Very informative read. I think this book is worth the read and the reader has the ability to learn a lot. This helped me form opinions and considered angles I hadn’t thought of before based on current culture, social media, and societies climate interacting with each other. Thank you to the publisher for sharing with me!

I just realized I never shared my review of this book! I was happy to receive an Advanced Reader Copy and an audio galley of Ernest Owen’s book taking an in-depth look at this Democratic phenomenon we’ve all been hearing a lot about recently. As Social Media Influencers, Bookstagrammers often hear a lot of buzz about Cancel Culture - from authors being called out for transphobic behavior to books being “cancelled” for themes of abuse and misogyny. I have always supported the silencing of toxic voices through the “loudening” of activism and advocacy of social movements in opposition. Owens presents a view of Cancel Culture I had never really previously considered - that historically we’ve been using cancel culture throughout the history of the United States via this type of activism and protest. This tool is not exclusively used by Democrats, either. Republicans use Cancel Culture just as frequently and we have seen this often in calls for boycotts of Starbucks (red cups) and currently Bud Light beer!

I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in Social / political issues, regardless of which side of the aisle you sit. It very thought-provoking.

The conservative right won't like this, but I don't care. Cancel culture is a hot topic. Boomers blame millennials. Conservative millennials blame liberals. Does it matter? Anyone can be canceled. More often than not, there is a reason for it.

Those that have never been oppressed seem to have the most issues with this phenomenon. And no, you can't cry reverse racism. There are many modern examples used in this book, such as the author's Twitter battle with Justin Timberlake. Justin makes off well as a white man. In the media's condemnation of Britney Spears and Janet Jackson, he got zero to no blame until quite recently.

I know I read a lot of books about royalty for someone that doesn't believe in the monarchy, and I refuse to take sides on the Crown against Harry and Meghan, but Meghan was vilified by the British media. Even Americans will take the Crown's side.

Another one I had forgotten about was the Chrissy Teigen debacle. For someone that was so vehemently loud on social media regarding the canceling of others, she didn't take her own so well. Stay in your lane.

Not for everyone as evidenced by the ratings and reviews, but I'm a non-white liberal millennial. I'll be over here eating my avocado toast.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* This was a very interesting read! Found it super fascinating, was going to try to read it chapter by chapter but ended up reading it all in one go! Would buy, would reread.

I am so glad this book exists to give precedence for “cancel culture” - a necessary part of our unavoidable system of capitalism. This book helped me form arguments about why people or brands get cancelled and why it’s a good thing in the end.

Thank you NetGalley and McMillan Audio and St. Martin's Press for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

What is cancel culture? The author attempts to explain what it is and is not. Spoiler alert, the Boston Tea Party was cancel culture in action. Is it when a noted celebrity, be they a musician, author, politician or cartoon writer, goes on a rant about a religious, political or racial belief they have and then ostracized by society? Or, when a wardrobe malfunction takes place like in the case of Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake at the Super Bowl and how cancel culture comes into the picture cancelling one and benefitting the other, and the role of race and gender.

Mr. Owens is a 2023 Philly News Award-Winning journalist and this is his debut book. His writing offers an insightful and fresh perspective on this much talked about and debated subject. You will learn, from the author’s perspective, the definition of cancel culture and how it is used by many, including both political parties, to push their agendas. How it has helped and destroyed causes and people. He puts forth many examples, including personal ones, that support his views and interpretation of cancel culture.

I received both the e-book and audiobook and this review is based on the latter. In my opinion, there are few authors who can pull off self-narrating their own book, Mr. Owens is not one of them. At times the narration is stiff and unimaginative, and at other times it’s as if he was standing at a podium just reading the written word. On those rare occasions when there is inflection and some inkling of emotion, it falls flat. This all took away from the message of the book (only if you are listening to it), which is the definition of cancel culture, the stories around it, and how it can benefit and harm our society.

Putting aside the underwhelming narration, this is a book that will at least provide you with more insight into this hotly debated topic and why it has and continues to be important in our society. Just one caution, don’t get the audiobook, get the e-book or paper copy.

I have been interested in cancel culture for a while now, so I was so excited to see a popular culture and politics based account making a case for cancel culture. The Case for Cancel Culture by Ernest Owens was everything I wanted. And I’m so disappointed in Justin Timberlake all over again.

The Case for Cancel Culture takes us through history to show us how cancel culture has been around since the inception of America and has been used on all sides of the political spectrum. This book serves as justification of the ways in which those in society with less power hold those in power accountable, as well as a warning if those in power (or those who seek to disenfranchise others) weaponize our tools for progress against us. Cancel culture is not the same as bullying.

