TikTok Hate vs. YouTube Cancel Culture: Tana Mongeau & Brooke Schofield Under the Spotlight
What are we looking at?
In this day and age, “cancel culture” feels inevitable — but it looks very different depending on which platform you’re watching it unfold. Tana Mongeau and Brooke Schofield have both paved the way for online scrutiny, especially on TikTok. In this piece, we’ll dig into some of their major controversies, how fan reactions compare across TikTok vs. YouTube, and what it says about the culture of canceling today. I mean, after all, they did have a podcast called Canceled.
What Counts as “Canceling”?
Cancel culture suggests someone is being publicly attacked for behavior or comments, often from their past. Most of the time, losing followers, sponsorships, or facing intense media scrutiny.
On YouTube, that backlash often comes from long-form videos, commentary, apologies, and slower build-up. On TikTok, everything is fast: short-form videos, stitches/duets, trending sounds, clips resurface quickly, and while being viral, it can blow up old content days (or even hours) after exposure.
Tana and Brooke have both been canceled, but on different platforms. Tana started on YouTube, so most of hers are on that platform, while Brooke became popular when TikTok started, so most of hers are on that app.
Here are some major controversies-
Tana
1. TanaCon (2018) — Tana attempted her own convention as an alternative to VidCon (a big convention made for YouTubers), but due to a lack of planning, crowd issues, and safety concerns, it was shut down on the first day. Many people were frustrated and demanded refunds. Tana later apologized via video, along with working with others to express her sympathy for those affected by the sun, lack of food and water, and wasting their time and money. This set her back.
2. “The N-Word” Video & Apology — Early in her YouTube career, Tana used a racial slur. After being called out, especially by other creators, she made apology videos explaining her growth and lack of awareness at that time. She didn't get kicked off the internet, though.
3. Cody Ko Allegations — On Cancelled, Tana revealed that she had a sexual relationship with YouTuber Cody Ko when she was 17 and he was 25, which, under Florida law, could be considered statutory rape. This revelation caused controversy, follower changes, and had many people talking.
Brooke
4. Brooke Schofield’s Old Tweets Resurfaced- In 2024, screenshots of tweets Brooke made between 2012 and 2015 resurfaced. She talked about the Trayvon Martin case, which began circulating. Brooke gave an emotional apology and basically said she was sorry because she was young and naive. Tana called the tweets “horrific” but didn’t remove Brooke from Cancelled; instead, she donated to his foundation. Fans were shocked that she kept Brooke on.
5. Clinton Kane vs Brooke- Brooke took to her TikTok to expose her former boyfriend, Clinton Kane, calling it "Who the fuck did I marry?" She soon talked about it more on the podcast, but fans had all different reactions to this. Was she lying? Why would she stay with him for so long? He soon got death threats, but fans supported her. That's just how TikTok works sometimes...
Now what do I think of all of this....?
I grew up watching Tana Mongeau on YouTube. She told the best stories, and I just kept watching her growing up, all her eras. She did a lot to offend people in her past and made a lot of mistakes. She has grown so much that no one could really kick her off the internet. She took accountability and changed her ways.
Brooke is fairly new to me; I only know her because of Tana. When I got introduced to her, she had been sleeping with Tana's boyfriend, and they were calling her "Mandy". But Brooke grew on all of us when they made the podcast together. They were both funny and relatable together. Brooke then got canceled. And while I don't agree with everything, I believe she knew that the damage she was causing was harmful. Now said and done, the digital footprint is real; this will never leave either of them.
Fan reactions:
TikTok often wants apologies quickly. Brooke waited some time to give an apology for her racist tweets resurfacing. Either fans thought she was ignoring it and not taking accountability, or she was waiting for the right time to say something. Basically, her apology went like this... I am sorry, but I am 27 years old now and don't feel that way anymore. Fans, especially those of color, were upset with the whole situation at large. Claiming she should have done more to help their community, and that Tana should have said something too, since they do a podcast together. Brooke then tried again, saying that "sorry isn't enough."
My take: I believe her second apology was enough at that point. She took accountability at the end of the day. But it's not me that she is apologizing to, it is the people of color she offended. I am glad she spoke up about it! I believe that this doesn't have anything to do with politics, but that white people need to get rid of their racist mindsets and stop using politics to cover it up...
YouTube audiences sometimes appreciate a polished response. I am not even gonna lie... Tana has a million apology videos uploaded on YouTube. Some apologies were for saying the N-word, bad Twitter fingers, TanaCon, a racist past, and more. She had plenty of time to do her videos right and grow, but chose not to and has to continue making apology videos. Fans still support her after her last video; of course, it takes them time to get over it, but once an influencer pops back, fans tend to forget everything they have done. or their beliefs. Across platforms, forgiveness depends on proof of growth. Audiences want creators to show learning, not just say “I was young.” Tana has done a lot in her career; she had a rough childhood and teenage years, and never wanted to be a role model to anyone. She just started by telling her stories from life, and got fame from it.
My take: I think most of her stuff was from when she was young, but at the same time, if she actively chose to ignore her behavior and not grow, then it doesn't make things any better. I love Tana, I just don't agree with everything she has said or done. Now she seems to have really grown and shown remorse for her past. Now she is glowing and doing better with not getting canceled so much.
But I do understand her comment section down below-------
Why These Cases Matter-
Tana and Brooke show how cancellation isn’t just one thing; it is shaped by more than that. TikTok’s bitterness means a clip can go viral before anyone even understands the full context. YouTube controversies build more slowly but leave a deeper footprint because videos don’t disappear from recommendations.
For creators, knowing this difference can help them choose how to address mistakes. For fans, it’s a reminder to check sources before joining a hate spree.
Tana and Brooke are the blueprint for getting canceled, as they would even say on their podcast. They are great examples of what not to do when you want a clean background while being an influencer. Some creators like the hate too, because it gets them views regardless. Some would rather never get hate and make the internet happy. So... what would you choose if you ever got famous overnight?
Closing thoughts-
Even with all the drama and cancellations, I still like both Tana and Brooke. Nobody is perfect, and while they’ve each made mistakes, they’ve also shown growth and resilience in how they handle being in the public eye. For me, their honesty and humor make them relatable despite the controversies. At the end of the day, I enjoy watching their content and following their journeys because being real, even with flaws, is part of what makes them who they are.
Who do you think is next up in the series? Stay tuned..... Don't be late.
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