Opinion |

Accountability, not cancellation, can be a force for change

Six months ago, I predicted that “cancel culture” would win phrase-of-the-year honors from Merriam-Webster. There’s still a lot of it going around, and it angers both liberals and conservatives depending on who or what gets canceled.

Cancel culture — and the idea of “canceling” someone — happens when a celebrity or other public figure does or says something that’s considered offensive. It begins with a person passing judgment and sharing it with others, most often on social media, building a mob mentality of sorts. The lucky offenders are publicly shamed; the not so lucky lose opportunities or even their careers.

Two recent stories of cancellation — or near-cancellation — have gotten a lot of attention. The stories, thus far, have very different outcomes.

Comedian Dave Chapelle was on the cancellation cusp after he made disparaging remarks about transgender people in his recent Netflix special, “The Closer.” Netflix was on the hot seat, too, as several organizations criticized the special as transphobic and hateful. More than a thousand Netflix staff members voiced concerns that Chapelle’s remarks could incite harm against trans people. They organized a virtual walkout last week.

Defending “The Closer,” Netflix co-chief executive Reed Hastings said the company is committed to artistic expression — but acknowledged that tensions exist between freedom and safety. Stand-up comedians, he noted, say outrageous things for effect that not everyone will like. But apparently, plenty of Netflix subscribers like Chapelle.

And while critical reaction to “The Closer” has been mixed, the uproar has only given the comedian a publicity boost. The show is currently among the top 10 most popular Netflix shows in the U.S. At a recent Hollywood Bowl appearance, Chapelle received a standing ovation. He told the crowd, “If this is what being canceled is like, I love it.”

I doubt that Jon Gruden feels the same way. Earlier this month, Gruden resigned as coach of the National Football League’s Las Vegas Raiders. Gruden left behind a 10-year, $100 million contract with the team following a New York Times report that he made racist, homophobic and misogynistic remarks in emails sent over a 12-year period. The correspondence came to light as part of an investigation into the Washington Football Team that did not directly involve Gruden.

The Times review found that Gruden “casually and frequently denigrated people around the game,” mocking female referees, gay athletes and player protests during the national anthem. Ironically, it was a member of Gruden’s own team — defensive lineman Carl Nassib — who in June became the first active NFL player to publicly announce that he is gay.

In a blistering account of Gruden’s wrongdoing, Washington Post sportswriter Sally Jenkins observed, “Gruden is not some bygone relic. He is the current NFL, and as the Las Vegas Raiders head coach he was at the very top of its pay hierarchy. He has spent his life culling rewards in a public-facing business, in which 70 percent of player-colleagues are Black and nearly half the audience is women, in which he had every opportunity to grow a respectful heart. His facile, favored-son abuse of position strikes at the heart of the league’s public meaning. He made a farce of it.”

Many of the loudest anti-cancellation voices in the media have been remarkably silent in the wake of Gruden’s resignation — likely because they’re complicit in his bad behavior. After all, Gruden spent nine years at ESPN, where he was considered a marquee analyst on “Monday Night Football.”

Or perhaps there’s an emerging recognition that it’s well past time for accountability in the NFL. It differs from cancellation: When individuals are held accountable, they accept responsibility for their actions — and they understand the consequences. With accountability comes introspection and a greater likelihood of real, sustained change.

To be sure, Gruden’s behavior doesn’t fit in a league that is making significant investments in image building to attract and retain a broad spectrum of fans. Last year, the NFL announced a pledge of $250 million over 10 years to combat systemic racism and address injustices faced by Black people in our country. The league’s 2020 Social Responsibility Report proclaimed, “The NFL embraces its role in unifying our communities, addressing key social issues and serving as a force for positive change.”

Will the real NFL stand up, please? Because let’s be honest: Gruden didn’t act alone. There were other powerful men from all around the league on the receiving end of his emails. Many of them may be wishing their exchanges never happened. The NFL can’t be a force for positive change and continue to tolerate racist, homophobic and misogynistic behavior.

If Gruden’s departure hastens that realization, it will have been a very good thing for the game.

Dinkin is president of the National Conflict Resolution Center, a San Diego-based group working to create solutions to challenging issues, including intolerance and incivility. To learn about NCRC’s programming, visit ncrconline.com.