Having a debate, would love for you to weigh in:
If a singer/artist/actor you used to love turns out to have morality that goes against yours, do you change your behavior involving their work?
E.g. Michael Jackson, Russell Simmons, R. Kelly, et al; also includes those with irreconcilable political views, like Kid Rock, Dennis Quaid, Ted Nugent, Kirstie Alley.
Do you stop listening to/viewing their work? Listen to stuff, but don't give them new ? No change because art is not the artist?
Lots of strong opinions out there, let's hear yours!
It largely depends on the moral transgression that the actor/artist has done. Also, I don't tend to keep up with the latest celebrity gossip so I may not be aware of their views. If its someone I really like then I may be willing to overlook some things.
Marilyn Manson comes to mind just now. I like his music but after the recent allegations against him I stopped listening to his music. But, simply listening to his music doesn't not actively promote Manson or directly provide any income to him. I already have the music so in the long run I will likely listen to his music again. If he is eventually convicted of a crime and sent to prison my opinion might change on this.
I'm a fan of Chris Pratt though he is a conservative republican and has some ignorant religious views as well. I am not aware that he ever supported Trump though so though Pratt might be a a-hole it's not enough to make me hate the guy.
Also, I'm sure many celebrities have some ignorant views or have done some indecent things but they have enough sense to keep it to themselves.
Good comments, and I especially like your last paragraph. Maybe more of that, and we'd have a calmer social scene.
Hmmm β¦ I think it depends.
For example, knowing Kevin Spacey is a disgusting pedophile made me stop watching his movies. I canβt see him the same again. He disgusts me.
On the other hand is JK Rowling. Iβm a rabid Harry Potter fan. I have a Harry Potter ringtone, a Harry Potter bookshelf wall, a Harry Potter tattoo. Nothing can take away the joy those books (and some of the movies) give me. So in this case, I choose to ignore her transphobia.
I think it comes down to Iβm more forgiving of how people think (e.g., religious and political views) vs. how they act (e.g., sexual predation, having a concert to raise money for Trump).
That makes a lot of sense. Not all issues are the same, for sure. Thanks!
I have to say it doesn't change my opinion of the art. However, on a different note, when Bill Cosby's son was murdered I couldn't think of him being funny anymore because of the sadness of the situation. I don't usually buy music but upon consideration I would not buy music from someone like Nugent because of his positions but I don't like that music anyway. I really liked Michael Jackson and although I'm not sure what he did to deserve your putting him in that category, I would still purchase his music. So in conclusion and in answer to your question the "work" doesn't change for me and can still be enjoyed but I might not buy the work which in turn would support the artist I disagreed with. If Babe Ruth was a bigot he might not be a favorite player of mine but you can't take away his records. And now that I raised that point, Ty Cobb was said to be a racist (although I don't know that for a fact) but he was still the best player of all time in my opinion.
Yep! I used to really love certain musical artists who came out strongly against GMO research and other scientific exploration, and so I don't buy anything new of theirs, but listen to what I've got already purchased from when I liked them.
There's a great band playing tonight at my usual hangout, but the lead singer is a Trumper and Covid-denier, so I don't feel bad at all not supporting him and his band.
I also don't like supporting artists who include a large number of religious worship references or songs in their repertoire.
I'm a pretty big tipper when it comes to live music, but I will walk out (and have) if an artist starts playing something I disagree with on a political or social issues level. This includes music venues that have political signs for a candidate I strongly dislike. They should know they are hurting their own business by making a stance publicly on a very divisive issue. If they were smart, they'd keep their political or social issues opinions to themselves.
Luckily I don't think I've ever supported an artist who has behaved in an alarming way, morally, that I know of... and hopefully their private lives will remain private.
Would depend if I can access the art free, in which case I am not providing any money which could be used to support things I do not approve of.
Interesting compromise, I like your logic. Would a scandal/immoral behavior change how much you enjoyed the art, or does the art stand on its own?