this post was submitted on 08 Jul 2026
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-18
What's the minimum level of fame needed to avoid being cancelled? (lemmy.world)
submitted 1 day ago by Sweety_Love@lemmy.world to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world
19 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

What's the minimum level of fame needed to avoid being publicly shamed? I mean, lately I see a lot of artists doing questionable or downright bad/illegal things, and yet they still have a horde of fans defending them tooth and nail. So it makes me wonder, how many fans do you really need to have that level of security? To know you have a fanbase that will always be there no matter what? Maybe 10 fans aren't enough, or even 500... what's the minimum?

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[–] lillardfair@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

It sort of starts with what is "canceled" to you. Do you mean never work in the industry again? Lose all fans? Face legal repercussions? Someone like Louis CK had a reckoning during me too. It wasn't enough to face legal charges, but he stopped for a bit and lost some fans, but not all and came back after a couple years. For some that was enough, while others were pissed he still had a platform at all.

It also depends on the type of celebrity or artist. Some have very little barriers to entry to get their stuff out there. A YouTuber just needs to be able to post a video where bands or live performers can have venues cancel on them. Even if YouTube steps in, someone like Alex Jones can move to another site and keep making content for his fans.

I see canceling as a means of spreading awareness to others that a celebrity had done something wrong and isn't worth spending time or money on. It is often a stop gap when our legal systems don't have means to right a wrong. If a celebrity did something morally wrong but legally gray they shouldn't get off scot free

[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

What's the minimum amount of fame to be famous?

Getting "cancelled" just means the celebrity got less popular.

If they cross the threshold and go back to "not famous" and can't work at the same level in their field, then that wasn't the minimum amount of fame.

If they become less popular but still "famous" enough to earn money in their profession, then they had enough fame...

It's less amount the amount of fans but the amount of Stans that will never stop being fans. It's two different things, and usually comes up when artists/performers have young fans without fully developed brains.

[–] yakko@feddit.uk 1 points 1 day ago

Exactly, it's only cancelled if they've been made commercially nonviable - and in a corporate/political landscape that is openly fascistic, that is a much blurrier line. Like when Ben Kissel got taken off Last Podcast, he has been pretty much fully cancelled. Full stop, career over. I just wish it was always so cut and dried.

[–] juliebean@lemmy.zip 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

i think your question is incorrect.

[–] Sweety_Love@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago (2 children)

May I ask why?? I speak Spanish so maybe I didn't write it well

[–] juliebean@lemmy.zip 1 points 10 hours ago

i just don't think that the number of fans is the right thing to focus on. it depends more on why you're a public figure, what kind of people comprise your fanbase, and other such factors. some things will be scandalous for one kind of famous person, or to one kind of fan/follower/whatever, but not to another.

also, like, abusive relationships and cults exist with very small populations, and the abuser/cult leader can get away with a lot without losing their victim(s).

[–] awmwrites@lemmy.cafe 4 points 1 day ago

The idea of 'cancelling' is public relations spin to shield people who did shitty things from accountability. A few years ago people were trying to hold people like Louis CK, Harvey Weinstein, and Kevin Spacey accountable for hurting people. Their fixers pitched it to the media as an irrational mob trying to cancel anyone who doesn't agree with them. When people are like 'They tried to cancel Baby Yoda!' after there was a mild reaction to a plotpoint in the Mandalorian tv show, they're falling prey to this manipulation of public opinion. A lot of minor celebrities claim to be 'cancelled' in order to appear counter-culture, but usually they're inflating false information about themselves to make it appear like they're a target of an irrational mob, or they're trying to cover for true information about them. Think of the number of people who have claimed to have been cancelled in their Netflix specials, or the number of people who have been confirmed to have abused their partners and still get to come back for the next Marvel or DC movie. The reaction against 'cancelling' was so much greater than the reaction against abuse because people were convinced they could be cancelled at any moment for any reason, and it's made online discourse immeasurably worse.

[–] HobbitFoot@thelemmy.club 4 points 1 day ago

It depends a lot on the fan base. You can get cancelled by a group, but it doesn't matter if your fan base doesn't leave and you have thick skin.

It also depends on if you need a platform or not. If you need an external platform to maintain your fame, you need to bend to that platform. That said, a lot of platforms have low standards. If you can exist on your own platform and can maintain your fan base, you're untouchable.

[–] cattywampas@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

Canceling is not a real thing.

[–] jordanlund@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

The only people who can avoid being cancelled are the ones with no fame. If you have become famous, it can always be taken away.

Look at Mother Teresa, arguably one of the most famous people during her life.

After she died? It came out that she was in fact a horrible human being, and now she's largely forgotten.

There is no level of fame that insulates you, only a lack of fame.

[–] blackbrook@mander.xyz 1 points 1 day ago

I think for that effect, you just need to be political or controversial in such a way that you tap into the polarization that afflicts our society. In that case, provided your transgressions are not ones that your fans' 'team' cares about, or are ones that the opposing team cares more about, then you are guaranteed to have those fans continue to support you. With any luck you can portray yourself as a victim of the enemy team, and therefore be a hero to your fans' team.

[–] quediuspayu@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 1 day ago

I guess it is a ratio between people asking for cancellation, fans and people not giving a fuck.

[–] TachyonTele_Esq@piefed.social -2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Did you really just say cancelled? Lol

[–] Sweety_Love@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago (2 children)

English is not my first language, the translator gave me another way to say it. How is it correctly spelled?

[–] KoboldCoterie@pawb.social 4 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

You're fine, everyone knows what you mean; it's spelled 'canceled'. Other poster was just being a dick presumably because they find the term to be cringey.

Edit: I have been duly informed that 'canceled' is the American spelling while 'cancelled' is the British spelling, so you're even more correct. :)

[–] TachyonTele_Esq@piefed.social 1 points 1 day ago

No no you talk fine. I was kidding with you just for using the word. People don't really say cancelled with a straight face in real life, that's all.

That's a good translator, I never even thought you weren't talking in English. Thumbs up

[–] one_old_coder@piefed.social 0 points 1 day ago (1 children)

You must look at small projects. TempleOS comes to mind with a small community. 4chan hasn't been canceled yet but they have more people.

[–] Sweety_Love@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

Oh yeah, I'm talking about celebrities , singers,politicians, people