Cancelled with Rob Rosen and Desma Simon
Honestly, I only started listening to the Cancelled podcast because Rob Rosen is the creator and executive producer and Desma Simon is co-executive producer on a show called Reasonable Doubt. Now I am hooked.
My first question was. “What is cancel culture?”
Webster defines cancel culture as the practice or tendency of engaging in mass canceling as a way of expressing disapproval and exerting social pressure.
A mistake is identified and justified or not the person/business is publicly shamed. Social media seems to be the home of public shaming where, “everybody piles on” justified or not.
There is an excellent quote from President Obama that is part of the intro, “There is this sense sometimes, the way of me making change is to be as judgmental as possible about other people.”
Obama had gone on to say, “A lot of the dangers of cancel culture and ‘we’re just going to be condemning people all the time,’ at least among my daughters, they’ll acknowledge that among their peer group or in college campuses, you’ll see people going overboard,”
Cancel Culture isn’t new it has just changed platforms. We are familiar with stocks to hold a persons feet and the pillory that held the persons head and hands. The purpose of these devices were to publicly shame the person. While locked in other villagers had no sympathy for the person being shamed. The person would be pelted with rocks, mud or rotten food. Today instead of stocks and pillories we have social media for public shaming.
From the Cancelled with Rob Rosen and Desma Simon podcast page:
TV producers Rob Rosen and Desma Simon interview victims of cancel culture. In each episode, they will talk to news makers who have run afoul of the on-line mob and have been cancelled. These people will share their version of what happened, the devastating after-effects and how they’re now trying to rebuild their lives.
The Cancelled podcast is not about taking sides or making a judgement. They try to stay neutral. Rosen said “…we’re not taking a stand on what these people did.”
The podcast taught me what a pastor, an actor and a musician have in common. They all like to have a one sided conversation. It is sometimes difficult to get a word in when the quests start talking. The first podcast bordered on funny. The guest was a pastor with a golden tongue. He talked non stop! By the end of the podcast I wanted to go to his church.
Rosen and Simon are of course professionals in the entertainment industry but I expected far less than they provide. This Cancelled podcast is professional without being slick.
Rob Rosen has that professional voice that comes across easy to listen to. He also has a gift, the ability to get guests to stay on topic and not ramble. He gently nudges them, you don’t cringe or feel uncomfortable when he gets a guest back on topic.
Desma Simon well what can I say without sounding too fan girlish. Oh what the hay or is it hey, whatever, I just love her to pieces. She listens and interacts with the quest being smart, professional and thoughtful. When you get relaxed into listening to the podcast she will come out with something that will make you squeal. It can range anywhere from, wow, I wish I had thought of that question to OMG I can’t believe she said that! She is real.
The Cancelled podcast quest list reads like a butcher, a baker, a candlestick maker. The diverse quest list will surprise you. Who knew the knitting business can be cut throat? Dr. Drew Pinsky was cancelled for under estimating the impact of covid when it first appeared. Many of the people that have been cancelled lost everything their business/job, home, savings, so called friends. It is hard to listen at times.
Traditionally, I have had trouble listening to podcasts. Sitting still and listening is difficult for me. This podcast has kept my attention through every episode. The quests have been cancelled for everything from well yeah you should have been canceled, to I am confused as to why you were cancelled, to you didn’t deserve to be cancelled.
You can hear Cancelled with Rob Rosen and Desma Simon here. The podcast is free.
