A Necessary Tool for Accountability or a Threat to open Discourse? Cance Cu ture

The term “Cancel Culture” has been around for several years but became particularly popular in the United States in 2019 and 2020. The phrase was used to describe a growing trend of individuals and groups calling for boycotts or other forms of punishment against public figures who have said or done something controversial or offensive. This can include demands for individuals to be fired from their jobs, losing sponsorships or public platforms, or facing public humiliation and condemnation.

episode of the reality TV show Love and Hip Hop. Since then, the term has been frequently used on social media platforms, particularly on Black Twitter, both seriously and humorously.

The term “cancel culture” gained renewed attention during the #MeToo movement, as several high-profile individuals, including Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, Louis C.K, and R. Kelly, were “cancelled” following allegations of sexual abuse. Since then, “cancel culture” and the act of “cancelling” have become more commonly used in everyday language. The phrase “to cancel” was added to the official MerriamWebster dictionary in January 2021.

community after she posted transphobic comments on Twitter.

While I don’t think that cancelling someone should be your first choice of action when confronted with opinions, actions, or values –open dialogue and discussions, an attempt to understand each other and find some common ground is always preferable – there are simply some situations when you are not left with any other choice. The concept of boycotting to raise awareness for an issue, and to make your voice heard is not new and it is very necessary.

The concept of “cancel culture” or the act of “cancelling” someone is a relatively new phenomenon. It originated from the song “Your Love is Cancelled” by Nile Rogers in 1981 and was later used in the 1991 film New Jack City. In the 90s and early 2000s, the phrase continued to be used in music and YouTube videos. However, it gained more widespread attention when it was mentioned in a 2014

Cancel Culture has become a controversial and often polarizing topic. While on the one hand proponents argue that it is a necessary tool for holding powerful individuals and institutions accountable for their actions and promoting social justice, on the other hand, critics claim the effect on free speech and open discourse, as individuals may self-censor out of fear of being targeted and silenced.

“The problem with cancel culture is that it doesn’t teach people anything. Instead, it leaves them afraid to speak, afraid to question, and afraid to learn” states J.K. Rowling, author of Harry Potter She herself has been “cancelled” since 2020, facing criticism and boycotts from a part of her fan

Cancel Culture can be a catalyst for change. When companies or individuals face public backlash for their actions or statements, it can serve as a wake-up call and spur them to make changes. It allows marginalized groups to hold those in power accountable for their actions. Historically, many marginalized groups have been excluded from traditional power structures and have had few avenues for recourse when they face discrimination or oppression.

Cancel Culture can provide a way for these groups to have a voice and pressure those in power to listen and make changes. For example, the #MeToo movement has used Cancel Culture to call out powerful men in Hollywood and other industries who have engaged in sexual harassment or assault. In these cases, Cancel Culture has been instrumental in bringing about accountability and justice. controversial or sensitive topics. Freedom of speech is an essential human right that should be protected. However, it should not be used as a shield to protect hate speech and discrimination. There should be limits on speech that promotes violence, hatred, and discrimination towards others. to make voices heard that are not listened to otherwise.

At the same time, it is important to protect legitimate speech, which allows for open dialogue and debate. By striking a balance between freedom of speech and discrimination and hate speech, we can create a more tolerant and respectful society for all.

The first step to solving this problem is taking a step back, reflecting on our own communication behaviour and trying to listen more.

Angelina Berndt

Sources:

Aja Romano ,“Why we can’t stop fighting about cancel culture”

Merriam-Webster, “What It Means to Get ‘Canceled”

Graham Bowley, “Bill Cosby Assault Case: A Timeline from Accusation to Sentencing”

However, critics of Cancel Culture argue that it can have a negative impact on free speech and discourse. When individuals face the threat of being “cancelled” for expressing their views, it can create a climate of fear and selfcensorship. This can lead to a narrowing of public discourse and a reluctance to engage with

If there would be such a safe space for discussion in our society and people would were more open to constructive criticism instead of seeing it as a personal attack, I think the need for such drastic measures as boycotting would be reduced immensely.

The Cancel Culture is not the root of the problem, it is the lack of a safe and sustainable debate culture. Cancel Culture in my eyes is merely a last resort for coping with the lack of constructive communication and the attempt

Spencer Kornhaber, “It’s Not Callout Culture. It’s Accountability”

Adrienne Matei, “Call-Out Culture: How to Get it Right (and Wrong)”

Brandon Tensley, “Cancel Culture Is about Power - Who Has It and Who Wants to Be Heard”

Created, designed, and coordinated by the Faculty of Engineering of Cairo and the French HIP Institute (Heritage, Innovation, and Preservation), this project uses the most innovative nondestructive technologies. It will be used by three major universities and researchers of international renown. And guess what? They achieved something, something big. A hidden corridor of 9m inside the Khufu’s pyramid was revealed to the public on the 2nd of March 2023, the first significant inner discovery since the 19th Century.

