Willow Smith speaks out about ‘cancel culture’: ‘If we really want change shaming doesn’t lead to learning’
Willow Smith feels that ‘cancel culture’ may be unhelpful.
She made the remarks on her Facebook Watch show Red Table Talk which she hosts with her mother Jada Pinkett Smith and grandmother Adrienne Banfield-Norris.
Saying that cancel culture is ‘so prevalent right now,’ Willow, 19, said: ‘I’m seeing people shaming others, like saying really terrible things.’
Her view: Willow Smith feels that cancel culture may be unhelpful, she said on Red Table Talk
‘Cancel culture’ refers to when people face social and professional disaster – often including loss of their jobs – because of social media outrage over a remark or action that is considered by some to be offensive.
Willow said she has witnessed ‘shaming people for what they’re choosing to say or shaming people for not saying anything at all’ as part of this phenomenon.
‘But I feel that if we really want change, shaming doesn’t lead to learning,’ argued the daughter of Will Smith.
Willow, Jada and Adrienne were interviewing political activists Tamika Mallory and Angela Davis who broadly agreed with the teenager.
Family business: She made the remarks on her Facebook Watch show which she hosts with her mother Jada Pinkett Smith (bottom) and grandmother Adrienne Banfield-Norris (top)
Observation: Saying that cancel culture is ‘so prevalent right now,’ Willow, 19, said: ‘I’m seeing people shaming others, like saying really terrible things’
Around the table: She said she has witnessed ‘shaming people for what they’re choosing to say or shaming people for not saying anything at all’ as part of cancel culture
Her side: ‘But I feel that if we really want change, shaming doesn’t lead to learning,’ argued the daughter of Will Smith
‘Cancel culture is a little dangerous, it definitely is, because none of us are perfect,’ said Tamika, dishing: ‘I’ve been canceled.’
‘I’ve been canceled several times!’ said Jada with a laugh and Tamika joked: ‘You know, if you’re not canceled, you ain’t really poppin’.’
On a serious note Tamika said: ‘It’s a space that is a little difficult to maneuver because you do have to leave people room to make mistakes, to grow and to learn, but they have to show that they’re willing.’
Guests: Willow, Jada and Adrienne were interviewing political activists Tamika Mallory (left) and Angela Davis (right) who broadly agreed with the teenager
Experience: ‘Cancel culture is a little dangerous, it definitely is, because none of us are perfect,’ said Tamika, dishing: ‘I’ve been canceled’
Taking it in stride: ‘I’ve been canceled several times!’ said Jada with a laugh and Tamika joked: ‘You know, if you’re not canceled, you ain’t really poppin”
‘I totally agree,’ said Angela, who was video-conferencing into the episode while the other women all sat around a table together.
‘There’s some really important aspects to our new social media technologies. We can organize and mobilize,’ she continued.
‘But the tendency to shortcut everything, and to assume that everybody has to know everything already – you know, what about the conversations?’
Remote: ‘I totally agree,’ said Angela, who was video-conferencing into the episode while the other women all sat around a table together
Nuance: She referred to ‘the tendency to shortcut everything, and to assume that everybody has to know everything already – you know, what about the conversations?’