# Stand Up Comics and Cancel Culture **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 4, 2020, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stand-up-comics-and-cancel-culture/917271 "2020-08-04T19:09:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2020, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stand-up-comics-and-cancel-culture/917271/121 "2020-08-07T19:20:21Z")
If there is such a thing as cancel culture, it seems like it’s only done in the cause of right-wing complaints. ---
**Author:** ![Bacon\_Cheeseburger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ebca7d/32.png) [@Bacon\_Cheeseburger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bacon_Cheeseburger)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2020, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stand-up-comics-and-cancel-culture/917271/122 "2020-08-07T19:24:58Z")
> **[Is our cancel culture killing free speech?](https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/is-our-cancel-culture-killing-free-speech/)** > > What promoting unfettered thought and speech does is allow us to weaken the viruses of bad, untested, and morally bankrupt ideas before they infect all of society. seems like a balanced article on the subject ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2020, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stand-up-comics-and-cancel-culture/917271/123 "2020-08-07T19:27:48Z")
And the difference is, is that they usually use the weight of the government to push for their censorship, while on the left, it is the actions of individuals speaking up that is being complained about. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2020, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stand-up-comics-and-cancel-culture/917271/124 "2020-08-07T19:31:29Z")
Not… really. first of all, once again, they are saying that in order to protect the free speech of the influential, we need to curb the free speech of the average individual. Not sure I understand how that doublethink keeps getting through. Then, the author does give away his motives in the end paragraph. > [@](#): > > Perhaps today’s left wants to make common cause with those who throughout history have used social and political means to eliminate people perceived in their day as heretics. If so, why not just admit it? That’s pretty much calling out anyone who criticizes public figures for odious speech as liars and hypocrites who want to “eliminate” people. ---
**Author:** ![Kearsen1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Kearsen1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kearsen1)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2020, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stand-up-comics-and-cancel-culture/917271/125 "2020-08-07T19:33:18Z")
It is a thing, It isn’t only right wing. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2020, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stand-up-comics-and-cancel-culture/917271/126 "2020-08-07T19:37:27Z")
According to [Betteridge’s Law](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betteridge%27s_law_of_headlines), the answer to the question posed in the headline of that article is “No.” ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2020, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stand-up-comics-and-cancel-culture/917271/127 "2020-08-07T19:40:51Z")
Anyway, I’m done here. So far, there have been few, if any, actual examples of “cancel culture”, as old people and the right wing complain about. If you think it’s a problem and feel you have to white knight racists, homophobes, and sexists, have fun! With Louis C.K. not actually being canceled for what he did, I find it very hard to believe it’s really a thing. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2020, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stand-up-comics-and-cancel-culture/917271/128 "2020-08-07T23:25:56Z")
I think this culture might more often be applied to people with more controversial views invited by their fans to university campuses. Some comedians have complained about it. There are comedians who have been criticized for things said in the past, perceived behaviours or offensive statements. Some seem fairly modest (Ansari), others clearly over the top. But it generally was not their comedy that people complained about. Comedians get away with quite a bit but the good ones don’t usually cross the line whatever that is. Obviously, not all comedians are as good at that or have as wide an appeal. Humour is amazingly subjective. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2020, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stand-up-comics-and-cancel-culture/917271/129 "2020-08-08T07:10:57Z")
I don’t even get it. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2020, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stand-up-comics-and-cancel-culture/917271/130 "2020-08-08T07:12:46Z")
Well, he’s also dead, so there’s that. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Crap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.crap/32/3131_2.png) [@Dr.Crap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Crap)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2020, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stand-up-comics-and-cancel-culture/917271/131 "2020-08-08T08:07:59Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > I always thought of him as an extremely mentally unwell person Chris Rock, who hired Louie as head writer and producer of his HBO show, has said that Louie used to write jokes on the walls of his apartment. ---
**Author:** ![Pantastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3bc359/32.png) [@Pantastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pantastic)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2020, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stand-up-comics-and-cancel-culture/917271/132 "2020-08-09T20:22:35Z")
> [@Kearsen1](#): > > And the folks who actually do lose their livelihoods as a response to being cancelled are told what exactly? I think they’re being told ‘who are you, and do you actually exist’ because no one manages to come up with actual examples. No entertainer is entitled to get every single gig they want, and painting ‘he didn’t get one particular job’ as ‘lost his livelihood’ or ‘crucifixtion’ is just absurd. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2020, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stand-up-comics-and-cancel-culture/917271/133 "2020-08-09T21:18:38Z")
Yeah, remember Rosanne who went on tv to say her remarks have ‘cost her everything!’? She’s still living large on her huge ranch in Hawaii ! Poor thing! ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2020, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stand-up-comics-and-cancel-culture/917271/134 "2020-08-09T22:21:17Z")
Roseanne managed to survive her crotch-grabbing baseball incident just fine. No right-wingers complained about cancel culture then. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2020, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stand-up-comics-and-cancel-culture/917271/135 "2020-08-09T22:25:17Z")
If your livelihood is making jokes which are offensive enough to shock, though not badly enough to completely offend, then you know you’re going to have mishaps along the way. It’s part of the playbook. ---
**Author:** ![Bacon\_Cheeseburger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ebca7d/32.png) [@Bacon\_Cheeseburger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bacon_Cheeseburger)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2020, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stand-up-comics-and-cancel-culture/917271/136 "2020-08-10T00:25:01Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > Yeah, remember Rosanne who went on tv to say her remarks have ‘cost her everything!’? > > She’s still living large on her huge ranch in Hawaii ! > > Poor thing! She’s still rich so who cares. I don’t understand this mindset. She’s been denied her artistic freedom. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2020, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stand-up-comics-and-cancel-culture/917271/137 "2020-08-10T00:27:56Z")
Bullshit. She was no longer funny, just pathetic and probably mentally ill. When her job is to be funny, and she can’t manage it, then that’s her fault, not the audience. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2020, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stand-up-comics-and-cancel-culture/917271/138 "2020-08-10T00:28:08Z")
How do you figure? Just because she’s not getting paid for her racist art, doesn’t mean she can’t write material, do some stand-up, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2020, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stand-up-comics-and-cancel-culture/917271/139 "2020-08-10T00:35:48Z")
> [@Bacon\_Cheeseburger](#): > > > [@elbows](#): > > > > Yeah, remember Rosanne who went on tv to say her remarks have ‘cost her everything!’? > > > > She’s still living large on her huge ranch in Hawaii ! > > > > Poor thing! > > She’s been denied her artistic freedom. This is a bullshit argument. Nobody owes a racist a public platform in the form of a television production that costs millions of dollars. Would you require that no one ever be fired from a job based on saying repugnant, harmful things in the name of artistic freedom? ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2020, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stand-up-comics-and-cancel-culture/917271/140 "2020-08-10T00:40:10Z")
I don’t see him griping about right-wingers boycotting Roseanne after her baseball national anthem crotch-grabbing incident in 2012. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stand-up-comics-and-cancel-culture/917271.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stand-up-comics-and-cancel-culture/917271.md?page=8)