The voice of this queer Black man steeped in popular culture and historical knowledge gives us a fresh perspective on the topic that centralized the marginalized. He is able to see different perspectives, as well as give credit to iconic Black cultural moments responsible for influencing a movement. With the mix of historical context and relevant pop cultural examples, this is a book that can appeal to a wide range of audiences.

I really enjoyed the audiobook (narration from the author is always the best), but I wish I had a physical copy to write a bunch of notes in the margins and highlight a bunch of passages. This book has become a part of my Activism 101 collection.

I would definitely recommend this book to activists and anyone who is unclear about the important use of cancel culture in our society. The Case for Cancel Culture is such a phenomenal read!

If you ever questioned yourself what exactly is cancel culture, this book is for you.

I thought I knew and understood quite a bit about cancel culture, but my eyes were opened just a little bit more. In Ernest Owen's The Case for Cancel Culture equips readers with language on what exactly is cancel culture and why it fits in our society.

I loved the examples in this book.

This was a really interesting read. Sadly I don't think those who do need to read it ever actually will. That being said I did find it interesting but I bit long. I felt like this really could have been summed up in an article. I felt like the author was just touching on the same basic points over and over just wording it differently or just adding a new example. Overall this was a decent book and I would definitely recommend it.

The Case for Cancel Culture How This Democratic Tool Works to Liberate Us All by Ernest Owens

Listening Time: 6 hours, 16 minutes
Narrator: Ernest Owens
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Release Date: February 21, 2023

Nonfiction, Politics, Multicultural, Freedom of Speech

I hear this terminology all the time, but I was not sure what it actually meant. This book covers the origin of the term from a 1997 Wesley Snipes movie, New Jack Flash to what it means today. I stopped several times while reading this book to read sections out loud to my household.

The author does a wonderful job narrating the book and bringing his voice to the public. He has an important message in this book, and everyone should listen to it. If you are interested in today’s cultural issues, I recommend this book.

4 stars

This was an informative, well-researched, and persuasive text. I didn’t necessarily love or appreciate every point and example the writer mentioned, but that’s probably a good thing; he took a well-rounded approach to the subject, addressed major past and current events, and tied them all together in meaningful ways. All in all, this was an effectively written book, and I’ve been thinking about how I could potentially use an excerpt as a discussion or writing prompt for one of my classes.

It’s not easy to review this book without reviewing the topic at the same time so I want to explicitly stay away from reviewing the topic and focus on the book. The topic on its own is fascinating, but how Owens dives into this topic is really where this book shines.

It’s very compelling, very well-written, and the deep dive into history adds so much rich context I felt like I was listening to the most fascinating TedTalk. Owen examines the topic with lots of respect and tells it as it is but in a way that feels fresh and not overtly political.

Unfortunately, because the topic is so polarizing, my guess is that this book is just preaching to an already adoring choir. My hope is that those who think they might hate the topic could find their way to reading it because it really is an insightful analysis and distillation of what Cancel Culture is.

Lastly, I’d like to thank NetGalley for providing me with this audiobook arc for my fair and honest review.

The book's argument does not live up to its provocative title. Points are made, but too much time is spent on taxonomy, i.e. very specific definitions of what is/isn't cancel culture. The arguments at times don't add up--it's stated at one point that cancel culture is progressive, and in other sections it's acknowledged that conservatives use it too. Struck me as a solid essay/article's worth of an idea that was padded out to a book.

I really enjoyed the historical aspect of this book. Learning about how “cancel culture” has existed in different forms before social media came into existence was fascinating. I also appreciated the multitude of stories and examples the author used to make his case. There were a few moments when I wished it stayed a bit more unbiased, even though I fully agree with his points, only because I feel like it would help make a better argument to those he’s trying to convince by building a “case” in the first place.

“Cancel culture’s core is accountability”

This audiobook is amazing, I learned so much! I always love when the author narrates their work and Ernest Owens is both a great writer and narrator.

“Chances are, you’ve heard this a lot lately. What might’ve once been a niche digital term has been legitimized in the discourse of presidents, politicians, and lawmakers.

But what really is cancel culture? Blacklisting celebrities? Censorship? Until now, this has been the general consensus in the media. But it’s time to raise the bar on our definition— to think of cancel culture less as scandal or suppression, and more as an essential means of democratic expression and accountability.”

Some books are riveting. Some make you cry. Some make you fall in love, just a little.

This book is none of those things, but you should probably read it anyway.

The books looks at the differences between Cancelling, Bullying, and just plain personal preferences. It talks about what it is, what it is not, and how the term has been misunderstood and coopted by those wanting to silence those on the periphery.

