Seeking Understanding in a World Quick to Cancel

Ever found yourself caught in a whirlwind of snap judgments and online outrage? That’s exactly what we unpack in this episode of Elevate Media Podcast, where we take a critical look at the quickfire nature of cancel culture through the lens of the Super Bowl fiasco involving Travis Kelsey and coach Andy Reid. As your host, Chris Anderson, I dissect the nuances of forming opinions in the digital sphere, emphasizing the need to pause and consider the full context before drawing conclusions. The heated moment on the field serves as a timely springboard into our larger conversation about the perils of rushing to judgment and the importance of empathy in our online interactions.

Shifting from the gridiron to the broader societal implications, we dissect the essence of cancel culture and its growing presence in our digital lives. The episode does more than just recount the incident; it offers an exploratory journey into the dynamics of human relationships and the pressures that come to the fore in high-stake environments. We're not just talking about a football game—we're talking about how we interact as a society both online and off. Join me as we navigate these complex issues, seeking a path towards a more understanding and thoughtful discourse. This isn’t just another sports debate; it's a reflection on our collective behavior in the age of the internet.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Welcome to the Elevate Media Podcast with your host, Chris Anderson. In this show, Chris and his guests will share their knowledge and experience on how to go from zero to successful entrepreneur. They have built their businesses from scratch and are now ready to give back to those who are just starting. Let's get ready to learn, grow and elevate our businesses. And now your host, Chris Anderson.

Speaker 2: 0:24

Welcome back to another recording of the Elevate Media Podcast. I'm Chris Anderson, your host, and this one is more recent. If you, too, did the Super Bowl and even if you did it you probably saw the whole debacle, the whole event, with Travis Kelsey bumping into and yelling in the face of his coach, andy Reid, and immediately when that happened that split second on camera that was shown people immediately wanted to cancel Travis Kelsey because of what he did. We're going to dive into this topic. That happened so much nowadays in the digital landscape is this cancel culture? And now I think we're a little bit quick to judge and cancel people nowadays. But if you're ready, sit back, relax, listen in and let's get started.

Speaker 2: 1:28

So the Super Bowl, the pinnacle of American sports. Legends are made and dreams are shattered. But amidst the chaos of the game, there's a moment that sparked some controversy. Travis Kelsey, the star tied in for the Kansas City Chiefs, is seen on camera exchanging heated words with his coach, andy Reid, and you see him bump into him and get him off balance a little bit. And then social media exploded with speculation and judgment, which you know came pretty quick to condemn him for disrespecting his coach and, to be honest, when I saw it I was like whoa, why in the world? Like, because my mind goes to one example he's setting for younger kids and so I was a little upset that he did that. To be honest, to be completely transparent, when I saw that quick second clip but hold on for just a second, because I learned this and I started looking into it and hearing more about it and and listen to coach Reid response to it.

Speaker 2: 2:34

So is it fair to judge someone based solely on a few seconds of footage, especially when it can be out of context? This brings us to the heart of today's discussion the importance of not just jumping to conclusions and the necessity of critically analyzing situations from all perspectives, trying to get all the information, getting the context of what's happening. So the concept of cancel culture what exactly is that and how has it become such a prevalent force in today's digital landscape? Now, cancel culture is basically a form of online shaming or ostracism. You know. Typically it's targeted at individuals or businesses whose actions are deemed offensive or controversial by a vocal group of people, and it could just be that they just disagree. The business isn't for that group of people, and so they start to be vocal about it and this is becoming more prevalent. There's a rise on social media with cancel culture and as platforms provide a megaphone for public outrage and swift judgment, we've got to be careful.

Speaker 2: 3:49

Now, circling back to the incident involving Kelsey and coach Reid, you know, in the heat of the moment it's easy to jump to conclusions based on that snippet of video footage. You know what is he actually saying. You know, probably bumping into him was an accident like that. We don't know their relationship outside, the outside the field of play, you know. So you know we jumped to conclusions. But what can we learn from this situation about the dangers of rushing to these judgments?

Speaker 2: 4:23

This incident is a perfect example of how easily misconceptions can arise when we only see a small portion of the story. In reality, there may be a multitude of factors at play and we're not aware of. Did you know he went and apologized to the coach? Did you know their relationship was really good and that? That's understood like he doesn't mean it that way. Coach read understands Travis Kelsie's personality and he knows how he can get in the heat of the battle, in the heat of the moment, and he just wants to win and do his best, because he knows he can do it, and so he gets frustrated. He gets, you know, amped up. Now it'd be different. He came and shoved coach with his hand and knocked him to the ground and said profanities and things like that at the coach. But you know from what coach said he? He's like, pull me in, I'll score. It's just, it's just a super hydra moment. And coach just said is what it is like? He wasn't upset about it, so we can, you know. That's why it's crucial to approach these types of situations with an open mind and a willingness to consider all perspectives before just forming a judgment.

Speaker 2: 5:45

So what strategies can we, as business owners and entrepreneurs, employ to navigate these treacherous waters of cancel culture and protect the reputations we have online? One of the most important strategies is proactive reputation management. This involves actively monitoring online conversations, addressing any concerns or criticisms in a timely and transparent manner, and consistently demonstrating integrity and authenticity in all interactions. You know, to the right saying, being a good person, doing your best, owning up to mistakes and shortcomings, like these are all normal things, or should be normal things that, if we all did, you know would help out a lot. You're still going to have people passing judgment and casting shame and you know those people hurt people, hurt people, right, so they have stuff going on that's projecting into those situations, whether they just want to feel better about themselves or they. You know, it's clear that navigating these complexities, the complexities of cancel culture, it requires a lot of thought and you know, planning.

Speaker 2: 7:02

And before we wrap up one of them to oh, if you have any final thoughts or words of wisdom, if you do, leave them in the comments below or send me a message at christanderson Love to hear them. Now. I would just encourage everyone to remember that the importance of having empathy and understanding, especially in our online interactions. Behind every Twitter post, there's a real person with feelings and experiences that deserve to be respected. If we can approach discussions with compassion and an open mind, we're going to be able to create a more inclusive and understanding online community.

Speaker 2: 7:47

And if you're throwing shade, if you're, you know, being really negative towards instances like these, without getting the full facts, without seeing the whole context, without knowing the person, take a step back, just like I had to, you know, because I was like man.

Speaker 2: 8:04

That's such a bad example and, yeah, maybe we'll hear Travis come out and say something about later and things like that, but we don't know the whole story and there's so much more things to worry about than an incident like that, and so I just wanted to approach this topic. It's a hard topic because we have so many keyboard warriors out there today that are bolstered are you know thinking they're tough stuff behind a keyboard and a computer screen, so they they go and they spout off and they say all these things that they wouldn't tell or say to anyone in person, at least to their face. So there's a more prevalence of this. So that's why it's so important that we take step back and try to understand everyone's perspectives and situations, even for those we disagree with, and not be too quick to cast judgment. That's all for this episode.

Speaker 2: 9:02

Thanks again for joining me on another episode of the day. We need a podcast, remember. In a world where judgment comes swiftly and opinions are abundant, let's strive to be thoughtful, empathetic and always willing to listen. Until next time, continue to elevate your life, elevate your brand, and we'll talk to you again soon.

Speaker 1: 9:25

Thank you for listening to the Elevate Media podcast. Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review. See you in the next episode.