Cancel Culture and Public Accountability for Celebrities

K-pop fans are known for being hard with their idols. If an idol is involved in scandals, such as crime, drug use, or other controversies, fans do not hesitate to abandon them. This phenomenon is called cancel culture.

Cancel culture refers to the withdrawal of public support from individuals deemed problematic. It is commonly applied to celebrities, including actors, actresses, and singers, who get caught in controversial scandals.

In Indonesia, K-pop fans have also embraced cancel culture. One of them is Naila (25), a K-pop fan from Pati, Central Java, who admitted to cancel several South Korean celebrities.

“I stopped supporting those involved in the Burning Sun scandal, like former Bigbang member Seungri. I also canceled former Stray Kids member Woojin for contract violations,” Naila shared on Monday (17/2/2025).

Naila’s decision to engage in cancel culture is based on reasons. She explained that former Bigbang member Seungri was involved in the Burning Sun scandal, which included illegal prostitution and drug trafficking.

Meanwhile, former Stray Kids member Woojin was caught in multiple sexual harassment scandals and was linked to a fake agency. Given these controversies, it is unsurprising that Naila and other K-pop fans chose to withdraw their support from such problematic artists.

“I don't want to see any content related to Seungri anymore. As for another actor involved in the scandal, I’ve stopped watching his dramas,” Naila said. “Regarding the former Stray Kids member, I’ve never listened to his solo music.”

She believed that cancel culture is essential in Indonesia. “It’s very important because, in my opinion, people with bad attitudes, especially those with criminal records, shouldn’t be given airtime on television,” she emphasized.

A new media and popular culture expert from Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta (UMS), Rina Sari Kusuma, S.Sos., M.I.Kom., described cancel culture as an evolution of social sanctions like boycotts. “In the past, social sanctions were applied in traditional ways. Now, with communication technology evolving into new media, the effects of these sanctions are much more visible to the public," Rina explained on Monday (17/2/2025).

Cancel culture is seen as a punishment for celebrities who act recklessly, given their public recognition. Heaven forbid if society starts imitating the irresponsible behavior of such celebrities.

This culture of withdrawal of support can also apply to problematic companies, those that pollute the environment, mistreat their employees, or get involved in major scandals.

Forms of cancel culture can include refusing to listen to a celebrity’s work, avoiding content featuring them, boycotting products affiliated with them, and criticizing them on social media. “Bluntly speaking, it’s a harsh way of sending a message,” she added.

Rina Sari Kusuma stated that cancel culture is not a new phenomenon in Indonesia. “It might seem like it originated from Korea because of the high media coverage from there,” she explained.

There have been many cases of cancel culture in Indonesia. For example: Saipul Jamil lost his contracts after being convicted of sexual harassment against a minor. Stand-up comedian, Uus, was fired from his job due to tweets containing religious blasphemy.

Recently, cancel culture also affected the film A Business Proposal, starring Abidzar Al-Ghifari, Ariel Tatum, Ardhito Pramono, and Caitlin Halderman. The film is an adaptation of the Korean drama of the same name and the Webtoon The Office Blind Date.

A series of controversies surrounded the promotion of this film. These included the lead actor refusing to watch the original drama, confusion over the film’s adaptation source, and referring to K-drama fans as “fanatical fans.”

The word "fanatical" particularly angered some audiences. According to Rina, the term carries a negative stereotype. “The connotation isn’t great,” added the UMS Communication Sciences lecturer.

Rina believed there was a communication issue between the production house and its actors regarding the film’s origin. The lead actor’s admission of not watching the original drama made it seem like the film was not taken seriously.

“His (Abidzar) target audience consists of people who have watched A Business Proposal from Episode 1 to 12,” Rina explained.

The movie's IMDb rating plummeted to 1/10, and according to Antara, as of Tuesday (11/2/2025), A Business Proposal had only 19,631 viewers.

It is considered low compared to other films that premiered on the same day. For comparison, Petaka Gunung Gede managed to attract one million viewers last Tuesday.

Cancel culture cannot be separated from the role of netizens who actively use social media. According to Rina, netizens are not only message recipients but also message producers.

Social media serves as a platform for marginalized individuals, who lack power, to voice their messages. This is different from the media in the past, which could only be accessed by those in power.

“Nowadays, if you have TikTok, you can voice anything,” explained the lecturer who focuses on online participatory topics. This situation further highlights the role of netizens in delivering messages, even gathering large masses.

Cancel culture also adapts to the cultural norms of each country. In South Korea and China, for instance, cancel culture can last for a long time, even to the extent of pressuring someone to commit suicide.

Meanwhile, in Indonesia, according to Rina, a public figure can choose to take a temporary hiatus and then return once the controversy dies down. She saw this as a challenge, considering that Indonesians tend to be forgiving.

“Cancel culture exists to show that society has the power to uphold justice. It demonstrates that these public figures do not conform to norms of decency,” she added.

Writer: Gede Arga Adrian

Translator: Farizal Luqman Majid

Editor: Al Habiib Josy Asheva