By Miranda Park (she/her)
It would be an understatement to say that social media has played a major role in the way modern feminism has evolved. For the feminist community, it has offered us many positive things, diversified the ways we celebrate feminism and provided accessible platforms to advocate for gender equality. However, there is one aspect of feminism in the digital space which has always struck me as being particularly fraught with ethical dilemmas: call-out culture (and its more extreme variation, “cancel culture”).
What troubles me most about call-out culture is its inflexibility and divisiveness, its propensity to encourage harsh criticism and public shaming instead of fostering learning or inclusivity. It reminds me so much of something Hannah Gadsby said in her hit stand-up comedy special, Nanette:
This is about how we conduct debates in public about sensitive things. It’s toxic. It’s juvenile. It’s destructive. We think it’s more important to be right than it is to appeal to the humanity of the people we disagree with.
Like Gadsby, many have pointed out the toxic and pedantic characteristics of call-out culture, while some have gone so far as to argue that it has no place in a society which allows freedom of speech (though it wouldn’t be a far stretch to suggest that the fiercest advocates for freedom of speech, are often the ones who are saying the most offensive things). We might also consider how these arguments tap into broader debates on whether modern feminism has become too PC (a contentious topic that really deserves its own blog post, if not a whole thesis, to unpack).
At the same time, I would contend that the basis of feminist call-out culture is not unjustified. As our former PM, Julia Gillard, so brilliantly reminded us, there is always a need to challenge sexism and misogyny. We also cannot overlook the importance of call-out culture in the context of the #MeToo movement. In France, the widespread use of the hashtag #BalanceTonPorc – which literally translates to “denounce your pig” – demonstrates how the powerful act of calling out has become an integral part of a global fight against sexual harassment and violence.
But in our mundane, every-day interactions on social media, does call-out culture do more bad than good? I think Loretta Ross sums it up perfectly in her article for The New York Times, where she writes that call-out culture is nothing if not “seductive”. It’s so easy to leave an anonymous comment or hit ‘like’ in support of someone else who is doing the calling out. The allure of anonymity and layer of protection given by our screens, means we’re more likely to be vicious and overcritical when calling someone out online, than if we were to do it in person.
So, how do we find the right balance between holding people accountable for their sexist attitudes or language, and making sure we don’t become completely intolerant of other’s voices and opinions? Where do we draw the line?
There are no easy answers to these questions. My own opinions on this topic have certainly changed over time. I won’t deny that there’s been moments where I’ve wanted to clap back at someone who’s made a particularly insensitive post. Even in my face-to-face interactions, I sometimes feel the urge to give my two cents worth when I hear a comment that grinds my feminist gears. Especially during my first year or so at uni – a fresh-faced gender studies student emboldened by my growing enthusiasm for feminism – I’d get into heated debates over the smallest hint of a sexist remark.
But eventually I found this approach unhelpful and frankly exhausting. More importantly, I began to understand three important things about call-out culture, which have helped me navigate some sticky situations and moral conundrums:
1. Tone is everything
The tone with which you call someone out very much dictates the type of response you will get. It’s never helpful or constructive to flat-out tell someone that their opinion is sexist. I doubt anyone likes being accused of sexism, and to the recipient of your call-out, it probably smacks of your self-righteous belief that you’ve taken the moral high ground. This won’t get you very far if your intention is to show someone why their words or actions may cause harm or offence. You can just as easily cause harm or offence in return by naming and shaming them on social media.
If someone has made a comment that is well-intentioned but perhaps misguided, it may be a better approach to message them privately and say with respect, ‘I hear you, but here’s why I think differently’. This can encourage positive and meaningful conversations about the feminist issue(s) at hand. If, however, you can tell that a person posted something with the objective of being inflammatory, the most powerful thing you can do is to simply ignore or unfollow them. Provocateurs can’t get very far if no one’s adding fuel to their fire.
2. Call-out culture has a lot to do with privilege and priorities
When it comes down to it, having an awareness of sexism and understanding of feminist issues are the products of learning and education. While I’ve had the good fortune of a university education in gender studies and access to wonderful feminist communities, many cannot claim to have had these privileges. This has been an important thing for me to remember in the moments where something I might consider to be feminism 101, is an entirely new concept for someone else. Never presume others have the same level (or even type) of understanding about feminism that you do.
In other instances, it may just be the case that feminism isn’t a priority or factor in that person’s daily life. There’s nothing more unfruitful than trying to preach to the disinterested.
3. There are better ways of doing online feminist advocacy and activism
I think I echo quite a few people when I say that there are so many more positive and productive ways of undertaking feminist work online, than policing what others have to say on social media. Start a club, create an event, share your stories and insights through writing or art, get creative! Whatever it is you chose to do, know that any activity done with compassion, instead of shaming or patronising, can only strengthen our feminist communities and pursuits.