Events have been so frenetic over the past few years that it may be difficult for some to remember, but at the height of the covid panic there was a massive media campaign to destroy the image of any celebrity that publicly refused to take the vaccine. They could be TV or film celebrities, famous scientists, politicians or even sports figures; it didn't matter. Anyone with a “platform” and an audience was expected to toe the line on the government covid narrative, or suffer the consequences.
One could argue that the mandates and vaccines were more a loyalty test than an effort to save lives: Those who complied were considered devout collectivists or at least people who could be controllable, and those who refused to comply immediately stood out as a potential threat. This is how a world-class tennis player from Serbia, Novak Djokovic, was treated when it was revealed that he was not vaccinated when he entered the Australian Open in early 2022.
Djokovic was subsequently removed from the tournament and had his travel visa revoked. Keep in mind the player had a clean bill of health at the time, but his example of defiance of the jab was considered unacceptable by Australian authorities. What would follow was an endless attack on his character and intelligence on social media, which a number of corporate journalists joined in on.
One of the lead instigators of this attempt at cancellation was Mike Dickson, a prominent British sports journalist working for the Daily Mail. Dickson is noted as being relentless in his criticism of Djokovic, calling the player "arrogant and deplorable" for refusing to submit.
