A clear example of “cancel culture”: a desire to remove from circulation any content deemed morally unacceptable by some. A “woke” neo-morality espoused by nearly one in four Canadians (23%)!
Cancelling Pepe Le Pew?
Canada, 2021
It all started with a tweet from a New York Times columnist who attacked Pepe Le Pew, claiming the cartoon character “added to rape culture” in America.
He vigorously advocated for the systematic “cancellation” of Pepé Le Pew cartoons on all media and platforms. This inspired us to add a question about this to our annual survey on consumer and citizen values (Panorama 2021).
Based on our indicators of people’s values, there is an idealistic left that totally rejects compromise!
Those opposed to Pepe Le Pew express a profound desire to see all members of society personally fulfilled. They espouse equal opportunity for all, total gender equality, and social, ethnic and sexual diversity. They want to break all the molds of traditional society (which inhibit this fulfilment), as well as all its symbols.
This is quintessential left-wing political correctness!
Moreover, there is a very significant generational component. While 23% of Canadians overall are in favour of cancelling Pepé Le Pew, this proportion rises to 44% among 18-24 year olds, gradually falling to 16% among Canadians 55 and over!
Many people, especially older generations, have grown up with Pepe Le Pew and have developed a certain critical distance from the aggressive behaviour directed at women that the cartoon character seems to legitimize. They see it as a caricature, a joke (and an opportunity to poke fun at the French through Pepe’s accent, for example.)
This new “woke” movement that wants to cancel Pepe has not developed this critical distance. The content is taken literally. It is seen as a symbol of a patriarchal society that needs to be eliminated, cancelled.
