The Power of Words – Influencers and Cancel Culture

Did you hear about the Grand Old Duke of York, he had ten thousand men. He marched them up to the top of the hill and marched them down again. And when they were up, they were up, and when they were down, they were down, and when they were only half way up, they were neither up nor down.

Did you also hear about J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series that wasn’t invited to the 25th anniversary celebrations of Harry Potter.

Both of these have more in common than you think.

J.K. Rowling was ‘cancelled’. That is, called out and ostracised from ‘society’ due to what were regarded as extremist feminist views that were perceived as transphobic. Cancel culture is described in Wikipedia as a phrase contemporary to the late 2010’s and early 2020’s, but it is not necessarily a new phenomenon.

The Grand Old Duke of York is said to be about Prince Frederick, the second son of King George III, from the 18th century. It is rumoured that he was not very good as a military strategist, even though he is also credited with reforming the British army, including introducing greatcoats for soldiers, something which continues to be appreciated by many in the military to this day.

Cancel culture and influencers are not a new phenomenon, words have always mattered. For the influencers out there, how many reaches has the Grand Old Duke of York story had over a period of 200 years? Reputations and relationships can, and have always been, easily damaged by words. Whether they be uninformed, said in haste, or malicious. We should therefore be careful about how we use them.

Although some may feel political correctness can stifle too much, it is important to carefully consider the use of our words, perhaps even more so if some deem them politically incorrect. It may be that you might be called upon to swim against the cultural tide. Your voice may be the one that is needed at that time. But if it is, the best approach to take is to ensure your words are researched, careful and wise.

In the 1950’s a Japanese writer and director Akira Kurosawa produced a brilliant movie called Rashomon. The movie is about the murder of a samurai and the rape of his wife, told from four different perspectives. The term ‘Rashomon effect’ has since entered our culture, meaning the situation in which an event is given contradictory interpretations or descriptions by the individuals involved. It is why it is important to at least try to understand other points of view.

One of the key elements of Cultural Studies is understanding the importance of ‘the gaze’. That is, the different perspectives that can affect our understanding of a situation. It is disappointing that identity politics, which is a further iteration within cultural studies, has not maintained its faithfulness to understanding the importance of the gaze and can sometimes be driven by its ideology over respect for individuals . It is always important to consider 'people'.

The best way to understand another’s perspective is simply to ask them, but make sure you listen.

Back to J.K. Rowling and The Grand Old Duke of York. Have we only been given part of the story? How has this affected our understanding and judgement of the situation? Where have we passed judgement or made statements about others before understanding properly? And a special word of warning to the quick witted and those with power, use your gifts and privileges carefully, your words are likely to have even more impact.

The purpose of a good social media Policy or code of conduct should be to prevent individuals from speaking inappropriately and damaging other individual’s or entity’s reputations. As with all policies, they should be communicated well and not seen merely as a restriction but rather a guide to help shape and direct culture. There should be additional training to help others understand the importance of treating others with respect, to accompany good policies. As mentioned in other posts, and identified in the recent Mercer Marsh People Risk 2022 report, human resources continue to be a major challenge for Australian organisations. We can’t assume everyone is on the same page with values and respect for their fellow workers. We should ALWAYS take the time to think before we speak and help others to do likewise.