Hollywood’s Cultural Critic Jason Lee Dispels Cancel Culture

Jason Lee, the media maverick behind Hollywood Unlocked, has had an unique career path. Lee, an LGBTQA+ media personality, author, entrepreneur, and CEO of Hollywood Unlocked (HU) — a leading urban entertainment company — is well-known for his controversial opinions on the entertainment industry. In order to turn over a fresh leaf, Lee has decided to reinvent himself and redefine what he genuinely represents.

Lee first appeared on the media landscape in the early 2010s, after leveraging contacts with celebrities and social media influencers to launch the successful online media company Hollywood Unlocked, which spawned the television and radio show Hollywood Unlocked with Jason Lee in 2015.

The 44-year-old from Stockton, California, was always spilling tea, although in a different role, before starting his media company. Lee worked for SEIU United Healthcare Workers in California, where he was one of the few black directors. He gathered information and made reports to the hospital administrator's office on how their management was mistreating employees or providing poor patient care.

His nac comes from fighting for the underdog since he has always felt like an outcast, from being raised in foster care to being abandoned by his mother's family to surviving gun violence and watching his brother die. Lee has always felt compelled to figure out how to make things function, which has translated into the various occupations he's had throughout his life, culminating in what he's doing today.

"For years, I was a fantastic steward of creating everyone else's legacies in various career opportunities that I've had, but I took all those talents and all that training as an investment that I then put into my own,” attest Lee.

Lee has reached a point in his media empire where he recognizes that by immersing himself in the lives of others, he has become detached from his own. Lee sat down with For(bes) The Culture for an exclusive interview about who he is at his core, how he aims to reinvent his image, scoping the future of media, and ward off cancel culture in an attempt to humanize himself.

Unlocking Hollywood's Potential

Looking back on the process of writing his book, God Must Have Forgotten About Me, he evaluated the various pain points he'd gone through. Lee's brother's death had a profound impact on him, but it also taught him how to weather any storm.

"After feeling as if I'd lost everything, that experience taught me that I could still find a way to reclaim everything. It put my strength to the test. When someone close to you passes away, it forces you to reconsider your life in general. When you realize that tomorrow isn't guaranteed, you begin to value every second, every minute, every day, and everything you do.” Lee continues, “As a result, I've come to appreciate the significance of ownership. I want complete autonomy. I want the ability to do whatever I want. I want the freedom to build whatever I choose. I want the flexibility to have whatever effect I desire. I also want to be able to leave my mark."

Lee is only at the beginning of what he wants to be a vast media conglomerate, keeping up with the pattern of constructing his own legacy. When it comes to his original concept for Hollywood Unlocked, Lee says that paradoxically, he started the company while living in a studio apartment, and now he owns an entire Hollywood Unlocked studio.

"When I first launched Hollywood Unlocked, I had the concept of unlocking Hollywood. I wanted to show everyone what their favorite celebrities were up to. I had the idea of truly creating a platform that would reveal the truth about what was really going on. I never considered money, an exit strategy, or trying to sell my business for millions of dollars,” states Lee.

The culture critic says he started the site because he adores celebrities and pop culture. " I am fascinated by culture. Black culture, in particular. I always believed that if I build something I'm passionate about, the money will follow, but I never imagined it would grow as quickly as it has, especially with all of the global opportunities to expand into new industries.” The studio signifies a turning point in Lee's path, as he recognizes how far he has come while simultaneously acknowledging how far he has yet to go.

Cancel Culture: How To Avoid It

After achieving a certain degree of success, Lee believes he can reconnect with his true self and wants to focus on other interests, such as politics and social issues, one of which is ‘cancel culture’. When it comes to ‘cancel culture’, Lee is aware that some people may associate his body of work with past negative engagements. Lee goes on the record to say he's overcoming those unfavorable stereotypes.

Lee discussed the impact of ‘cancel culture’ on society today. He hopes to return to a time where people who make a mistake or have a lapse in judgment may still have a chance of a successful career if they rectify the situation, accept responsibility, and move on.

“Yes, I'm gay, but I still love Dave Chappelle, he is an absolute genius. I was against it when people were trying to cancel him. Whoopi Goldberg said something that was unfavorable to a particular group. She was then canceled for two weeks instead of being free to express herself. While Joe Rogan, who is looking at $200 million to keep his show running and hasn't missed a beat, gets to decide if he still wants to be there,” explains Lee.

The media mogul proclaims to be a fan of both Goldberg and Rogan, and that both should be able to exist without people risking losing everything because they did or said something that people dislike.

“Cancel culture is exactly what it sounds like. Because everything that is permanently canceled is culturally significant,” expresses Lee.

Lee admits to making mistakes himself, and understands he isn’t perfect. However, in retrospect, he reflects on some of the things he has said and done in the past. What fans and non-fans alike want to know is whether Lee has any regrets today as opposed to when he was in particular situations.

