A sage once remarked that our weaknesses are just our strengths carried to excess. Cancel culture is bad because it is excessive, not because it cancels. If one uses one''s right to cancel "sparingly," as Mr. Helligar says he does, one is REJECTING "cancel culture." Critics should expect push-back from fans. But punishment? Nah. That's just pettiness emboldened by anonymity and the mob.

I'm tempted to say that if Mr. Helligar DID lose those things he says were "threatened," he would feel otherwise, but that's really beside the point. He is right to say that some people deserve canceling. But it is inconsistent to claim that cancelling is OK and also that it didn't do as much harm to him as it has to others.