My OPED was a response to an article called “Call-Out Culture Is a Toxic Garbage Dumpster Fire of Trash" which explores societies views on people being brutally honest on social media and if they should be ostracized for it. I took three notable public figures who have a history of being “brutally honest” via social media and discussed different things they posted that caused major backlash. In terms of updating my previous OPED, I fixed the errors regarding the format of the text.
OPED: RESPONSE TO "Call-Out Culture Is a Toxic Garbage Dumpster Fire of Trash"
I believe that “Call-Out Culture” article opens doors to an even larger issue with society today called “hypocrisy”. The writer of the article goes into extensive detail about not being able to really express your raw emotion on social media without fear of being ostracized or torn down by the general public.
In some cases posting your raw emotion on social media can lead to termination at your employment, for example WTAE news anchor, Wendy Bell. She worked for the network for well over twenty five years and after writing a Facebook post about her viewpoint on a shooting that took place in Wilkinsburg, PA, she was terminated (Washington Post). The post was viewed by the public as “insensitive” and “racist”. Personally, I felt the post was offensive but at the end of the day, those were HER opinions that she posted on HER social media so did she deserve to pay the repercussions of her words in a country that prides itself on “freedom of speech”?
I feel like if her Facebook post would’ve been on her personal account it would’ve been an easier pill for the network to swallow because at the end of the day how she chooses to behave in her everyday life should not intervene with her work life but because it was written on her Facebook associated with work, it was a bad look on the stations behalf. But let’s play devil’s advocate and say that she did not post is on her WTAE social media but on her personal account. Should she have still been punished? I don’t think she should’ve in that case because I think we have to stop policing other people’s social media. I would rather the ugliest truth, than a beautiful lie and if you are an “insensitive” or “racist” person I would rather know that upfront via your social media and simply unfollow than be caught up in a facade you’re playing online.
I think it’s extremely lame that people want everyone be all “cookie cutter” but at the same time scream that “nobody is real anymore. Umm.. HELLO! They are scared that being real will get them fired or thrown away by society. Look at popular female rapper Azealia Banks. Azealia is an amazingly talented artist, she can sing, she can rap, she does it all but never receives the proper credit because she outspoken on social media. She was even banned on Twitter for getting into a Twitter feud with former One Direction group member, Zayn Malik (US Magazine). She was not allowed to headline a performance in the United Kingdom because she referred to their music as “garbage” (Yahoo). So an opinion that was sent out via a tweet costed her a lot of money and an opportunity to perform at one of the largest music festivals in the United Kingdom. This whole “censoring society” is out of hands in the sense that people can not even express their genuine opinion on how they feel regarding certain situations without sparking some sort of controversial issue. Azealia has feuded with many artists, journalists, fashion designers all over her opinions. The key word is “her” opinions, which most of the time I feel were taken out of context or had someone had said the same exact thing then what was said would be validated.
Which brings me to Donald Trump. He can say, do, or act however he wants and nobody is outraged or he always receives a slight slap on the wrist but let anyone other than Donald Trump act in the same manner than the world will be up in a frenzy (The Atlantic). Most of the times it seems like women (Wendy Bell, Azealia Banks) are held to higher social media standard of censoring themselves. Just like how men can post a million memes that sexual but when a woman posts something of that nature she is looked at as a “whore” or “promiscuous”. It’s almost like women cannot do the same things men cannot without a negative reaction from the public *sips tea* .
Regardless, I feel like “Call-out” culture has really prevented raw emotion and just plain old feelings. Everything has to be so politically correct but too bad politics these days aren’t even “politically correct”.
Works Cited:
The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/11/grading-president-trump/544985/
US Magazine: https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/azealia-banks-lashes-out-at-zayn-malik-in-twitter-rant-w206021/
Yahoo: https://uk.news.yahoo.com/azealia-banks-dropped-from-london-festival-line-up-133152496.html
Response to: https://www.thestranger.com/slog/2018/01/23/25741141/call-out-culture-is-a-toxic-garbage-dumpster-fire-of-trash