[Spivak]

I think there’s a simpler explanation that wasn’t really talked about in the article — “cancelling” is just voting with your wallet and right of voluntary association and pressuring those in power to do so as well. This kind of behavior is born out of the natural frustration of people not only not facing consequences but at times becoming more successful as a result of the harm they cause. It’s filling a gap in our legal system so if you want to see cancel culture end it will be because it moves to the courts with things like a national hate speech law and sexual assault and domestic violence laws that don’t heavily favor the abuser.

You’re free to not like or want these things to be codified in law but it’s still nonetheless the formula of how to turn mob rule into a dialog. Nobody is showing up to the house of a murderer with pitchforks anymore because we have a functioning court system. Factory owners aren’t having their door broken down by angry workers because we have labor laws.