Cancel Club

What does cancel club mean online?

People that have been shut down or forced out by others

When you get cancelled, you join the "cancel club." The club is not official; instead, it is a figurative collection of famous and non-famous people who have been shut down or forced out based on past transgressions (actual or perceived).

Where did "cancel club" come from?

The cancel club is a product of "cancel culture," which became prevalent online, especially on social sites like Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, in 2019. The purpose of canceling a person and putting them in the club is to punish them for doing something perceived as wrong, even if they apologize.

Model and entrepreneur Chrissy Teigen made the term famous in July 2021. She posted on social media about the weird feeling of being ostracized in the cancel club after she was denounced for cyberbullying.

Famous people in the "cancel club"

People may cancel businesses, universities, and religious groups, but they most often target individual people. Some famous members of the cancel club include Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, Ellen DeGeneres, David Dobrik, J.K. Rowling, Morgan Wallen, and Chris Pratt.

Not all people who are canceled are permanently relegated to the club. Some may serve some time in months or years, then find their way back out. However, others don't ever leave the club. It typically depends on the seriousness of their wrongs.

Criticisms of the "cancel club"

A prominent criticism of canceling someone and putting them in the cancel club is that it's encouraging people to jump to conclusions about wrongdoers and allow no time for explanation. Another criticism is that netizens cancel people for insignificant wrongs or differences of opinion instead of working through the conflict to get to a shared, productive understanding.

Example

It's lonely here in the cancel club. And it does not feel good to be in the company of these other canceled people
Tweet critical of Chrissy Teigen complaining about being in the cancel club
Tweet critical of Chrissy Teigen complaining about being in the cancel club

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Updated July 16, 2021

Cancel club definition by Slang.net

This page explains what the slang term "Cancel club" means. The definition, example, and related terms listed above have been written and compiled by the Slang.net team.

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