I loved how this work detailed the longevity and rich history of Cancel Culture, chronicling notable instances throughout time and geography. Boston Tea Party? Salt March? Montgomery Bus Boycott? All cases of how Cancel Culture was successfully used to improve the lives of the marginalized.

My favourite part was the discussion of the nuances involving race/gender/sexuality/class. The Janet Jackson/Justin Timberlake Nip Slip is the perfect example. She, woman of colour, bore the brunt of the scandal, while he, a white male, got to go on and Bring Sexy Back.

The main issue I see with this book involves getting it into the hands of those that need it. Those who misunderstand (willfully, in some cases) Cancel Culture won’t read it (though they seem to have no problem leaving reviews – weird) and those needing clarification will likely be put off by the author’s use of Conservative and Progressive labels.

8/10

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for this educational ARC.

I liked this! Really interesting discussion of cancel culture and its history as well as notable instances of the impact its had. It reads like a really long thinkpiece. It can definitely be repetitive but I think that's to be expected the nature of the subject. Though the author is obviously progressive, I really liked the examination of how both conservative and progressive political parties use "cancel culture" for their benefit.

I wouldn't say much of this was particularly groundbreaking or new information/realizations for me but it was nice to read about all of it in an organized, well-thought out narrative. I tend to struggle with organizing my thoughts and feelings about big issues and concepts sometimes so this made it easier to digest and understand. I think I probably enjoyed it more having been familiar with many of the given examples and situations than I would have otherwise, because it gave a frame of reference to everything in that I remembered watching it happen in real time. I'm also fully in support of deplatforming problematic people so overall it was an insightful and satisfying read.

The unfortunate truth is, the people who need to read a book like this or would benefit from a bit of critical thinking are not going to read this book. Or, they are going to read it and it's going to go right over their head and they're going to keep doing exactly what they're doing, and continuing to complain about cancel culture. To put it simply: you probably already know if you're going to like this book based on how you react to the title.

Thanks Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the arc!

This is a book that could have been an article. A lengthy article, but still. The premise that Cancel Culture is baked into the American psyche is sound - Boston Tea Party, anyone? - and I liked hearing about the many ways people have used boycotts (the OG cancel culture) to make changes, but after a while, it became repetitive.

It is a very partisan look at Cancel Culture, so the book probably won't get a lot of traction from "both sides," and I'm sure the author will be preaching to the choir. It was interesting that he brought up the different types of things/people the conservatives and the progressives try to cancel, because most of us do it in one way or another.

Cancel Culture has become such a buzz word, when really it's about actively and vocally not supporting something or someone. Whether it's Apartheid in South Africa or the "bathroom ban" in North Carolina, it wasn't until there was a withholding of revenue that the powers in charge made changes. And now with social media and the internet, it's easier than ever to let people know what's going on and how they can make a difference.

This audiobook is narrated by the author and he does an excellent job. Since this is non-fiction, there's no need for different voices or a lot of emotion. His voice is clear and pleasant.

My thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the Advance Listeners Copy in exchange for an honest review.

Cancel Culture is an important piece of activism in the modern world. Deemed toxic by those who claim not to use it, Cancel Culture is used by both political parties and nearly every culture. What I liked about this book was the timeline laid out of how Cancel Culture came to be. What was a miss for me was the rambling that often seemed to take over. I’m not sure this should have been a full sized book and probably would have benefitted from being a novella or article series. Still I appreciated the thought the author put into the writing.

I appreciated the look at history, and how cancel culture has always happened. The age of social media has changed how it takes place, and given a voice to the marginalized. It’s a good thing! Cancel culture is simply accountability. When someone is not willing to have the hard talks, admit wrongs, and makes changes, then cancel culture is a good step. It’s never the first step.

I really appreciated the look into how progressives and conservatives use cancel culture. It’s not the same! Progressives will cancel another progressive, if their words or actions demand it. Whereas conservatives will band together and protect its own based on their litmus test.

Progressives cancel to revolutionize. Conservatives cancel to restore, to bring the status quo of conservatism back. A time where they had power.

These two quotes sun it up well:

“Their imagined powerlessness and their need for a strong authoritarian leader to protect them is at the root of their racial and social animist. Their persecution complex is a heavy mix of their fear of socialists, Muslims, independent women, lgbt people, and immigration. Their feelings if fragility, despite positions of power, makes them vote for people like Donald Trump.”

“To make America’ great again, is to return it to the culture and thinking that gave conservatives the confidence and power they grew accustomed to.”

I loved how he brings up many times that those who push back against cancel culture are usually those in a position to be cancelled. Spot on.

All in all, very informative book, and I really appreciated it!