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I suppose when it comes down to it I just want a maximum punishment for the spoken word. And cancellations often go way beyond my nebulous line for what a maximum punishment should be. People should suffer social embarrassment for a day, maybe a week for really bad things. And then it should be let go. The written word can maybe receive twice as harsh of punishments. If they are some form of sociopath that isn't really punished by social embarrassment then we can work something else out as a punishment that is about equally as harsh.
Humans aren't perfect, and sometimes they slip up and say dumb things without realizing they have crossed a line. I don't know if you think you've lived a perfect life and never said anything wrong before, but I know I've certainly said things I shouldn't have. I would like to not lose my livelihood over saying those things. I specifically remember one of the earliest instances of me saying a wrong thing, I was bullied by a kid in Elementary school, in middle school that kid committed suicide, in Highschool I made an edgy joke to a friend about being glad he wasn't around to torment me anymore, the friend winced and didn't laugh. I felt mild social embarrassment, and learned not to joke about that. That is an easy one to describe that I feel safe sharing because I can say I was an idiot in highschool, but I've made dumber and worse speech decisions in my adult life that I'd absolutely not feel safe sharing.
Humans also sometimes hold views that are not socially acceptable or within the Overton window. We are specifically on a forum that has been chased out of a larger social media site, because we want to allow people to say things outside of the Overton window. I am very uncomfortable with social rules that make it impossible to state anything outside of the Overton window. My own Dad often says things that are not acceptable on wider social media. He has been temp-banned on Facebook a few times for things he has said. He isn't really willing to not say some of his thoughts. Banning him from social media doesn't really remove him as a person, he is still out there thinking those forbidden thoughts. "Jokes" are one way to tease out the limits of the Overton window. The attempt to use humor, even if the attempt fails, shows that the person in question cares about social conventions. This is a sign that you don't need to punish them as harshly.
It seems like the simple and obvious solution would be for social media companies to set user post visibility to friends only by default, though with something like Twitter its basic premise is that you are posting for everyone to see.
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"Nice business you have there, friend, it would be shame if it caught fire. Fortunately, you can easy prevent it for a reasonable price"
"I found some not so nice pictures of you, friend, it would be shame if your wife saw them. Fortunately, you can easy prevent it..."
Nothing than spoken word out here, no big deal, people talking like might be socially embarrassed, but no more than for whole week.
edit: bad typing
The first is a threat, and the second is blackmail.
But also you just said those things and I don't think you expected to be persecuted (nor should you be). So as words they are fine to say. Its when they are paired with a context that the underlying meaning is the problem.
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I haven't, and I also would like to keep providing for my family. But the only way out is through, and after living in fear in a particularly vulnerable industry as a witch, and already nearly losing my job over COVID mandates, I believe the only way this stop is if the left gets a taste of their own medicine. Rules only exist and are respected among peers with the same capabilities.
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Having your band partner get pissed off at something you say (especially on stage) and break up isn't centrally cancellation, though.
His agent dropping him does though. But that might just be because the only thing Kyle has going for him is that he is adjacent to Jack Black, and once that is gone there is nothing for an agent to gain.
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