We have all said something on social media that we have later regretted. Maybe because we said it in the heat of the moment without thinking, or because changing attitudes meant that it looked bad in hindsight.
Regardless, the risks of saying the wrong thing online are higher for celebrities and those in the public eye. Because, with millions of people hanging on your every word, one false move can potentially get you “canceled”.
Protecting Celebrities When They Say the “Wrong” Thing
“Cancel culture,” as it’s often referred to, has gotten so bad that one company is now willing to insure you against getting canceled. As first reported by theFinancial Times[Paywall], a cancel culture insurance policy is being created by an underwriting agency called Samphire Risk, along with Borkowski PR.
The insurance policy, called Preempt, aims to prevent policyholders from being canceled in the first place, thanks to “research, analysis, monitoring and training”. However, if someone does get “canceled,” the underwriters are promising to manage the crisis after it has happened, and “mitigate reputational damage caused by negative media and social media coverage” as a result.
Mark Borkowski, the PR boss responsible for drawing up the terms of the policy, told the FT:
“Sharing or liking a tweet can bring the whole world down on you […] The cancel button is the new guillotine [and] one mistake is your epitaph. It’s too easy to take a position on things… without being thoughtful."
Cancel Culture Protection for Those Who Can Afford It
People have always held opinions, and felt the need to express them to others. The difference now is that, thanks to social media, those opinions are instantly communicated to millions of people; some of whom will disagree in the strongest terms.
Cancel culture is just one ofmany issues with modern social media platforms.
This means that the best policy is for celebrities and other high net-worth individuals to keep their opinions to themselves. Very few people care about what anyone else has to say on the issues of the day, and the more opinions offered, the more likely it is that one will get you canceled.
So, if people have the money required to pay for it, and the fame required to need it, I wouldn’t blame them for taking out this cancel culture insurance policy. There are no details on how much it costs, but I’m guessing it isn’t cheap.
