Kathleen Stock on the Moral Maze at 8pm today 31 May 2023 - Cancel Culture

Yes, it was a very superficial discussion. They faffed around trying to define the phrase "cancel culture" rather than deal with current realities - the numerous examples mentioned above. A couple of the panel members seem stuck in the 1980's when the non-platforming of racists was seen as progressive and virtuous. Not one of them delved into the content of Dr Stock's views - which are held by the majority of the global population and were hardly controversial on even the most woke campuses a short decade ago. They didnt seem very curious to know what changed. They didnt discuss the nature of 'vivid' counter protests. How far do should these go? Is making enough noise to disrupt meetings and throwng soup on the participants fair? Why don't these very clever students actually attend meetings to challenge Dr Stock's bad ideas? There was too ready an acceptance of the students' fragility. Phillips, Professor Goldman and the third female member of the panel tried to hold the fort against the wooliness of what I see as a typically middleclass British way of discussing 'controversial' subjects but they were outnumbered, as usual with the BBC.

Yes you are always this stupid. Do you think being cancelled means killed?
She has had her job cancelled, her tenure cancelled, her status, her integrity. The fact she still speaks and has gained new work doesn't mean her uni, the bbc and other institutions cancelling didn't happen.
I am starting to think you just say these things to upset people. Nasty.

But at what cost to her? Are you thick, or just deliberately disingenuous?

How can she be cancelled when she's been giving talks and been in the tabloids, radio and TV every day for the past year?

Same with Bindel and Rowling. Despite what they say, these people are definitely not "cancelled".

Thanks, listening now.

Yes, it was Melanie Phillips.

There are so many other examples that didn't get mentioned - Jo Phoenix hounded out of the Open University and, along with Rosa Freedman, cancelled by the University of Essex; the two failures to screen Adult Human Female at the University of Edinburgh; the de facto cancellation by the University of Bristol of a discussion by prominent lawyers and criminologists, including Jo Phoenix (again) and Akua Reindorf who wrote the independent review that prompted the University of Essex to apologise to her, FFS... But yes, cancellation doesn't happen on British university campuses!

Yes I'm very glad that but at the end "but at what cost" was said. It was in response to someone say but she hasn't been cancelled and if it hadn't been said the listeners may not have known she's lost her job etc

As always I think they barley scratched the surface. You had to know the background to pick up on the importance on some of the comments and I think most people don't

I think it was Melanie Phillips who spoke very fiercely about Stock being “hounded out of her job” and subject to terrible threats. Phillips says Stock has not been “cancelled” as she has continued to speak out “but at what cost”.

If anyone knows Dr Stock, please could they pass on my genuine thanks to her? The courage she shows - and all the women in the public eye who articulate so clearly the erosion of women’s rights - is awe inspiring and I admire her tremendously.

Oooh 4 mins from the end of the programme it gets quite heated in Stock’s defence.

Listening now. Dr Stock was calm, reasonable and eminently sensible. Dr Clara Barker seemed to be defensive and the panel noted the lack of willingness to answer questions in a straightforward way. The debate is focusing on whether “cancel culture” represents a threat to liberal, democratic values. Stock was robust in her assertion that women she talks with are genuinely frightened of repercussions if they speak about women’s rights.

I will be watching this on catch up later - thanks for mentioning it