It appears that the “cancel culture” has struck again, this time targeting Hollywood actress Jennifer Aniston.
The Friends star received harsh backlash after making comments about Hollywood that many found to be “out of touch” due to her privilege of being rich and white.
We have to ask ourselves: is cancel culture getting out of hand?
Recently, Jennifer Aniston sat down with actor Sebastian Stan for Variety’s Actors on Actors series.
During their conversation, the two discussed the role Stan was playing in the miniseries Pam & Tommy and the infamous sex tape Lee made with Pamela Anderson.
It was during this conversation that Aniston shared her opinion on fame these days versus back then.
She lamented that it seems like people are becoming famous for doing nothing, citing examples such as Paris Hilton and Monica Lewinsky.
She also confessed that she feels lucky to have tasted a bit of Hollywood before it became what it is today – one where streaming services allow anyone with an internet connection to become famous from TikTok or Instagram, thus diluting actors’ work opportunities even more so than before.
After these comments came out, public outrage against Aniston began almost immediately as some pointed out that her own parents were both actors who had achieved fame in their own right (John Aniston and Nancy Dow).
Some accused her rise to fame as being based upon white privilege rather than any sort of skill she might possess herself; others claimed they missed when only those who were privileged could become famous in Hollywood – basically slamming those who use social media platforms like YouTube or Instagram to showcase their dream when their communities were probably underfunded and overlooked otherwise.
What started off as a way for people online to hold celebrities accountable for inappropriate behavior or language has now turned into something much bigger called “cancel culture” which is essentially mob justice without due process or accountability.
Professor Evan Gerstmann explains how it “is harder to understand why the truly powerful…are allowing this? Perhaps they fear becoming targets themselves”.
This raises questions about whether canceling someone should be allowed at all if there isn’t any evidence or proof presented first.
While we may not agree with what everyone says all the time, freedom of speech should still be respected regardless – especially if no harm has been done by it.
