From TikTok to ‘The White Lotus’: The Left’s Declining Influence Over Cancel Culture

The cultural landscape appears to be shifting, as indicated by HBO’s “The White Lotus”.

A segment from the March 8 airing of this acclaimed anthology series became a hot topic online, showcasing a character who was sympathetically portrayed despite being criticized and bullied by her stylish coastal-liberal friends for — perhaps — voting for Donald Trump in the presidential election.

Interestingly, the vocal Democrats emerged as the clear antagonists in this scene, as they berated their friend for her perceived “wrongthink.”

This prompted a flurry of online discussions: Is the entertainment industry’s rigid leftism starting to falter?

Meanwhile, Woke TikTok was experiencing a similar awakening.

Kylie Perkins, a TikTok influencer, previously maintained a mid-tier account with 200,000 followers until recently.

Branding herself as “Your tough love BFF,” she urged her predominantly female audience to tidy up their spaces room by room, stop procrastinating, and foster gratitude for their circumstances.

Her followers expressed appreciation as they followed Perkins’ advice to organize their kitchens and laundry areas.

Then, the backlash from the left began.

A follower of Perkins, a complete outsider, expressed a supposed “need” to know the influencer’s political views and began an in-depth investigation of her account.

This stranger uncovered what she deemed an unpardonable offense: the possibility that Kylie Perkins had voted for Trump.

Though Perkins never explicitly stated so, following the former president on social media and sharing one of his videos provided enough “evidence” for this individual.

In a matter of hours, TikTok videos and comments began to call for Perkins’ cancellation. The message was unmistakable: she had voted incorrectly and therefore should be canceled immediately.

The original clip garnered over a million views, with the amateur investigator branding it a public service announcement.

The vengeful ex-follower declared, “The motivational cleaning lady… is a Trump supporter. I will never support someone who supports him.”

Other left-leaning TikTok users joined in the outrage.

“Why are we giving Kylie Perkins… someone who voted for a felon and doesn’t care about our rights as women, a platform?” one criticized.

However, those condemnations were quickly outnumbered by supporters rallying behind Perkins, including several notable figures.

“Honestly, I didn’t know who Kylie Perkins was before you all tried to cancel her,” wrote women’s sports advocate Riley Gaines. “Now I do and I follow her.” Gaines’ encouraging video reached 3.6 million viewers.

In just 72 hours, Perkins gained over a million additional followers, and two weeks later, her count climbed to 2.3 million.

The attempt to silence her had the opposite effect, amplifying her presence instead.

Now, Perkins is becoming a symbol for creators who are tired of concealing their political views out of fear of being canceled.

“No one is going to Kylie Perkins me,” one supporter declared. “I’m just letting you know now — I voted for Trump!”

For years, conservative content creators on social media have been cautious about their online personas, understanding that any hint of right-leaning opinions could incite backlash.

I can relate; I was once one of them.

However, it appears that Woke TikTok has inadvertently formed a coalition of Americans who are weary of fear and tired of hiding their political beliefs.

We now recognize a substantial audience that shares these sentiments.

In light of the fact that a majority of the nation votes red, it’s time to stop fearing “cancel culture.”

Nevertheless, online bullies have made creators hesitant to be authentic, apprehensive that even a casual remark could provoke a mob response.

I understand that fear; I experienced it myself.

Shortly after starting my TikTok account in 2019, I made a conscious decision to steer clear of political commentary, even going so far as to delete early videos that expressed support for Trump’s stance on the Jewish community.

I aimed to build a platform focused on educating about Judaism and countering antisemitism, believing that discussing political matters would lead to negativity.

In 2022, as I approached 800,000 followers, my account unexpectedly attracted a surge of angry comments and videos during a family vacation. I was taken aback.

“So disappointed”

“I can’t understand how you could support or have supported someone so antisemitic.”

“I was rooting for you, but if you voted for him in 2016, that’s one thing; but in 2020? I can’t believe it.”

I soon realized that people had discerned my voting preferences based on photos of me from a pro-Trump Israel rally in 2020.

Nearly 20,000 followers dropped me overnight.

The vitriol was unyielding. I felt intimidated and frightened.

Then, I received a pivotal piece of advice I’ll never forget — something I hope Kylie Perkins now understands, too: The only person who can cancel you is you.

I remained active online. My follower count rebounded and then soared.

Thus, the left should be warned. When the mob attempts to silence us, it only serves to amplify our voices.

Melinda Strauss is a Jewish educator and content creator on TikTok and Instagram: @therealmelindastrauss