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SINGAPORE — Anybody who uses social media nowadays is likely to have encountered the
term “cancel culture” which means boycotting public figures found to be “problematic,” a
term usually used by younger generations. It can also take on the form of public shaming,
which departs from its original meaning in African-American culture of rejecting oppressive
cultural figures or works. Despite the change in usage, cancel culture remains linked to the
call for accountability.
Southeast Asia research company Milieu Insight conducted a study to find out Filipinos’
view of cancel movements and what purpose they serve. The study was conducted in July
2022 with 1000 respondents aged 16-40 from the Philippines. The study was also conducted
in other Southeast Asia countries, with 1000 respondents each from Singapore, Malaysia,
Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam.
One in five Filipinos have participated in a cancel movement
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The study showed that more than four out of five Filipinos have heard the term cancel
culture. Moreover, one in five Filipinos said that they have participated in a cancel
movement, with the top reasons being that they “did not agree with the actions/opinions of
the person or group” (66%), or that “the person or group is/was involved in a controversy”
(54%).
Across Southeast Asia, the nature of the issue that led to respondents’ withdrawal of
support tended to be racism (54%), sexual assault (50%), and physical violence (48%). In the
Philippines, there’s a skew toward canceling public figures due to cultural issues such as
cultural appropriation (50% vs 40% overall), and notably, political stance (48% vs 35%
overall).

Does getting canceled spell the end of a public figure’s career?

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Only 31% of Southeast Asians said a person/group that was “canceled” can always or often
be forgiven or allowed to make a public appearance. This sentiment is shared by more
Filipinos, with 41% being more agreeable to giving a canceled entity a second chance, the
highest rate among the different Southeast Asian countries.

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Majority of Filipinos believe in cancel culture as a tool to demand responsibility
Filipinos surveyed describe cancel culture to be cruel (45%) and aggressive (35%) but those
who have been part of a cancel movement tended to view it as normal (30% vs 17%
overall), helpful (22% vs 8% overall), and progressive (16% vs 11% overall). This reflects their
belief that cancelling is a useful tool to demand responsibility from public figures.

In addition, the majority of Filipinos agreed that cancel movements are a fair punishment
(76%) for wrongdoers to be held responsible, and 78% see them as effective in doing so.
From the above scenarios of public figures who were cancelled, cancelling them may not
necessarily spell the end of their careers, but rather, bring their wrongdoings to light on the
very stage that they stand on: the public arena. Fame is a double-edge sword used against
them to demand a public acknowledgement of responsibility for their wrongdoings.
Cancel culture taken too far
Cancel movements, however, can be taken too far. Most Filipinos (52%) say that the severity
of getting canceled is usually just as serious as the controversy at hand. However, a
significant number (42%) say that severity is usually more serious than the controversy.
We see this in action when an issue is blown out of proportion or a cancel movement
prevents healthy discourse about it. The case of content creator Macoy Dubs shows us that
cancel movements have the potential to discourage public figures instead of helping them
for the better. Macoy Dubs retired one of his personas after trolls expressed their hate for
the character. Instead of providing constructive criticism, the cancel movement centered
around voicing their dislike towards the persona. Fans were quick to point out that the
persona in question brought joy but Macoy Dubs had already announced his decision to
retire it.
51% of Filipinos also say that cancel culture happens too often, significantly higher than
those who say it happens just as often as it should (42%). This may be appropriate for a
public figure such as Donnalyn Batrolome, who was involved in multiple controversies within
a month; however, with cancel culture extending to friends and family, this is worrisome. In
the recent Philippine national elections, people canceled not only public figures but also
their friends and family due to different political beliefs. It is no surprise then that the
majority of Filipinos act cautiously both online (92%) and offline (91%) because they are
worried about being canceled themselves.
Given all of this, is it true to say that cancel culture in the Philippines effectively holds people
accountable, encouraging change and growth? Or are cancel movements in the
Philippines becoming driven by ill intentions? If even everyday Filipinos who have little
social power can be canceled, Filipinos could indeed be promoting a more toxic rather than
progressive society.