Quick Thought: You can’t discuss mass media with the impact on celebrities and regular people. One of them is the accountability of cancel culture. In recent months, there has been a push back of sorts (though some have been pushing back on this for some time.
Over the summer Harper’s Magazine released a letter (see link below) and there were various responses to what was written.
Read the letter, read a few others I’ve link to so you can get an idea on what this is all about. Whether I agree or disagree with the letter or the responses is irrelevant—I want you to engage with their ideas.
Articles/Sources:
Read these below and find ONE or MORE that either refutes their thought process or agrees with it further. Also look at what people said about the letter—it’s very interesting.
Read what Andrew Sullivan* and Bari Weiss wrote, and Vox’s response.
https://harpers.org/a-letter-on-justice-and-open-debate/
https://www.persuasion.community/p/about-persuasion-redefining-liberalism
https://www.bariweiss.com/resignation-letter
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/07/andrew-sullivan-see-you-next-friday.html
https://www.sfgate.com/sf-culture/article/Drew-Magary-cancel-culture-15495803.php
Prompts:
What did you think of the letter? Do you agree? Disagree? What are their points – good/bad/ugly?
What about people’s reactions to the letter? Can you see their point of view?
Reading Bari Weiss & Andrew Sullivan’s letter – where do you come out on this? Consider looking up their history and background. You MAY be surprised.
Regarding cancel culture – what are your thoughts on it? Maybe use an example? Why should someone be canceled? Why should someone NOT be canceled?
I don’t want you to follow everything above – I’d love to see you explore this on your own.
Word Count: 1000 words
