Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Ollie Robinson cancel culture what do you believe?

208 replies

NEVERQUIT3331 · 08/06/2021 16:32

The latest news is about Ollie Robinson about a cricket player who when he was 18 years old was found tweeting sexist and racist things.

England dropped him and made him apologise. And there is no idea if he will ever return.

We can all agree that people need to be hold accountable for their actions. Some people definitely should be cancelled e.g. Katie Hopkins, Anjem Chowdhury as they will never change (or they aren't willing to.)

But if someone did something say 5 years ago or more and they do not hold these views anymore surely they deserve some sort of chance?

Definitely education is needed which can stop people having ignorant people (not everyone though but many people)

Plus with cancel culture there is a double standard if you say we should cancel then a lot of people should be cancelled e.g. Chris Brown, Camila Cabello (racist messages in the past etc..)

OP posts:
Bloodybridget · 09/06/2021 02:27

I find it quite extraordinary that some trans rights activists can post horrifically abusive, misogynist insults and threats to women on social media (and in real life), with no consequences whatsoever, but others in the public eye have their youthful obnoxious remarks trawled for and figuratively printed on a placard round their necks, several years later.

TomPinch · 09/06/2021 02:33

@NiceGerbil

I am a bit Hmm at all the sports types saying how disgusted they are.

I can't believe that male sports types haven't heard anything like this before and way worse.

It's all very hypocritical.

Acid test is. Have any people come forward to say. He sexually assaulted me. He racially abused me.

It's just a young man talking shit and I've heard way way way worse.

I suspect that a lot of cricketers in a lot of countries are probably sleeping rather badly right now. There's surely more to come.
NiceGerbil · 09/06/2021 02:42

They'll be deleting their old tweets.

If they weren't savvy enough to put it on line.

And someone with a grudge must have dug these up and reported them.

It's just so. Boris Johnson has said worse than this FFS.

And on misogyny. A load of male tennis players have set up a different tennis body because they are annoyed about women getting the same prize money.

Now that's active misogyny in public right now that could adversely affect women irl.

Everyone's like. Yeah that's a bit crap but whatever. Or. Good. Women's tennis is boring.

NiceGerbil · 09/06/2021 02:45

This sort of shit.

'Novak Djokovic believes that men should be awarded more prize money than women following a row sparked by comments from the chief executive of Indian Wells, Raymond Moore.

Novak Djokovic the slick diplomat gets equality debate horribly wrong | Kevin Mitchell
Speaking ahead of the BNP Paribas final between Victoria Azarenka and Serena Williams, Moore said the Women’s Tennis Association was a “lucky organisation” which “rides on the coattails” of the men.

Seeming to overlook the 21 grand slam titles won by Williams – more than the 17 won by Roger Federer and 14 by Rafael Nadal – Moore added: “If I was a lady player, I’d go down every night on my knees and thank God that Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal were born, because they have carried this sport. They really have.”'

TomPinch · 09/06/2021 02:48

@Bloodybridget

I find it quite extraordinary that some trans rights activists can post horrifically abusive, misogynist insults and threats to women on social media (and in real life), with no consequences whatsoever, but others in the public eye have their youthful obnoxious remarks trawled for and figuratively printed on a placard round their necks, several years later.
As this episode shows, the consequences might just not have happened yet.

Twenty years from now, RuPaul today might be Benny Hill tomorrow, and lots and lots of respectable people might be rapidly deleting all their youthful TRA tweets.

mustlovegin · 09/06/2021 06:33

Cancel culture should stop, plain and simple

But there's one thing that puzzles me in relation to some of these cases.

In any job, wouldn't you be solely responsible for the actions that you take during your tenure? Imagine being dismissed for something that you did ten years ago (which, in most 'cancel culture' instances, is not even criminal activity, only opinions). Would this even be legal? I remember a similar instance happening in Teen Vogue back in March in the USA. Employment contracts in sports, the media, etc are bound to be different, but still...

I hope at some point there's some legal challenge to all of this madness.

And I'm not condoning what O Robinson may or may not have said. I'm reflecting more generally.

And I agree with PPs, how long should someone continue to bear this cross? Should one suffer a lifetime of punishment for having expressed an opinion? Is apologising not allowed anymore?

TheOnlyLivingBoyInNewCross · 09/06/2021 07:07

Should one suffer a lifetime of punishment for having expressed an opinion? Is apologising not allowed anymore?

Should one be suspended pending investigation for having expressed racist and sexist opinions? Probably.

And as for apologising - pah. Most of those apologies aren't worth the paper they're written on. I haven't read a celebrity apology I believed yet - every single one can be summed up as "I'm not sorry I did this but I'm really sorry I got found out and called to account for it and now my employer/publicist is making me say this and learn and grow blah blah blah."

The Boys hits the nail on the head in this regard.

Snoozysnoozy · 09/06/2021 07:47

Who went through 10 years of tweets and what was their intent?