The Great Pyramid of Giza is, without a doubt, the most mysterious monument on Earth. To this day, we still can’t precisely describe how the ancient Egyptian civilization built the last standing wonder of the Ancient world.

This site is the epicenter of all kinds of theories, from slaves to aliens, everybody has their idea, but we will not discuss this subject today. In 2017, the Scan Pyramid team announced they discovered a potential 30 m-long corridor over the King’s chamber on the pyramid’s Northside. However, no further research has been done yet as it is challenging to confirm this hypothesis without damaging the monument.

So how did they manage to find this nine-meter-long corridor?

By using the stars! Muon radiography is a technique that uses cosmic muons to create images of the internal structure of objects. Cosmic muons are high-energy particles constantly raining down on the Earth’s surface from outer space. When these muons encounter matter, they are slowed down and can be deflected or absorbed, depending on the material they pass through. The principle behind muon radiography is that denser materials, such as metals or rocks, will absorb more muons than less dense materials, such as air or water. By measuring the number of muons that pass through an object from different angles, it is possible to create an image of the object’s internal density structure. It is (mainly) because of this technique that the Scan Pyramid team was able to detect the void in the pyramid.

This March, a 9m long, 2m wide, and 2m high tunnel was filmed and projected to the public. Some believe this corridor was used to redistribute the weight of the stones above it, while others believe it is a hidden tomb. This reminds us that we are far from knowing the whole story about those giant monuments, and if this kind of discovery keeps happening, we will be even closer to the final answer on how they built it! For now, archaeologists are still conducting research on this beautiful discovery.

The Scan Pyramids teams still have research going on to see if the 30m void detected is indeed real. For now, they are on a onefor-one finding, and this news shakes the whole field of Egyptology. Their work empathizes with the use of nondestructive techniques in the uncovering of hidden mysteries in old monuments. This technique could be used around the world’s most mysterious constructions and (why not?) reveal some secrets!

Hugo Lhomedet www.scanpyramids.org

Hidden Tunnel Discovered Inside Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt –NBC New York

Incredible discovery made inside Great Pyramid of Giza nypost.com

Estimated 30m void 9m tunnel discovery

If there is one singer in Macedonia that everyone knows, it’s Toše Proeski. Whether it is a grandmother or under twenty years old, it seems like they all have something to say. Toše Proeski was usually represented with glowing adjectives and it can be said that he was the pride of this country.

Toše Proeski, born in 1981 in Prilep, was famous not only because of his music but also for meaningful work with children. After eight albums, several music competitions and a lot of concerts in many countries, Proeski died in a car accident when he was only 26 years old. Despite his young age, he is still a very respected and meaningful person for many people all around the Balkans. But is it only people who are older or is it possible that Proeski, a person who has been called ‘Elvis Presley of the Balkans’, has a place in nowadays young generation’s hearts as well? Now three young students from Skopje tell their thoughts about Toše and what he means to them.

Toše Proeski is in memories of the older generation especially. Many parents want to respect Proeski’s career and his humility by telling their kids stories about him. Dorotea Grkovikj is one of those young people who doesn’t have a lot of memories of Toše because of her age, but the memories that she has are related to her parents. “I just remember how they cried every time they heard his music”. Proeski’s death deeply affected the entire nation. Dorotea actually thinks that after his death he became more respected. The official state funeral, which was held in Krusevo (the city that he grew up in), was attended by many people, as well as Dorotea’s family. “We were at his funeral at Kruševo because we felt the need to show some respect”. songs at different events all around Macedonia, or overall even in the Balkans. Maybe it is because of nostalgia, but even though it would not be people’s favorite type of music, people would still respect him.

For young people, Proeski’s death is one of the first things that comes to their minds. Because it was a car accident, it shocked everyone. Filip Stepanovski is one of those people who were young when this happened.

“One particular thing that I remember was how sudden it was and that a year later we bought a parrot as a pet and named it Toše”, Filip told.

Therefore, Proeski affected people’s lives in many different ways. However, music is the thing that he was famous for. The songs were part of the young generation’s childhood and nowadays you can still hear his

Jana Oltovska, who also heard a lot of stories about Toše and his music from her parents, pointed out his impact on music here in Macedonia. “Young people know him because he had a big influence here”. The influence wasn’t only about music. Toše was the regional UNICEF ambassador because he put in a lot of effort to demand better education for kids. He also held a concert in Skopje and the money collected from the tickets was used to renovate schools.

Dorotea, Jana, Filip, or someone else, it seems very clear that people have something to say about this person. “We talk about him around foreigners because he truly is our country’s sweetheart”, Dorotea summarized. However, not all people of the younger generations are big fans of Toše’s music. Depending on the person, some people think that nobody should forget him and even suggest making a movie about his life, while other people don’t see it as important to idolize Toše if music is not their type. And every opinion is valuable. Still, we can notice that people in Macedonia understand the significance and have many good things to say about him.

Katariina Weijo

Sources:

BalkanInsight - Macedonia bids farewell to Toše Proeski

Last.fm - Toše Proeski