Tweets, screenshots, old videos, and leaked audio clips. Artists and influencers have struggled to reach their standing and worked hard to be where they are today. Is it fair for them to lose their acquired status because of statements they’ve made in the moment?

In late July, influencer and rapper DaBaby said something at Rolling Loud that left his fans shocked.

“If you didn’t show up today with HIV, AIDS, or any of them sexually transmitted diseases, then put your cell phone lighter up,” Johnathan said. He led this with an even more vulgar comment about homosexuals.

Following this statement, the LGBTQ+ community was outraged. His followers believed that he was shaming homosexuals and people with STD’s. In reaction to this, he was dropped from upcoming events like Lollapalooza and Day N Vegas 2021.

Some students feel sympathetic towards DaBaby’s cancellation.

“I don’t feel like he should be canceled, and I don’t believe he was saying that all gay people have STDs,” Junior Cierra Roberts said.

Despite this, she still felt that what he said was insensitive, but there may be more important issues to be addressed.

“He shouldn’t have said that in general though, but rappers tear down women but don’t get canceled for it,” Roberts said.

Despite all the backlash, some students believed that what happened was justified.

“He should be held accountable and it was right for him to be canceled from shows. He isn’t educated about STDs and some of the people that follow him are a part of the LGBTQ+ community,” Junior Kaliyah Brown said.

The trend of cancelling people is running rampant in the age of the internet. Doja Cat was reported to use racist comments in chat rooms while saying that she wishes she weren’t black.

“I feel like she should be canceled for that,” Senior Nikiyah Wolf said. “I feel like she profits off of her being black, so like, she should’ve stayed canceled.”

Cancel culture can sometimes be needed , Brown said.

“I think it’s necessary because people do offensive things and they need to understand that what they did is wrong,” she said.

When asked about the effects of being cancelled, students felt that social standing can be ruined from cancel culture.

”Some people don’t deserve a platform.” Roberts said. “But at the same time people shouldn’t be constantly targeted.”