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Cancel culture IRL

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lionking said:
Cancelling an author because she created an obnoxious, racist character moreover. Good article and the critic who wrote that review should be sacked.
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This attitude reminds me of the kind of people who "correct" the grammar in library books...when in quotes for a character who would be expected to use bad grammar!
 
I think a case could be made that a critic deserves the same freedom of speech an artist does in interpretation and perspective and attempting to silence criticism with termination of employment isn’t that dissimilar.

But I also think people have a right to be irrationally critical and overly harsh and share their criticism with anyone they choose. Seems like that’s often the crux of the issue on cancel culture.
 
dirtywick said:
I think a case could be made that a critic deserves the same freedom of speech an artist does in interpretation and perspective and attempting to silence criticism with termination of employment isn’t that dissimilar.

But I also think people have a right to be irrationally critical and overly harsh and share their criticism with anyone they choose. Seems like that’s often the crux of the issue on cancel culture.
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The critic blatantly lied. She quoted a passage where a character spoke disparagingly about Asian tourists in Venice without then disclosing that other characters in the book took him to task.

What do you think the consequences should be of lying in a major paper which is likely to harm the author?
 
lionking said:
The critic blatantly lied. She quoted a passage where a character spoke disparagingly about Asian tourists in Venice without then disclosing that other characters in the book took him to task.

What do you think the consequences should be of lying in a major paper which is likely to harm the author?
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I'm not defending her actions.

I think she should be allowed to publish her piece, readers and the author she is criticizing should be allowed to react, and her employer should be allowed to take that all into consideration and determine an appropriate course of action.

My position has always been cancellation can be an appropriate and effective thing. I haven't been making blanket statements that it's good or bad, and I haven't been saying this one or that one doesn't count because it's justified either.
 
To elaborate, I don’t find losing your job for publishing a review that’s misleading, uncharitable, or a mischaracterization too dissimilar for losing it for having unpopular social media opinions, inappropriate behavior, some kind of moral transgression, association with certain groups, or any other number of actions that have been examples in this thread.
 
dirtywick said:
To elaborate, I don’t find losing your job for publishing a review that’s misleading, uncharitable, or a mischaracterization too dissimilar for losing it for having unpopular social media opinions, inappropriate behavior, some kind of moral transgression, association with certain groups, or any other number of actions that have been examples in this thread.
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Fair enough, but I disagree. I read the reviews in that paper every week. I often buy a book based on those reviews. I trust them. I did not buy that book based on the review.

You have to be accountable for your actions. The misleading review cost the author without doubt.

Book reviews is a side job for Jessica Tu. She’s an author who seems to be doing okay (I haven’t read her books). Being sacked as a critic for misleading reviews is not a huge cost in my view.
 
lionking said:
The critic blatantly lied. She quoted a passage where a character spoke disparagingly about Asian tourists in Venice without then disclosing that other characters in the book took him to task.

What do you think the consequences should be of lying in a major paper which is likely to harm the author?
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You mean "He", right?

Sally Rooney was the author of the book that was misleadingly quoted by the critic, Nick Cohen

Never mind, I must have skipped over a paragraph when I was reading it
 
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dirtywick said:
To elaborate, I don’t find losing your job for publishing a review that’s misleading, uncharitable, or a mischaracterization too dissimilar for losing it for having unpopular social media opinions, inappropriate behavior, some kind of moral transgression, association with certain groups, or any other number of actions that have been examples in this thread.
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If you happen to believe people shouldn't be encouraged to think of themselves as brand ambassadors for their employer 24/7, there is an obvious difference between publishing your own opinions on social media and publishing professionally under a masthead.
 
d4m10n said:
If you happen to believe people shouldn't be encouraged to think of themselves as brand ambassadors for their employer 24/7, there is an obvious difference between publishing your own opinions on social media and publishing professionally under a masthead.
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There is. I think there’s a difference between some clown on a forum, a small time author in a small paper, and a celebrity with millions of followers using social media as a PR wing. People can determine to what extent that applies to what situation for themselves.
 
d4m10n said:
If you happen to believe people shouldn't be encouraged to think of themselves as brand ambassadors for their employer 24/7, there is an obvious difference between publishing your own opinions on social media and publishing professionally under a masthead.
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"Okay but can I please just be a little bit racist? What's the minimum amount of racist I'm allowed to be? Please I need to know."
 
JoeMorgue said:
"Okay but can I please just be a little bit racist? What's the minimum amount of racist I'm allowed to be? Please I need to know."
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Whom are you quoting? Doesn't sound like something Sally Rooney would say.
 
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dirtywick said:
I think a case could be made that a critic deserves the same freedom of speech an artist does in interpretation and perspective and attempting to silence criticism with termination of employment isn’t that dissimilar.
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I find it astonishing you don't see the difference between freedom of speech and a job where your specific duty is not to lie, then lying.

dirtywick said:
But I also think people have a right to be irrationally critical and overly harsh and share their criticism with anyone they choose. Seems like that’s often the crux of the issue on cancel culture.
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Even when their job is to not do that. Nice work.

dirtywick said:
I'm not defending her actions.
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Ah, just playing Devil's Advocate.

Well done - the situation really needed one of those.

dirtywick said:
I think she should be allowed to publish her piece, readers and the author she is criticizing should be allowed to react, and her employer should be allowed to take that all into consideration and determine an appropriate course of action.
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She did, they did, she got fired.

You appear to be dangerously close to doing what you're claiming you're not doing.
 
The Atheist said:
I find it astonishing you don't see the difference between freedom of speech and a job where your specific duty is not to lie, then lying.



Even when their job is to not do that. Nice work.



Ah, just playing Devil's Advocate.

Well done - the situation really needed one of those.



She did, they did, she got fired.

You appear to be dangerously close to doing what you're claiming you're not doing.
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Can you confirm this? I haven’t found it reported anywhere.
 
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