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Cancel Culture: The Double-Edged Sword
In 2021, topics like racism, social justice, and equality are never far from the forefront. It seems like we only got a few days without a new controversy to spark the debate. Police brutality, transgenderism -these human rights issues have been major political topics and have polarized America.
The question is often asked: Has America come as far along as it should? If there is a war for social justice, then Cancel Culture is a Panzer. Activists have wielded Cancel Culture to isolate and punish personalities that conflict with their values. The typical victim loses their job and has trouble finding a new one. But like any weapon, Cancel Culture can have adverse effects when in the wrong hands. Sometimes, weapons backfire.
The Case of Alexi McCammond
Last week, Alexi McCammond should have started her job as the Editor in Chief at Teen Vogue. Instead, McCammond resigned before assuming the role due to racist and homophobic tweets that resurfaced from when she was a teenager. She has since deleted the tweets. The tweets, which included derogatory comments about Asian people as well as homophobic slurs, caused a recent stir but were not completely buried since she posted them ten years ago. McCammond publicly addressed them in an apology in 2019. McCammond addressed these tweets again in her vetting process with Teen Vogue. At Conde Nast, Teen Vogue’s parent company, executives felt satisfied with her apology and growth since the tweets and decided to hire her.
After the announcement, critics of McCammond spoke up in protest of her hiring. Among them was Christine Davitt, the senior social media manager at Teen Vogue. Davitt posted to social media the open letter from the Teen Vogue staff in opposition to McCammond’s hiring. Amidst the outrage that Davitt, in large part, fueled, McCammond resigned from Teen Vogue. But more links in the chain followed.
Before the dust had even settled on Alexi McCammond, some old tweets of Christine Davitt surfaced. Similarly scandalous tweets surfaced from Christine Davitt. Davitt, of Irish and Filipino descent, used the ‘N-word’ in three separate tweets. In two tweets, she referred to an associate as the ‘N-word,’ and in another tweet, she uses the word in an observational joke. She has since deleted the tweets. Now, the internet calls for Davitt’s termination or resignation as some sort of karmic justice.
The Jokes on Her
During the recent spate of anti-Asian attacks, another instance of someone trying to make an example of another’s misdeeds was backfired. On March 17th, author and comedian Ellory Smith took to Twitter to call out another comedian:
“remember when someone had their SNL offer revoked after using an anti-Asian slur, and so many people thought it was an overreaction? Hateful language begets violence. Hateful jokes beget violence. They minimize and they dehumanize, and they allow for the normalization of terror.”
The person Smith is referring to is Shane Gillis. Saturday Night Live offered Gillis a role in 2019 but then pulled the offer from the table when some old racist jokes he told on a radio show had surfaced. Her tweets suggest that she supports Gillis losing his job over his offensive jokes. Shortly after that tweet, Mike Recine posted a screenshot of that tweet with an older one.
People were quick to point out Smith’s hypocrisy: supporting the cancellation of a comedian who made anti-Asian jokes in the past when she fits the same description. She has since deleted the tweet. Smith took to Twitter, once again, to issue an apology.
Beer Money
Canceled Cancellers is not an entirely new phenomenon. Readers may remember the case of Carson King. In September of 2019, the 24-year-old got on TV, holding a sign during ESPN Game Day filming at the Cy-Hawk football game. The sign read “Busch Light Supply Needs Replenished,” with his Venmo account listed underneath. His poster gained much attention – King ultimately collected $1 million. But instead of using the funds for beer money, King donated it to the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital.
Anheuser-Busch, making of Busch Light, tweeted that they would match King’s donations and send him a year’s supply of beer with his picture on the cans. And then tweets resurfaced. Aaron Calvin, a reporter for the Iowa Register, profiled Carson and found some offensive tweets that King posted in 2012 when he was 16 years old. The tweets, quoting comedian Daniel Tosh, were racist in nature. Shortly after, Anheuser-Busch announced they were ending their partnership with King.
“Carson King had multiple social media posts that do not align with our values as a brand or as a company, and we will have no further association with him.”
You may know where this is going. Not long after Aaron Calvin published the profile on King, problematic tweets of his own surfaced.
Numerous tweets of Calvin’s surfaced with the ‘N-word’ and others with Calvin criticizing gay. Calvin no longer works for the Iowa Register.
Those in Glass Houses…
When it comes to social justice, thoughts on what’s considered racist and hateful can vary. Some believe that the media takes things too seriously and that Cancel Culture ruins innocent lives. Others advocate that there is no time like the present to call out behavior that should no longer be acceptable – no matter the sacrificial lamb. In either case, it seems that in the case of Cancel Culture, it’s as the old saying goes: live by the sword, die by the sword.
