For decades, conservatives have pandered to corporate America with their support of supply-side economics and laissez-faire tactics; in exchange, big businesses have poured money into GOP campaigns. For this reason, the Republican Party is considered the party of free-market capitalism. However, it is these same GOP politicians that look to blame Democratic “cancel culture” when capitalism is the true factor at play.
On March 2, 2021 – Dr. Seuss’ birthday – Dr. Seuss Enterprises announced that they would be terminating the publication of six of his books, including “And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street” and “If I Ran the Zoo” for their racist imagery.
Unsurprisingly, backlash ensued from conservatives. Fox and Friends host Brian Kilmeade accused liberals of plotting to “eliminate children’s books.” Host Charlie Kirk warned the public that liberals would not stop, and whatever you hold dear to you would be eradicated.
Sitting Senator Tom Cotton (R-AK) was also enraged about the halted publication of Dr. Seuss’s books, and he took to Facebook to complain about the woke mob “erasing history.” Reminder: this is the same Tom Cotton who introduced a bill designed to prohibit schools from teaching the 1619 Project, which explores the legacy of slavery in the United States.
Similar reactions from Republicans followed the rebranding of products like Pearl Milling Company’s syrup – formerly Aunt Jemima – and the Land O’ Lakes logo that featured an offensive depiction of a Native American woman.
What Republicans fail to wrap their heads around is that cancel culture is not a movement that is propelled entirely by Democrats; while some liberals may have called attention to the often blatant and objectively racist connotations, there were no protests or demonstrations held to boycott these products or texts. Rather, companies have been following the tide change that has been occurring throughout the last several years as society has been reckoning with systemic issues surrounding topics like race and gender. Corporate America is no different. Companies are simply altering their products to fit the demand of the market. This is resulting in branding that is not offensive. How controversial!
Cancel culture is only problematic when it is the government making these decisions for businesses. When MLB moved the 2021 All-Star Game and Will Smith moved the production of his movie “Emancipation” out of Georgia as a result of the new voter suppression laws (which were designed to cancel the growing influence of black and brown voters) Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) warned corporations to stay out of politics, for there would be serious consequences if they continued to function as a “vehicle for far left mobs to hijack our country.” For a party that is still overwhelmingly in support of Citizens United – which deregulated monetary limits on independent expenditure groups in political campaigns – it is hypocritical that Senator McConnell and his fellow Republicans only denounce corporate influence when it does not serve their interests.
How could Senator McConnell and his fellow Republicans condemn what they see as “cancel culture” one day and then turn around to make it their rallying cry the next by threatening businesses?
Republicans are conveniently weaponizing cancel culture to divert attention from the actual issues at play, which consumers consistently support. However, if the Republican Party is truly hell-bent on abolishing cancel culture, they should examine its root: capitalism.
