Gina Carano, Cancel Culture and Accountability
Alberto E. Rodriguez/ Getty Images
Note: This article was published in our APR 2021 Issue on April 30, 2021.
In mid-February, Gina Carano was fired from the Mandalorian for sharing a highly offensive anti-Semitic post through her Instagram story. Comparing being a conservative in 2021 to being a Jew in the Holocaust, the post exploded on Twitter almost immediately, resulting in Carano’s termination. Since then, the post has been deleted by Carano. But as you know, nothing is ever permanently erased from the clutches of Social Media. Her firing from the Mandalorian reignited the ever-controversial “cancel culture” debate on Twitter and other social media sites. Drawing their lines in the sand, two sparring sides of the same “cancel culture” coin utilized Carano’s firing as a vehicle to a much larger conversation; what is “cancel culture,” and does it actually exist?
What is Cancel Culture?
“Cancel culture” has been officially defined by Merriam-Webster.com as “the practice or tendency of engaging in mass canceling as a way of expressing disapproval and exerting social pressure.” As we have come to understand it, the term came to prominence through the depths of Black Twitter as social movements such as #BlackLivesMatter and #MeToo began picking up steam. At first, the term was used to describe the action of holding public figures accountable for the wrongs they brought upon others, giving a voice to the voiceless. Using the powers of social media, users can gather a gaggle of like-minded individuals and hold the “canceled” person on trial in the court of public opinion. This would usually result in their employer, in Carano’s case LucasFilm/Disney, to then take disciplinary action against their employee, thus completing the “cancel.”
This form of accountability has been applied to moments like Shamiek Moore, of Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse fame, being canceled for making questionable comments about Rosa Parks (and Police Brutality), Country singer Morgan Wallen being berated and canceled after he was caught on camera saying the N-Word, and fictional character Pepe Le Pew being written and removed out of Space Jam 2 for being seen as “adding to rape culture” according to New York Times columnist Charles M. Blow. It’s everywhere. But what if I told you that “cancel culture,” as many have come to understand it, isn’t what many think it is? What if I told you that most of the instances involving the ever-pervasive “cancel culture” are merely someone or something being held accountable for their less-than-acceptable behavior? What if I told you that “canceling” someone, in most cases, doesn’t even work?
Gina Carano
Actress and former MMA fighter Gina Carano.
This leads directly back to the case of Gina Carano getting “canceled.” At the time, Gina Carano played Rebel Alliance soldier Cara Dune on the critically acclaimed Mandalorian. Her character was a fan favorite of the series as her role brought yet another strong and confident woman to the Star Wars franchise, but the warm embrace from the public wouldn’t last long.
Around September 2020, she conjured up some controversy on Twitter. She liked a Youtuber’s tweet that claimed that people “with pronouns in their bios” were upset for making a video defending Carano. Shortly after, Carano’s mentions were bombarded by people trying to explain to her the significance of putting pronouns in their bios and comparing the situation to that of her castmate Pedro Pascal, who has pronouns in his bio. Gina responded to these people by blocking them. Furthermore, she decided to make “light of the hate” by finally putting “pronouns” in her Twitter name, changing it to the facetious “Gina Carano boop/bop/beep.” During this same period, it was discovered that Carano had also liked several sardonic tweets about Black Lives Matter protests adding fuel to the social fire. Both incidents were seen as an apparent mocking and belittling of two marginalized groups of people, which resulted in the infamous #FireGinaCarano hashtag.
In November of that same year, she would then fan the flames of Trump’s big lie that the election was stolen as she sent a tweet that leaned into voting fraud theories calling for “[putting] laws in place that protect us against voter fraud.” A couple of days later, Carano would tweet yet another conspiracy theory-charged meme aimed at the Democratic Government Leaders. Her tweet reads, “Democratic Government Leaders now recommend we all wear blindfolds along with masks so we can’t see what’s really going on.”
The final nail in the coffin of Carano’s Star Wars role came with her most recent social media post, this time on Instagram. Around mid-February 2021, Carano shared an anti-semitic post from the Warrior Priest Gym Podcast that consisted of a disturbing image from the Holocaust with text draped across the top comparing being a Jew in the Holocaust to being a conservative in America. It would be later revealed in a sit-down interview with Ben Shapiro that she made this post because “she had long been inspired by the gentle spirit of the Jewish people going through that time” and that those words were about “[bringing] people together.” The #FireGinaCarano hashtag returned, and Carano was relieved of her Star Wars obligations. This was immediately followed up with the hashtag war pitting #IStandWithGina against #FireGinaCarano.
