Every once in a while, a famous singer, actress or social media influencer trends on Twitter for either saying something borderline racist or offensive and Cancel Culture flocks in to cancel their career. It is in these moments when all of our timelines are flooded with tweets dragging these social media stars for their black screen, paragraph long (or when on Youtube, 15 minute long) Instagram story apologies where they blame their racism on young naivety. 

R&B fans have cancelled Sabrina Claudio for her 2015 tweets with the N word, Gina Rodriguez for her constant anti blackness which she hides with pro Latina pride and recently, Camila Cabello for saying the N word and making racist jokes on Tumblr in 2014. 

With some intense investigation from dedicated Twitter accounts, social media users have found that the 21 year old singer posted some questionable and offensive jokes on Tumblr while she was apart of Fifth Harmony. If you looked closely on her Tumblr, you can find pictures of Popeyes Chicken, watermelon and a young black child juxtaposed together. The singer was also found using the N word and reblogging a post that stated, “MEXICAN AND BLACK JOKES ARE PRETTY MUCH THE SAME ONCE YOU’VE HEARD JUAN YOU’VE HEARD JAMAL.”

Camilla Cabello’s past recently resurfaced and she immediately addressed the issue in a social media post. Her apology was no different than the others: it was on Instagram laced with fake sincerity in which she blames her young age of 16 for participating in blatant racism. 

How young do you have to be to recognize that racism won’t lightly pass as a joke? In 2020, every person with the slightest bit of fame should all be aware of what they put out into the social media world because it will come back to haunt them and it’s ghost will be very much alive in cancel culture. Camilla Cabello clearly practiced this cookie cutter Instagram story apology, because almost every Youtuber before her has done the same thing.  The entirety of Cancel Culture collectively did an eye roll when the Havana singer posted her public apology “from the bottom of her heart”. 

“I’m an adult and I’ve grown and learned and am conscious and aware of the history and the pain it carries in a way I wasn’t before. Those mistakes don’t represent the person I am or a person I’ve ever been. I only stand and have ever stood for love and inclusivity, and my heart has never, even then, had any ounce of hate or divisiveness.” 

We’ve heard this apology before and frankly, it didn’t sit well with the Cancel Culture sub-world of social media. These self proclaimed career cancellers were already calling to cancel Cabello for this racist remarks, as they did with actress Gina Rodriguez. 

The most cringeworthy part of this whole situation is that Cabello fans, mostly made up of white teenagers, were quick to forgive the Havana singer for her racist remarks. 

Since when can people who racially cannot take offense to the n word has the power to forgive another person’s racial ignorance?

The singer went on to discuss how she will, “speak out about injustice and inequality. I can’t say enough how deeply sorry and ashamed I feel” 

This apology would have been way more convincing if she hadn’t carbon copied and pasted it from the dozens of other Instagram apologies or the 15 minute half sob, half apology videos from problematic Youtubers. 

For now, Camilla Cabello is already seeing the effects of Cancel Culture as it may have been the reason for her shockingly low ticket sales for her tour. Her 15 year old naivety surely had no regrets in coming back to haunt her future career.