Could it just be a coincidence that those that are pushing for certain cancellations are being canceled themselves? Or is there more to it? It is increasingly less common to be free of guilt in a society with ever-changing standards for acceptable behavior. It may be that those who call for cancellation are looking for some merit in this social justice war. But as we are learning, neither the accuser nor the canceled are ever remembered fondly.
As the year comes to a close, most of us do some personal reflection and take stock of the year behind us. We do this collectively too, and in 2022, a lot happened.
Let’s be real: Some of the things on this list will definitely bum you out. If you thought 2020 was apocalyptic, 2022 had its fair share of catastrophes too. But it wasn’t all bad. Here is a recap of the past 12 months: the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Global inflation rates surged to double – and even triple – digits.
Inflation is probably the lamest news story of the year. And what’s worse, we have an unnecessary war to thank for it. In 2022, nearly every nation in the world experienced rising inflation. Consumers became painfully aware of price increases early on in the year – especially at the gas pump. In many wealthier countries, this was the highest inflation rate seen in decades.
Fortunately, the IMF predicts that 2023 will see the US inflation rate decrease to 6.5% and drop another two points in 2024. Let’s hope they’re right.
A nuclear fusion breakthrough opens up a world of possibility.
On a much cooler note, scientists finally experienced a breakthrough in their efforts to achieve “ignition” (generating more energy than was used in a nuclear reaction).
Skeptics were quick to assert that nuclear fusion isn’t a quick fix for climate change, nor a viable replacement for fossil fuels. But optimists say this scientific breakthrough is just the beginning of a clean energy revolution. Regardless of who’s right, a scientific milestone that various teams have attempted for years has finally been reached.
The Russian-Ukrainian War breaks out.
The outbreak of war is definitely the most horrific and heartbreaking event on this list. With millions of Ukrainians displaced and thousands of innocent lives lost, there is no excuse for the atrocities that have occurred at the hands of the Russian military. Having begun in February, the two countries now face the sobering reality of nearly one year at war.
Maya Angelou got her own quarter.
Maya Angelou’s reputation precedes her. She’s known as one of the most beloved authors, poets, and civil rights activists of her time. So many were excited to hear that she’d be the first black woman ever featured on a US quarter.
She joins the ranks of Helen Keller, Susan B. Anthony, and just a few other women featured on US currency to date.
The cryptocurrency rollercoaster happened.
The dramatic ups and downs of the crypto market were its own news saga in 2022. At the start of the year, Bitcoin enthusiasts were confidently riding the wave of the 2021 record high. But just a few months later, the currency took a nosedive erasing most of that progress.
The failure of terraUSA in May further damped enthusiasm, and the collapse of FTX in November put another nail in the coffin of crypto’s dismal year. Whether 2022 will be just a blip in the radar or the beginning of the end of cryptocurrency is yet to be seen.
Abortion rights were revoked.
In a bizarre turn of events, Roe v. Wade was overturned nearly 50 years after being instated. The Supreme Court made its decision in June 2022 to the shock and dismay of women all over the country. Protests raged as women asserted that their reproductive rights and bodily autonomy were suddenly being threatened again.
A domino effect ensued with health clinics being forced to close and women traveling out of state for abortions. Why the issue re-emerged after decades of relative quiet isn’t quite clear, but as usual, the right and left have polar opposite opinions.
Conversion Therapy was banned in Canada.
Just as 2022 kicked off, word spread that Canada would be criminalizing conversion therapy.
Religious groups popularized the idea that homosexuals could be converted into heterosexuals (aka ‘praying away the gay’). Many advocates of the bill say it goes a long way in protecting the rights of the LGBTQ+ community. Let’s just say it’s probably a good thing that Canada decided to do away with this unique type of “therapy” once and for all.
Natural disasters ensued around the world.
There were countless natural disasters in 2022, stoking concerns that the consequences of climate change have finally arrived. Some of the deadliest of these disasters were floods affecting India, Afghanistan, Africa, Pakistan, and Brazil. Meanwhile, a moderate earthquake rocked Indonesia and East Africa was burdened by an intense drought… just to name a few.
With nations lacking the emergency supplies to deal with such large-scale catastrophes, climate experts are worried these events will only become more commonplace as the world heats up.
Americans love marijuana, not cigs.
Depending on your views, you might consider this one a progressive step in the right direction (or a terrible epidemic that has befallen our nation). In 2022 it became official that more Americans smoked marijuana than cigarettes.