Andante57 · 09/06/2021 07:56

And as for apologising - pah. Most of those apologies aren't worth the paper they're written on

How does anyone know which apologies are worth the paper they are written on?

mustlovegin · 09/06/2021 08:22

Should one be suspended pending investigation for having expressed racist and sexist opinions? Probably

But he didn't do it while he was employed by the team.

Just to give any example, imagine you are a flight attendant and the airline suddenly decides to dismiss you because they find out you got into a street fight with someone ten years ago when you were not even employed by them. Wouldn't this equate to unfair dismissal?

Namechangeme1 · 09/06/2021 08:22

@Ladylimpet

Yeah, they have to be held accountable. I wouldn't have said comments like that at that age. You're not magically going to become not racist because you're in the public eye or a few years have passed.
Agree with this, he was an adult - he still likely fundamentallly holds these views he isn't going to change overnights
mustlovegin · 09/06/2021 08:27

Who went through 10 years of tweets and what was their intent?

It will soon become apparent, I'm sure. Replacing him with someone else more in tune with the woke movement, maybe?

mustlovegin · 09/06/2021 08:28

he still likely fundamentallly holds these views

How can you possibly know? Isn't this prejudging someone? It's incredibly unfair

Andante57 · 09/06/2021 08:30

Agree with this, he was an adult - he still likely fundamentallly holds these views he isn't going to change overnights

Namechange so do you think he should be cancelled forever?

SuperstoreFan · 09/06/2021 08:31

I'm genuinely conflicted, on one hand we were all young and stupid once but on the other hand being young and stupid isn't an excuse for posting moronic stuff for the world to see.

Namechangeme1 · 09/06/2021 08:32

@Andante57 no I don't. But he said those things so should be held accountable. Cancelled - no.

lljkk · 09/06/2021 08:46

I don't understand his "offensive" tweets* do I don't understand how they offend people.

I do want to live in a society where we all believe "People can change".
Am pretty sure that belief (in personal improvement) became very unpopular about 25 years ago, tbh.

Being very unforgiving is much more exalted & admired #ModernWay.

*the ones I could find, maybe someone will reprint here something that either A) I still don't understand B) is obviously offensive but wasn't in the group I located earlier

JustAnotherPoster00 · 09/06/2021 09:03

Lots of apologists as usual, something something woke boohoo politcal correctness gorn maaaaaaddd

If he was a shelf stacker in Tescos no one would give a shit about what he had to say but he is not owed a 'job' in the public eye so he's facing some accountability, something a few of the apologists on here would benefit from tbh

QwertyGirly · 09/06/2021 09:04

Perspective here. He was 18, as in an adult, when he posted the tweets. Secondly, they were posted in 2012-13, not in 1974. It's really not that long ago. Remember, the year of the London olympics?

And most importantly, the fact that he 'signed' some of his tweets #racist kind of gives us a clue as to what his intent was.

Bythemillpond · 09/06/2021 09:06

Agree with this, he was an adult - he still likely fundamentallly holds these views he isn't going to change overnights

Personally I can’t understand the problem.

Aren’t people allowed to have opinions anymore?
I don’t find the tweets offensive. There are worse things even on here that people are called or worse views being spouted.

Tal45 · 09/06/2021 09:06

Cancel culture is just awful, people need to be able to make mistakes, learn from them and then be allowed to move on. Suspend him for a little while, go on a course to learn about these issues, be required to do some charitable work for the relevant groups and grow as a person is much better than being cancelled - how does that teach anyone any empathy??

Zari29 · 09/06/2021 09:10

What about the fact that he hurt and deeply offended some people by his actions? Does an apology suffice and he gets to carry on with his life?. No, he rightly should be made accountable and suffer some consequences for that. Amazing how the racists learn, grow and promise to do better once they are found out. Hmm

Zari29 · 09/06/2021 09:14

His tweets are absolutely disgusting, racist and offensive. He deserves this. He was so brave to tweet this, I can imagine him walking around and saying this to actual people. Horrible.

QwertyGirly · 09/06/2021 09:24

@JustAnotherPoster00 plenty of people have been sacked from Tesco, Asda etc for having made racist remarks to customers. It happens all the time. And there has been many instances of people losing their jobs because of racist tweets or posts on Facebook which have been reported to their boss. There are even law firms that specialise in those cases. Keep up.

mustlovegin · 09/06/2021 09:29

And as for sport sponsors and everyday brands in general jumping on this bandwagon more and more... I don't really get it either (and some may use the commercial angle to justify these 'disciplinary actions')

How do they think ostracising many of their consumers will increase their revenue?

Being truly inclusive and balanced: yes. Becoming obviously one-sided and overly centric on any sector of the population while marginalising many, many others: no. The mobbing antics don't paint them in a great light either. Are they being ill advised that the majority of the population identify with this?

It puts me off buying their products (or movies, TV channels, etc) altogether.