Anatomy of a failed cancellation
Dennis Kavanagh says the tide has turned.
🧵1/ Social media today lays bare the anatomy of a botched cancellation. The target was Professor Stock, respected academic, LGB Alliance trustee, author of the excellent book "Material Girls". The impotent would-be assassin, a University colleague, Francesco Ventrella. pic.twitter.com/vzUJ8MQR8C
— Dennis Noel Kavanagh (@Jebadoo2) October 7, 2021
Note the “empathy, compassion.” Not for the likes of Kathleen Stock of course.
3/ Francesco here this morning posted a three tweet thread explicitly NOT calling for Professor Stock's sacking in the same way the Kray twins aren't explicitly saying they will burn your shop down when they say "Nice business you got here, shame if anything were to happen to it"
— Dennis Noel Kavanagh (@Jebadoo2) October 7, 2021
But it didn’t work out the way he expected.
9/ He must have wondered at that point how he had come to misjudge this so badly. Surely beardy pronoun thugs just need to attack prominent lesbians and they go through hell while he pretends virtue. This easy assassination must have begun to look more challenging than at first.
— Dennis Noel Kavanagh (@Jebadoo2) October 7, 2021
12/ Following a public outcry at Francesco's casual attempt to whip up trans anger out of his own envy the coup de grace was landed by the institution that (presently) employs him. An unequivocal statement of support https://t.co/CAkt3zpriq
— Dennis Noel Kavanagh (@Jebadoo2) October 7, 2021
15/ Things have changed for the better. The anatomy of this failed cancellation is instructive and powerful. This is a tipping point. If you're watching this and you're undecided know this. Today was about one man threatening one senior woman's job. Choose if you think that's ok.
— Dennis Noel Kavanagh (@Jebadoo2) October 7, 2021
There is no way that conduct falls under academic freedom, quite the opposite. They should be taking steps to terminate him.
And the “feminism” – but not for women.
And the lesson that I wish institutions learned long ago is simple: twitter campaigns generate noise but no consequence. Stand firm and they dissolve in impotent shouting. Only the fact that many companies, universities and the like lost their nerve and caved in gave such campaigns the appearence of having real power; once companies realise they can simply not accede to the demands, the illusion vanishes.
As a straight guy, I’ve got to admit to a slight crush on Dennis, but not sexually, for his ability to cut through and clearly defeat the Traliban.
Yes, Dennis says good things.
I’m in agreement with Holms. Maya Forstater’s appeal that won her (and others) the right to believe that biological sex is real* and immutable was the tipping point legally in the U.K., and I think the University of Sussex knows this and so won’t bend a knee to the TWAW types trying to oust Professor Stock.
* – of course sex is real, which any biologist who isn’t into categories of horses could tell you.