Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's plain and simple: nobody is willing to give you a tribune for a risky public speech on their large, multi-tenant, money-generating property. They don't want the bad PR fallout. Not because they are moralistic; they care about their profits. It's the public who is moralistic, and even a small but vocal group can do a lot of damage to a company image, with a silent / tepid support from the bulk of the public. Don'…
I believe you have just succinctly described what is known as a "chilling effect" on speech. Historically in this country, we've tried hard to prevent that.
It's astounding to me that anyone believes this. American puritanism has always had an incredibly censorious streak.
Go tell this to any gay/bisexual person not living in a large city, even today. Cancel Culture isn't even close to new. Millions and millions of Americans still live entire lives pretending to have roommates instead of partners. Teachers are still fired for being gay; in the 90s, every gay teacher I knew lived in TREMENDOUS fear. Even in cities. One male elementary teacher I know lived celibate for over two decades because he feared that being outed would definitely leave him destitute and could even eventually land him in jail. He worked in a very liberal big city. Teenagers are still routinely kicked out of home for not being straight. There are still many communities where the key to that raise or promotion is being in the right small group at the right church.
Cancel Culture is not new, and historical examples of it have been far more damaging that losing access to a streaming site. What is new is conservatives finding themselves as a permanent numerical and therefore economic minority. And it's infuriating to them because suddenly the "free market" mechanisms that used to protect them as a numerical and especially economic majority are instead turning against them, even as they hold onto political power, because the market doesn't care about gerrymandering.
I'm not going to hire homophobes because I don't want to work with people who hate me. Is that cancel culture? I don't care. Fucking sue me.
The characterization of Cancel Culture as a "new thing" is beyond infuriating. If you want to roll back Cancel Culture, maybe start by realizing that it's not even close to a new thing.