‘Cancel culture’ is a shorthand metaphor for a retributive method of public shaming and boycotting, often for relatively minor mistakes or unfashionable opinions, which is typically driven by social media. Those who support the tactics of cancel culture have been known to deny its existence, claiming instead that they are merely holding the powerful to account. However, the key difference is that when it comes to cancel culture, targets are denounced rather than criticised, and the consequences are hugely disproportionate to the perceived slight.
