All articles tagged with #cancel culture
Comedian Graham Linehan pressed Hugh Laurie to state his view on transgender athletes in women's sports; Laurie clarified that men should not compete against women and expressed support for WNBA guard Sophie Cunningham, a stance that went viral and sparked a broader debate over cancel culture and public courage in Hollywood.
Hugh Laurie publicly supports WNBA guard Sophie Cunningham in the debate over transgender athletes competing in women’s sports, following a viral exchange with comedian Graham Linehan that escalated into a broader discussion about fairness and cancel culture.
Oakland activists, led by Jesse Rosemoore, launched a 'Cancel Piedmont' campaign aimed at Piedmont—the small, wealthy enclave surrounded by Oakland—to spotlight racial and economic disparities in the Bay Area; supporters have handed out stickers and sold T-shirts, arguing Piedmont’s isolation and housing barriers reflect broader inequities, while Piedmont officials push back, noting ongoing diversity work, and analysts say annexation is unlikely but the fight highlights enduring debates over housing, race and inclusion.
Former Miss North Carolina USA Brittany Boltinhouse says she will challenge her dethronement in court, calling the pageant’s decision a wrongful act and a display of ‘cancel culture’ after racist posts resurfaced; her lawyers argue due process wasn’t followed, while the crown passed to first runner-up Myla Hadley.
Tim Robbins says an ayahuasca ceremony on The Joe Rogan Experience helped him release years of anger about cancel culture and political polarization, describing an intense encounter with his late mother and a feeling of being 'completely lighter.' He contrasted cancel culture with Soviet-era tactics discussed after hearing Eastern European audiences, and said the journey reframed his view of today’s culture wars.
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey opened to a staggering $264 million worldwide, signaling that cancel-culture campaigns haven’t derailed the film’s momentum and that Nolan remains a magnet for audiences. The piece argues online backlash often doesn’t reflect real ticket-buying behavior, contrasting this with past campaigns around figures like Dave Chappelle, J.K. Rowling, and Nike that failed to curb audience interest. Overall, Nolan’s star power and brand resilience are framed as overpowering the culture-war noise, at least for now.
Ricky Gervais reiterates his defense of free speech on BBC Radio 2, saying he won’t alter his material to avoid offending anyone and that backlash only makes his jokes funnier; he stresses he never sets out to offend, noting outrage tends to come from his Netflix reach rather than live audiences.
Kotaku surveys Andy Serkis’s recent public missteps—from defending an all-white The Hunt for Gollum cast to framing ‘cancel culture’ as overblown, while embracing AI as a creative tool—and links these remarks to his projects like The Hunt for Gollum and Animal Farm, suggesting a shift in his stance on representation and technology in filmmaking.
Barstool founder Dave Portnoy says free speech should come with accountability: you can be criticized for offensive remarks, but there’s a line between holding someone to account and dredging up years of dirt to smear them. He argues that politicians are a different case and even floated a potential run against NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani while promoting his new book Cancel Me If You Can.
Louis C.K. re-enters mainstream comedy with the Netflix special Ridiculous, his first major stand-up since #MeToo; the piece argues he hasn’t truly changed—delivering sharp, provocative humor with a gleeful amoral edge and little acknowledgement of past misconduct—while noting his profitability and ongoing touring make a full redemption unlikely, even as some fans and critics debate what accountability should look like.
François Arnaud’s earlier quip about Hudson Williams has resurfaced as new controversy erupts over throwback high school images; friends say the markings don’t reflect Williams’ beliefs, while fans debate cancel culture and the Heated Rivalry dynamics.
Megyn Kelly weighed in on Donald Trump’s calls to fire Jimmy Kimmel, arguing that while the comedian’s joke wasn’t especially funny, free speech should be defended and that ABC/Disney’s cancel-culture standards shouldn’t silence political voices; she criticized Trump for pressuring a private employer over speech and noted that public reaction to the feud is mixed.
An opinion piece arguing that canceling Jimmy Kimmel over a pre-incident joke would miss the bigger issue: a 2020s culture in which violent rhetoric and demonization come from both sides and are amplified by media and entertainment. It cautions against censorship as Orwellian, urges more responsible speech and personal accountability, and suggests unity and calmer discourse as the path forward.
Jonah Hill’s Outcome frames a world‑famous actor’s fear of cancellation, with Keanu Reeves as Reef Hawk and Hill directing, co‑writing, and co‑starring as the crisis attorney guiding him through an apology tour. The piece traces Hill’s career arc from early comedic stardom to directing Mid90s, his Netflix doc Stutz, and ongoing real‑life controversies, suggesting the film’s ensemble—Diaz, Bomer, Susan Lucci, Scorsese—delivers sharp performances in an 83‑minute ride. Yet while Outcome probes fame and public judgment, its central argument about cancel culture feels muddled amid Hill’s own public narrative.
A Netflix shark-disaster Thrash, an Apple TV drama Outcome about Hollywood cancel culture, Halle Bailey rom‑com You, Me & Tuscany, and Neon’s Exit 8 are reviewed together: Thrash is hamstrung by tonal indecision and cheap effects despite a high-concept setup; Outcome flirts with insightful critique of fame but stays surface-level and self-involved; You, Me & Tuscany aims for buoyant rom‑com energy but is visually dull and overreliant on clichés; Exit 8 builds a calm, game-like atmosphere through repetitious hallways, yet its pacing becomes tedious. The piece paints a mixed picture of ambitious premises that struggle to cohere into satisfying entertainment.