The decrease in carcinogenic cigarette smoking is an unarguable win, but opinions about pot are typically more nuanced across the population. Most states have now legalized medical marijuana and many have legalized recreational marijuana. Basically, America as a whole is embracing the plant while dropping their cigarette habit.
A Neanderthal family was discovered.
…No, unfortunately not alive. Thousands of years ago, a Siberian cave housed what researchers believe was a Neanderthal family – a father, teenage daughter, and several other relatives. They were able to extract the ancient DNA from the teeth and bones found in two different Russian caves.
While these aren’t the first Neanderthal remains ever found, it’s the first group living in close proximity during the same timeframe, giving researchers much more detail to work with. The landmark discovery will likely give us a better picture of what life was like for these ancient humans.
It’s certainly not everything, but those are some highlights from 2022. Whatever your thoughts on this past year, we’re wishing you a wildly successful 2023. Cheers!
Hello indebted ladies and gentlemen! It’s time to play our favorite game we didn’t know we could play, “Did I Receive A Pell Grant?”
*audience claps and cheers*
“In keeping with my campaign promise, my Administration is announcing a plan to give working and middle-class families breathing room as they prepare to resume federal student loan payments in January 2023.”
Ever since President Joe Biden announced that he would forgive up to $20,000 (for those earning below $125,000 as a single filer) to those who received a Pell Grant, everyone has been wondering:
“What in the hell is a Pell Grant and did I get one?”
Are we ready to play? Click here! But you’ll have to wait! Because there’s a waiting room…
While we wait…
What Is A Pell Grant?
Pell Grants are need-based federal grants awarded to college students. They do not need to be repaid BUT many Pell Grant recipients also applied and possibly received additional student loans in order to pay for education.
These are the largest source of federal aid. Recipients make up more than 60% of the borrower population. According to The White House, up to 27 million borrowers are now eligible to receive up to $20,000 in relief!
Are you one of the 27 million? Let’s find out on…
Did I Receive A Pell Grant?!
First, a word from our sponsors:
And We’re Back!
Now that the waiting room has finally opened up, let’s find out if we’ve won Pell Grant relief!
*audience claps and cheers* *they are so excited*
First, log in.
Then, check your FSA Dashboard. That will show you your aid via “My Aid.” There will be two charts for you to view. One reads “Loans” and the other reads “Grants.”
To find out whether your loans are Pell Grants, simply click “View Details.”
And that’s it, folks! Seriously, that’s it. That’s our game for today. We’re finished. I know, it’s not much of a game, but we try and have fun here.
Are you a winner of Did I Receive A Pell Grant? Awesome! Or not!
Congrats to all our winners! Get that relief and attempt to live a life of slightly less debt!
*roll credits* *audience goes absolutely nuts*
If you’ve seen any of the hilariously disturbing results that came out of DALL-E 2, you may know what we’re talking about when we mention an AI image generator.
The AI image generator trend has been blowing up as of late – and it’s easy to see why. We pop our stupidest fantasies into a prompt and out pops all sorts of hilarious nonsense. You’d put in a prompt, say, “man in a banana suit crashes a wedding,” and out pops:
Sometimes it’s funny, sometimes it’s a dud, and sometimes it’s eerie…
What began as a crude attempt at artwork by a machine has developed into some seriously credible works of art. If I were a freelance artist, I might find some of those results a tad unnerving. But how good is an AI image generator really? Is this just the latest tech trend that will go nowhere? Or is this something more disruptive to the industry?
We tested some of them and find out exactly what these things are capable of. To level the playing field, we decided to use the same three prompts for all AI image generators:
Disco dance party
Couple walking under an umbrella in the rain
Despair
C’mon, don’t you want to see an AI’s take on despair? Here’s what we learned about AI image generator quality.
DALL-E mini
DALL-E is the popular girl. She’s the one we see all over Twitter featuring hilarious nightmares of muppets in horror games and various condiments testifying in court. Let’s see how DALL-E 2 does with our brilliant prompts.
Disco dance party
That’s pretty much what I expected. Nothing crazy, nothing hilarious, just a good ol’ gay disco party.
Couple walking under an umbrella in the rain
Alright, a little lame for my taste but this adequately follows the prompt. B- except what is going on here:
Yikes…
Despair
Okay, I’d say it nailed the prompt here.
Owner’sMag Grade: B, as expected
Moving on.
NightCafe
NightCafe, while it sounds like a sweet hangout joint for night shift workers, is a popular AI image generator. It has more options than DALL-E mini and appears to be far more artistic. The downside is you need to use “credits” in order to use the AI.
