This Week’s Word: Cancel

Labor versus management. They say labor has the control right now. A large number of employees want to work at home and refuse to negotiate with the boss man on the subject. Gen-Z is flexing its muscles with the man.

Morgan Wallen lost his voice, and now has postponed three upcoming shows after canceling one at a stadium in Oxford, MS. That Mississippi cancel might have been one of the worst handled cancellations in a long time. At least one person sued to recover money lost.

That’s the setup … now to knock down the pins!

Disney is firing 7,000 associates right down in a downsizing. Google is stopping construction on a massive California campus and restructuring staff. iHeart and others continue to shrink their on-air/off-air staffs, among the latest in Huntington, WV. Where is all this labor power you keep reading about?

Few that pull a paycheck right now are bullet proof. Hey, Gen Z family, get back to work at work or you will be watching “Live With Kelly & Mark” every day and canceling that health club membership very soon.

Don Lemon and Tucker Carlson are available to speak on the power of labor to your social club. Poke the bear enough and the bear will eat you!

How to cancel a show: A huge decision no matter when you pull the plug.

Wallen’s Oxford cancellation, which happened right at show time, after the opening acts had performed, did not go over well with the fans. They will always be disappointed, but this one was an ouch.

Unless you are bleeding to death, the star ideally delivers the bad news. In this scenario, in a perfect world, Morgan walks out with his band playing and demonstrates his voice. Tells the audience it’s a free concert, everyone gets a refund. All the while, saying how sorry he was. Maybe letting the opening acts play was a bad idea. Cancel, then let the others play if the fans want to stay. If it’s just the voice, then stay on stage or sign autographs. Make the pain seem a little less. Throwing up a graphic on the big screen and a mystery voice reading the message of doom was stunning.

Now the rumors are flying, with “Inside Edition” showing footage of a security guard claiming that Morgan was drunk and left in an ambulance! (A claim vehemently denied by no less that his label’s CEO, Seth England, who called it “nowhere close to true.”) Morgan is still on social probation in some circles, so the optics here are very bad.

Some of us are cheering for Wallen to win the game. Seeing a national TV show like “Inside Edition” inflame a whole new set of rumors is horrible PR at best. Where is the counterattack?

Stars are labor too. They work at the pleasure of the fans. Can’t say that enough.

The head of NBC got kicked to the curb for messing with a CNBC anchor over the past 10 years. He was a boss, but actually labor like all the rest.

Climbing to the top … and staying at the top … has never been easy. Follow the rules, don’t think you can’t be replaced, don’t think you are too big to fail!

Learn to read the room. That’s one of the best talents Music Row folks can learn