Unpopular opinion: that old video of Kevin Spacey got me thinking about redemption

I was scrolling through YouTube last week and stumbled on a 2017 interview where Kevin Spacey was talking about his craft. It hit me that before all the accusations came out, he was considered one of the greats. I looked up the timeline and found out he was basically erased from everything within 6 months. Here's what surprised me: I read a study from the Annenberg School that said only about 15% of people who are cancelled ever get a real chance to come back publicly. That number made me wonder if we've swung too far the other way. I'm not saying what he did was right, but where's the line between accountability and permanent punishment? Has anyone else thought about how we decide who gets a second chance and who doesn't?

3 comments

3 Comments

jennys721mo ago

Found myself in the same rabbit hole last month. I watched a bunch of his old movies back to back and it was weird seeing him so talented knowing what came later. There was a comedian I loved back in 2019, got cancelled for making edgy jokes about a tragedy, and I swear I haven't heard his name mentioned once since. Meanwhile other people bounce back in like a year. It really does feel random sometimes. Makes you wonder if it's more about who you know than what you actually did.

finleyf881mo ago

Dave Chappelle kept working through the whole controversy. Never stopped. That's the big difference I see. The 2019 guy you mentioned probably had a small following and no industry connections to come back to. Money and fame let people wait out the storm. Think about who actually gets "cancelled" long term. It's always someone without a rich agent or a big platform already in their pocket.

matthewkim29d agoTop Commenter

Told my friend about this exact thing last week. He used to work at a small comedy club and booked this one comedian who was blowing up online in 2020. One old tweet resurfaced, something dumb he said when he was like 19, and within 48 hours the club got threats and had to drop him. My friend said the guy just disappeared completely. No podcast appearances, no specials, nothing. Meanwhile another comedian my friend knew got caught doing way worse stuff and was back on tour in six months because his manager was tight with some big bookers. Its honestly just about who's got your back when the mob shows up.