Always been a believer that the idea of “Cancel Culture” needs tiers, i.e. some things are worse than others, and the bad things should be truly cancelled, whereas the less-bad things should almost be sent to a brief societal timeout. I know that’s not how it works, especially in an era of performative online activism and hot takes galore. But I have also long wondered: if we’re not fans of anything bad in the past that involved exploitation in some way, then why is Thanksgiving still a thing?
The New York Times even made this argument last year:
What role do you think acknowledging that history, and its legacy today, should play in celebrating — or choosing not to celebrate — Thanksgiving? Do you think it is important to talk about the problematic and harmful history of colonization in relation to Thanksgiving? If yes, what should that conversation look like? What actions should be taken in light of that history?
The Wall Street Journal countered, in the same year, with a piece about “not letting ideologues steal Thanksgiving.”
In an era when Ideology, Identity, and Culture Wars mean a lot to people, how have we not attempted to “cancel” Thanksgiving, given its troublesome colonial legacy?
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to What Is Even Happening? to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.