Of the choices available, we’re going to pick the most popular one “coherent.” And there are even more choices on what style you want (oil painting, cosmic, sinister, candy, cubist– it’s a lot). For the sake of this experiment, let’s try to go with the contrast between prompts and style. Just for giggles.
Let’s see how this AI image generator spits out a prompt.
Disco dance party (Sinister)
I’m both terrified and intrigued.
Couple walking under an umbrella in the rain (3D Game)
Are those figures in the background human? Chesspieces? B*ttplugs?
Despair (Synthwave)
Okay, I LOVE this. This is what despair looks like on molly. I’m printing it and hanging it in my house. Done.
Owner’sMag Grade: A
Artbreeder
I don’t exactly love the name, but Artbreeder is another popular AI image generator. It doesn’t do anything particularly unique from other image generators but it’s certainly one of them. It’s also got a bit of a juvenile webpage design which I also don’t love. But. Whatever.
A plus, however, is that images generate pretty quickly given the prompts. That in and of itself is kinda cool.
Disco dance party
This looks as if Lady Gaga’s Chromatica Ball were a nightmare.
Couple walking under an umbrella in the rain
It’s like a Gap commercial that had a stroke.
Despair
Okay, wow. That’s horrifying. It’s like the surface of an asteroid has a demon face. Good god, get me away from this nightmare. I absolutely love it.
Owner’sMag Grade: A
Deep Dream Generator
Deep Dream Generator is the kind of name for an AI image generator I can get behind. This one is by Google so it was probably created by some smart nerds. Unlike the others, you have to upload a starting image – I think that’s kinda lame but fine. I will be Google Image Searching the same prompts and picking the most appropriate, non-stock image.
You have to pick between “Deep Style,” “Thin Style,” and “Deep Dream.” For these prompts, we’re going to choose “Deep Style,” because I like imagining the voice of Isaac Hayes saying “Deep Style.” You also have to select another style after that. This is more work than I’d like to put into an AI image generator but here we are.
Disco dance party (Graffiti)
This looks dated.
Couple walking under an umbrella in the rain (Colorful Abstract)
It looks like it’s made of cheap taffy.
Despair (Renoir)
Deep Dream Generator sucks. None of these are impressive. This is some 2008 photo editor bullsh*t.
Owner’sMag Grade: F, horrible. I’m annoyed.
DeepAI
Okay, back to a simply used AI image generator. Unlike the others, you can customize these images after if you so choose. Me? I don’t care enough to edit these. This is just a silly experiment.
Anyway…
Disco dance party
Very similar to DALL-E 2. Not impressed.
Couple walking under an umbrella in the rain
I ran out of free credits. I’m not paying for more. I have a mortgage to pay.
Despair
This sucks. They only allow you one free image.
Owner’sMag Grade: C-, coulda let me create more but…
Moving on.
StarryAI
First of all, I love the name. StarryAI advertises itself as a free NFT maker but I couldn’t care less about non-fungible tokens. I’m just here for the images, alright?
On StarryAI, you pick between two AIs: Altair and Orion. Altair creates “dream-like images” and Orion creates “unreal reality.” I’m going to pick the “unreal reality” because that sounds cool.
Like the others, you pick a style that follows. I’m going to be sticking with the contrast theme.
Disco dance party (Lovecraftian)
Yes. Brilliant. Horrifically awesome.
Couple walking under an umbrella in the rain (National Geographic photo)
Well, if that ain’t atmospheric as hell.
Despair (Cinema 4D)
This is the most optimistic portrayal of despair I’ve ever encountered. Don’t you love irony?
Owner’sMag Grade: A
WOMBO Dream
Finishing off our clusterf*ck of an AI image generator list is WOMBO Dream – easily the winner in the name department. It may be a Canadian company but I hear WOMBO in an Australian accent.
Like the others, you type a prompt, select a style, and generate. WOMBO prompts a couple of stock images for the AI to frame its creation. I picked a cool escalator photo.
Word on the net is that WOMBO is the best of all the text-to-image AIs currently trending. Is it? We shall see.
Disco dance party (Malevolent)
Oh my god, I love it. Stunning. Iconic. Gorgeous. Print it. It’s mine.
Couple walking under an umbrella in the rain (Ghibli)
Very muggy, but in the coziest way.
Despair (Ukiyoe)
I don’t know what I’m looking at and that’s precisely why I love it.
Owner’sMag Grade: A
Funny, I find myself analyzing art created by artificial intelligence the way I would art created by a human.
Could text-to-image be the hint of things to come? Is this proof that machines can have a soul?
Boy, if I were a freelance artist I’d be irked.
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