Brooke Haus - cancel culture
Opinion, Student/PR

How Impactful Is ‘Cancel Culture’?

You might’ve heard (and by that I mean: if you haven’t heard, have you been living under a rock?) about now-infamous YouTuber Brooke Haus over the past couple of days. Haus gained her visibility through hatred, after she accidentally uploaded an edited video to her YouTube channel which revealed her abusing her dog.

The video has since been deleted, but not before nifty social media users got their hands on it and shared it to the world.

The video has since been sent far and wide, it first gained traction on social media and was met with zealous hate and uproar ever since. Next, it went to the press.

Though the YouTuber is based state-side, her actions have been aired all over the world. 

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The message is strong and the message is clear: Brooke Haus is ‘cancelled’.

…But wait, what does that actually mean?

‘Cancel Culture’ – How To End Your Career In 3 Seconds

‘Cancel culture’ is a word coined to describe the reaction of the many when somebody of social influence does something shameful. In short, there are calls for that person to be ‘cancelled’. Which basically means that person should not be given any attention anymore, their YouTube channels should be revoked etc. Basically, they shouldn’t be allowed a platform nor a second chance.

Cancel culture: a movement inspired by a person of social influence doing something morally questionable which provokes social media users to ‘cancel’ that individual (i.e. their career).

This isn’t a new thing, a while ago there were demands that Logan Paul be ‘cancelled’ after he notoriously ‘vlogged’ from a well-known suicide forrest in Japan. And who can forget when now-forgotten-about artist Hetty Douglas slammed a couple of working-class guys on her social media, and was called out to be ‘cancelled’ too?

In short, social media’s become a powerful thing. And if you’re a person who’s somewhat well-known, and you do something disagreeable, people have the potential to shut down your whole career.

Typing it out sounds ridiculous. If I tried to explain to my Nan, for example, how an app on my phone holds the power to destroy an individual’s reputation – she’d be lost. And it is a funny old affair. But in the same breath, this also demonstrates how robust social media has become, in particular, Twitter. It has the ability to build you a following and a reputation quickly, but also destroy it in seconds. 

I think the main takeaway here is: basically, if you’re some form of ‘social influencer’ or brand: don’t get ‘cancelled’.

How Much Impact Does It Have?

Well, what happened to Brooke Haus since the video speaks for the impact of ‘cancel culture’ entirely I believe. Though the 20-year old’s social channels and YouTube channel still remain intact, she’s since been placed under investigation by the LAPD (Los Angeles Police Department) regarding the issue.

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This, of course, is despite her posting an apology on social media. Which is a common pattern for YouTubers who make mistakes.

  1. Do something questionable
  2. Apologise for it on Twitter or on a video
  3. Pretend that nothing happened

Brooke Haus has also been called out by brands on social media, including PETA. Who have a widespread audience and who are very influential amongst them.

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Not only this, but the YouTuber has since been flooded with online abuse after the video aired. With many branding her apology as fake and naming her an abuser, arguing her dog should be rehomed.

So in short, one unfortunately-unedited video has since landed this sorry YouTuber:

  • A police investigation
  • Worldwide condemning from a number of brands
  • A mass of online hate

Her online career is pretty much over.

What do you think of cancel culture? Pretty impactful? Or do you think that social influencers can bounce back from online hate, I guess like Logan Paul did? Let me know your thoughts by tweeting me, or by commenting below.




3 thoughts on “How Impactful Is ‘Cancel Culture’?”

  1. Cancel culture is pretty crazy. I feel like it has a hugeee impact, but I also think it depends on a few factors. How old they are and what they did. I feel like so many of these online influencers are so young, and have grown up in this age where they think they can do almost anything they want with little to no repercussions. They’re human, and while some of them are actual shitty people, some of them make mistakes, because they genuinely don’t know. I think depending on the person, some of them shouldn’t be canceled (they should still be confronted about the issue), but they should be allowed to have a second chance. People are allowed to grow and change.
    I think Brooke made a hugeee mistake, and to be honest, has every right to be canceled. xxx

    Melina |


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