Fight as you may, but make one wrong move in today’s society and your time in the spotlight or in America’s good graces may very well be up.
Cancel culture, or at least its nomenclature was first introduced into our lexicon courtesy of the smooth sounds of the synth banger “Your Love is Canceled.” The lyrics are Nigel Roger’s dressing down of an entitled date, whose terrible behavior and subsequent dismissal he compares to a television show being canceled.
The verb gained ground in relationship to the #MeToo movement, which effectively called for the cancelation of celebrities accused of sexual assault.
In our current climate, canceling has widened its scope, amounting to the social and economic banishment of public figures, brands, movies and even hostile emojis based on offensive language, polarizing views, racist sentiment, xenophobia, transphobia, criminal activity, homophobia, poor taste, mistreatment of wait staff, abuse of power, support of white supremacy etc.
In response to the ongoing discourse, Merriam Webster expanded its definition of the verb cancel to include, “to withdraw one’s support for (someone, such as a celebrity, or something, such as a company) publicly and especially on social media.” Merriam Webster also added the term cancel culture to the dictionary, defining it as “the practice or tendency of engaging in mass canceling as a way of expressing disapproval and exerting social pressure.”
Cancel culture is divisive, with some decreeing it as a long awaited reckoning for the morally bankrupt and behaviorally sus and others calling it an all out attack on free speech and equal exchange. “Our cultural institutions are facing a moment of trial,” Harper’s Bazaar notes. “Powerful protests for racial and social justice are leading to overdue demands for police reform, along with wider calls for greater equality and inclusion across our society, not least in higher education, journalism, philanthropy, and the arts.
Yet this needed reckoning has also intensified a new set of moral attitudes and political commitments that tend to weaken our norms of open debate and toleration of differences in favor of ideological conformity.” However you define it or where you stand on cancel culture, some signs are naturally more incendiary than others and run a higher risk of being canceled than their cohorts. Read on to learn more about the zodiac’s most likely culprits.
4. ARIES (March 21 – April 19)
A combination of poor impulse control and the utter absence of tact make Aries folk high on the cancel list. They shoot from the hip and off at the mouth in ways that are dicey on a good day and downright irredeemable on a bad one. Notably Aries folk called to be canceled include Piers Morgan and Gena Carano.
3. LEO (July 23 – August 22)
Leos are likely to get canceled because of their incessant need to be heard and to be treated like the royalty they see themselves as. Bend the knee, kiss the ring or feel the wrath of rude, a pattern allegedly seen in the likes of Leo James Corden, which caused him to be temporarily banned from acclaimed New York City restaurant Balthazar for mistreating an employee. Leave it to a lion to call the feelings of another person “beneath” them. Eye roll.
Perhaps fearing retaliation in the form of pubic hair in his endive salad or the spit of a stranger in his consommé, Corden eventually delivered a mea culpa to the staff and management of the restaurant in question. Leos easily find spotlights to stand under and platforms to speak from, but they suffer the consequences of cancelation when they use that status to court controversy, demean others, make inflammatory statements and/or disseminate misinformation. J.K. Rowling, Lea Michele and Joe Rogan are notable examples.
2. SCORPIO (October 23 – November 21)
Scorpios are known for going to extremes and for going hard for what they believe, who they love and what they hate. There’s also a bit of baiting and burn the boats kind of vibe to this ilk. Ruled by Pluto, planet of death and regeneration, this sign has no fear of cancelation and is unlikely to back down, back peddle or beg forgiveness. We see this refusal in scorpions like Colin Kaepernick whose decision to remain seated during the National Anthem spurred backlash and blackballing but whose firm stance and unapologetic protest inspired change and powerful discourse about racial injustice.
Ruled by Pluto, planet of death and regeneration, Scorpios have no fear of cancelation and are unlikely to back down, back peddle or beg forgiveness.
A lesser known example of a scorpion sticking to their guns in the face of cancelation is comedienne Kathy Griffin, the subject of a scandalous photo that saw her presenting the the severed head of one, Donald Trump in a style reminiscent of the biblical Judith slaying Holofernes. Under pressure, Griffin apologized for the imagery but later rescind her regrets and stood by her line crossing and head holding.
1. GEMINI (May 21 – June 20)
Gemini takes the cake for controversy. Ruled by filter eschewing, trash talking, info sharing planet Mercury, Gemini is the sign that needs a muzzle more than a microphone. Language is easily weaponized by this contingent and they are likely to spew nonsense at best and hate speech at worst. A constant stream, neigh, mud vein of consciousness makes them highly questionable and easily cancelable, a point proven time and again by the erratic and offensive outbursts of Kanye West AKA Ye whose rants have resulted in he and his Yeezy line being dropped by Gap and Adidas.
Gemini is the sign that needs a muzzle more than a microphone.
Donald Trump and Neil Patrick Harris are another pair of twins in the constant crosshairs of cancelation. Geminis tend to double down on their own cancel-ability in their refusal to be silenced, edited or made to feel irrelevant. They will not go gently into that disgraced night, neigh they will tweet, scream, spit and post ensuring that they may never again be celebrated but they will never, ever, be ignored.
Astrology 101: Your guide to the stars
Least Likely to get canceled: LIBRA (September 23 – October 22)
Libras are more smoothers and appeasers than inciters and provokers, making them well versed in tailoring opinions, biting tongues and doing damage control. Even and especially when they royally f**k up, they are quick to rebrand the offense, blame it on someone else or issue public apology, making them the sign least likely to be condemned or canceled.
Astrologer Reda Wigle researches and irreverently reports back on planetary configurations and their effect on each zodiac sign. Her horoscopes integrate history, poetry, pop culture and personal experience. She is also an accomplished writer who has profiled a variety of artists and performers, as well as extensively chronicled her experiences while traveling. Among the many intriguing topics she has tackled are cemetery etiquette, her love for dive bars, Cuban Airbnbs, a “girls guide” to strip clubs and the “weirdest” foods available abroad.