"I think it's vital to recognize that I have a voice that matters now, but also that I had a voice that mattered when I didn't think it did. When I first started using Twitter, I would make the most absurd jokes or have incidents like the time I threw a drink at Hazel E. Those things weren't okay in hindsight. Looking back, it wasn't so much about Hazel E as it was about my fear of being judged for being openly gay," Lee adds.

Lee feels Black people are frequently the sum of one error when it comes to ‘cancel culture’. "Whether it's mainstream media or Black Twitter, they'll remind me of every time I've made a mistake, but we're the sum of all our experiences.” When the story is finished, Lee says, "I wish to leave a legacy that inspires people in its whole."

Lee shares some reassurance tactics that will help people bounce back from negative public criticism. One suggestion is to embrace your mistakes as learning opportunities.

“Consider the Queen Elizabeth narrative. I believe it is critical to embrace our mistakes. I made a tremendous mistake, and I apologized for it, owned it, and explained why we came to that choice." Lee argues that he isn't hiding from his mistakes because someone is watching him now and saying, 'I want to do this, but I'm afraid if I make mistakes, I'll lose everything.’

When it comes to wanting to give people their flowers versus wanting to cancel a person, Lee thinks the scale is tipped in the negative direction, stating that bad news sells better than good news.

"We live in a world where people like me will argue that canceling people is wrong, but we have to cover a lot of the things that cause people to be canceled." People will argue things like, ‘Well, you don't like to cancel culture, but you continue to write these stories.’ I'd like people to realize that Hollywood Unlocked is a reflection of current events. That's what the news is, we talk about the good and the bad," Lee asserts.

Ultimately, the war over ‘cancel culture’ is a battle of entitlement. Others who don't want people canceled, according to Lee, are often the same people who are canceling others in social media comments.

Inspirations Along The Way

As a self-made entrepreneur, Lee has propelled himself into the position of leadership. He grew the business by signing a podcast and television partnership with Fox Soul, —Fox's first streaming service — which featured interviews with celebrities including Floyd Mayweather and Tiffany Haddish. He has been inspired by a number of people throughout his voyage.

"I always give Queen Latifah flowers because she has inspired me personally by being able to see that Black people can be more than what I saw in my community. She allowed me to come down to LA when I was 15-years-old to see the show Living Single and meet other people at the Grammys. Another individual who deserves her flowers is MC Lyte. She was one of the first people I met on the set of Living Single, and she hasn't changed since then. She's always been pleasant and gracious. I give her a lot of credit for the young Jason; she influenced me to believe that i could have this type of career,” states Lee.

Lee praises Floyd Mayweather for taking the time to mentor him and instill in him the value of mentorship. As Black men, Lee believes they have a commitment to make space for other men and women of color to be able to access resources that they may not have.

Drake, according to Lee, is an inspiration whom he has never discussed. "I recall meeting a young Drake who was an aspiring artist. He's always been driven to be the best Drake he could possibly be. He encourages me to believe that young artists and artists at the peak of their game may still become icons like Madonna or Michael Jackson.”

Rihanna's ability to humanize Lee and recognize him as a person rather than just a blogger or influencer has also helped Lee stay motivated and encouraged.

Unlocking Hollywood's Next Steps

Now that Lee is well-known throughout the world, he is even more motivated to figure out what the next chapter of his life will entail.

"I'd like for people to understand that some actions are for entertainment, but behind the curtain of entertainment is a whole person living out their dream and allowing others to do the same,” explains Lee.

His studio, Hollywood Unlocked, is a manifestation of his desire to assist people in pursuing their dreams. Lee wants people to realize that to whoever much is given, much is expected in return. "I've worked hard to develop my own sense of security. I now feel a sense of responsibility and commitment to return to the work that I was enthusiastic about before I came to Hollywood."

HU studios can be used for filming, podcasting, music recording, events, and other purposes. His hope is that creators will be encouraged to create their own Hollywood Unlocked.

Lee is getting ready to launch a new e-learning program. He’s enthusiastic about it because one of the things he discovered while building Hollywood Unlocked was how tightly people held onto information because they didn't want anyone else to succeed in their lane.

“I believe that everyone should have their own Hollywood Unlocked. Every person's opinion should be heard. I gain nothing by giving them the game because people will still come back to see what I'm creating,” adds Lee.

Lee feels he can elevate his personal brand outside of Hollywood Unlocked, by doing more interviews in which he tells his story, shows his work, and highlights his creativity.

His Hollywood Unlocked Cares foundation is especially dear to him. "I'm looking for ways to integrate into my hometown community in LA, with the goal of having a larger influence to create more spaces for foster kids and dreamers who didn't think their ambitions were possible."

Visit Hollywood Unlocked and email available@hustudios.com about studio availability