelled” meaning “to force someone out of a position of power” is in the 1991 Wesley Snipes action movie New Jack City. Since then, the verb “to cancel” gradually grew in popularity, but the term “cancel culture” only became popular in the late 2010s.

Expressions included in the study guide

Behind the scenes

To not sit well with

In the spotlight

To shut someone out

To bounce back

To push the limit

Copyright: Culips.com

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Music Credit: Something Elated by Broke for Free

Image: Rodolpho Zanardo (pexels.com)