Accountability
The arguments against Gina, calling for her termination, were founded upon the basis that Carano needed to be held accountable for her hateful/hurtful actions. Her views on transgender people, dismissing BLM, and feeding into Trump's Big Lie could lead to rather serious repercussions, especially when our nation's cultural divide is at an all-time high; they needed to be addressed. The anti-Semitic rhetoric alone is enough for someone to be held accountable for their actions. This type of irresponsible analogizing, if left unchecked, could mutate in the careless echo chambers that riddle the internet allowing for more anti-Semitic language—allowing for more language that dismisses the plights of many marginalized groups that are so often the targets of this insensitive, hateful speech. Accountability, in this particular incident, is needed to make sure the atrocities and inhumane tragedies of the Holocaust are not lessened to a weapon in a modern culture war. But this accountability is difficult when the very action of accountability is purposefully muddied with the stain of “cancel culture.”
Carano being “canceled” is the perfect example of the now complicated space we’re in with the idea of “cancel culture”. A faction of conservatives and liberals has altered the meaning of “canceling” someone, hijacking the definition to push the narrative that they’re “culture” is under attack. This misconstrued belief bum-rushed mainstream media, replacing and rewriting the intentions of “cancel culture” from the jump. What Gina Carano is experiencing is accountability, not “cancel culture.”
Because most of these famous and influential figures have never been challenged or aren’t used to it when they are met with criticism, they view it as insignificant, especially when coming from everyday folks on Twitter. They do this by transforming the meaning and purpose of “cancel culture” through fear-mongering techniques, equating holding someone accountable for their actions to violate their 1st Amendment rights.
“But what about the countless Black and Brown people blackballed for how they look, dress, talk, or won’t do, is it considered “cancel culture” when these people were fired or persecuted?”
But that’s not the case now, is it? People who have been canceled, like Carano and Waller, were facing the consequences of their hurtful actions. Period. And ironically, they would end up benefiting from “cancel culture”. While Carano was relieved of her Star Wars duties and dropped from her agency UTA, she was immediately picked up by another agency. In under 24 hours, Carano had landed another employment opportunity with the conservative website The Daily Wire. “The Daily Wire is helping make one of my dreams — to develop and produce my own film – come true. I cried out, and my prayer was answered. I am sending out a direct message of hope to everyone living in fear of cancellation by the totalitarian mob” Gina Carano wrote in an Instagram post “I have only just begun using my voice which is now freer than ever before, and I hope it inspires others to do the same. They can’t cancel us if we don’t let them.” That statement was followed up by a cosign from known conservative pundit Ben Shapiro who tweeted in support of her new business ventures.
So, how can “cancel culture”, in the way we understand it, exist when even after the figure is “canceled” they are rewarded for sticking to their bigoted, outdated, and offensive rhetoric? This faction of people will have you believe that “cancel culture” is real and that they’re coming for your voice next when in reality, this is simply someone finally facing the consequences for their actions. This applies to any figure that has ever been safeguarded by their privilege, granting them immunity from public scrutiny. Creating a stigma around “cancel culture” can nullify the criticisms and accusations aimed at them. In turn, they are disempowering the marginalized folks who have gained a voice via social media, reducing them to being nothing more than an angry mob.
But what about the countless Black and Brown people blackballed for how they look, dress, talk, or won’t do, is it considered “cancel culture” when these people were fired or persecuted? What about Transgender people? LGBTQIA people? Is it “cancel culture” when a black athlete is kicked out of the NFL for protesting police brutality across the nation? No, because we know exactly what that is, and this bigotry, discriminatory behavior has existed for years— way before “cancel culture” had even entered the zeitgeist. Kaepernick lost his dream job for kneeling for what’s right. Carano gained her dream job for standing in what’s wrong. Yet we only associate Carano with being “cancelled”, Kaepernick blackballed. For a group of people to be so anti-cancel culture—vehemently dismissing it—they seem to benefit from it the most.
The Final Word
The term “cancel culture” -and the definition for what it has evolved into- has caused the devolution of the term’s original intent; accountability. Public perception of what “cancel culture” is or isn’t has seemed to further divide the masses in America’s culture wars, making it more challenging to hold these public figures accountable for their actions, more difficult for the voiceless to be heard.
As the waters of accountability and “cancel culture” continue to be muddied by sheer social manipulation, one must ask if these two budding views of what “cancel culture” is will ever be truly resolved. Accountability mistook as “cancel culture” against “cancel culture” seen as censorship is the battle that ensues on social media every time someone is called out for their vile behavior. Opponents against “cancel culture” would argue that “isn’t an apology enough?” and the proponents of accountability would answer, “no, you have to change as well.” See, it isn’t as simple as an apology, atonement, and forgiveness as one may think, especially when the disgusting behavior they’re being called out for is often systemic. “Cancel culture” is complicated, layered, and nuanced; hell, it won’t be solved in one night, let alone one article. But understanding what “cancel culture” is and what it isn’t is a more than good starting point that can better comprehend the term.
So, let’s start; “cancel culture” is accountability, “cancel culture” isn’t what many think it is.