Separating the artist from the art

Started by SHUDEYE, Nov 24, 2019, in Music Add to Reading List

  1. SHUDEYE
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    SHUDEYE Kerser is the sickest.

    Nov 24, 2019
    I saw a post recently that reminded me of this debate. I've put it in Music but it apples to all forms of art/entertainment.

    One debate that comes up a lot is the argument of separating the artist from their art. These days every single indiscretion of an artist is broadcast to the world especially due to social media and people use these as reasons to "cancel" them or judge them.

    I've always had an issue with people that use an artist's criminal acts (for example) as a reason to not listen to them or enjoy them. I find it stupid. If you drew me a picture right now and I told you it was fantastic then one minute later I found out you were a murderer I'm not going to force myself to go "oh... actually nah it's s---." I liked the drawing because it was a good drawing.

    People are so scared to say they like a controversial artist because they think it means they condone every bad thing they've ever done. It doesn't just enjoy the music (or movie/book etc.), you don't need to starve yourself of potentially enjoying something just because you think it's morally right. The only people that care are people on social media obsessed with making themselves look like humanitarians and activists without actually doing anything but sharing hashtags.

    Where do you stand on the debate? I get the same annoyance with sports too when there's debate if a certain athlete should be inducted because of off-field indiscretions. It's a sports hall of fame, not a person hall of fame. Michael Jackson was most likely a paedophile, that doesn't mean his music isn't incredible and I'm not going to pretend it isn't if it's ever 100% proven he was. YNW Melly looks to have certainly killed two of his friends which is f-----, but I'm not going to prohibit myself from enjoying music because of that.

    I just don't get why people basically punish themselves by choosing not to enjoy something, when most of the time it's not even because they think it's morally right it's because they're too scared to deal with do-gooders ripping into them.
     
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  2. Michael Myers
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    Michael Myers Moderator

    Nov 24, 2019
    100% agree w you.

    I don't give a s--- about what an artist does if I enjoy their music. If its good its good. Like, no matter how much of a r----- Kanye is now , his CD - WTT run still makes him top 3 for me no matter what he does or says. Same goes the other way around.

    I do however get annoyed with 'free ....' posts when someone did a horrible thing, just because it means no new music. If jay z , or emimem or whoever would k--- someone tomorrow I would never defend them for being thrown in jail. Justice means, to me, a lot more than some new songs.
     
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  3. Ricky
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    Ricky Hip-Hop CEO ™

    Nov 24, 2019
    I agree with OP, but with cases like R.Kelly or other pedo weirdos... Ehh, not really
     
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  4. SHUDEYE
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    SHUDEYE Kerser is the sickest.

    Nov 24, 2019
    I just look at it in extreme senses. Say for example today everyone's skeletons in their closets were released. We couldn't listen to anyone then technically.
     
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  5. Mikey
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    Nov 24, 2019
    No chance I am listening to a sex offender or a serial killer.

    Its why I stopped listening to Eminem.
     
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  6. Fire Squad
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    Fire Squad Boss Don Biggavel

    Nov 24, 2019
     
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  7. Michael Myers
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    Michael Myers Moderator

    Nov 24, 2019
    What did he do lol

    Also u got something against serial killers????
     
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  8. SHUDEYE
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    SHUDEYE Kerser is the sickest.

    Nov 24, 2019
    I think he's referring to the characters Em plays ha
     
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  9. Michael Myers
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    Michael Myers Moderator

    Nov 25, 2019
    So Eminem playing serial killer character is wrong, but like, a lot of rappers that actually rap about killing and shooting people (not as a character) is fine ?
     
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  10. SHUDEYE
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    SHUDEYE Kerser is the sickest.

    Nov 25, 2019
    I think he's trolling ha
     
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  11. Sterling
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    Sterling Psychic Spy In Training

    Nov 25, 2019
     
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  12. DKC
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    DKC hank trill

    Nov 25, 2019
    the vast majority of rappers rapping about killing people are playing characters/putting on a persona too
     
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  13. DKC
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    DKC hank trill

    Nov 25, 2019
    anyway I don't think most people are really depriving themselves of something they might enjoy, it's more that they don't feel comfortable promoting someone who's a r--ist/pedophile/etc because continuing to give someone like that money/celebrating them just normalizes that behavior and basically says that it's OK in our society because their bad deeds go unpunished

    I listen to tons of problematic rappers (like I love kodak's music but he's a deplorable human being) and what I've landed on is to just try to pirate their music and not support them through streaming or buying merch or whatever.

    The main thing I have problem with is people having issue with problematic rappers but don't care about all the old rockstars who f----- 13 year olds and beat their wife. Like I got into an argument about this with someone at my last job who loved david bowie and I asked her "well didn't david bowie f--- a bunch of 13 year olds" and she was like "I chose to forgive bowie because it was a different time" like f--- off the 70s weren't the middle ages when people were marrying off their 12 year old daughters.

    At the end of the day just do what you're comfortable doing just try to be consistent with it and don't make a show of making people feel bad about listening to a problematic rapper if you're still listening to child-f---ing rockstars.
     
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  14. Sav Stanfield
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    Nov 25, 2019
    Exactly what @Big Cuntry said.

    I mean 2Pac assaulted women and shot police but I still love his music. Same for Kodak (and to a lesser extent ---). Big Lurch was a f---ing CANNIBAL but I'll still bump his music lol.
     
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  15. Lil Squeed
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    Lil Squeed French Montana Stan

    Nov 25, 2019
    idgaf if the music's good it's good
     
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  16. Winter
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    Winter Super Comfy

    Nov 25, 2019
    It's generally a case by case basis for me. I'll still bump Melly but I'll never listen to R Kelly again
     
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  17. SHUDEYE
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    SHUDEYE Kerser is the sickest.

    Nov 25, 2019
    By depriving I'm more referring to when like people find out something about an artist they enjoyed then start trying to pretend like they never did. Like people do with Michael Jackson. Basically I just don't think we need to feel this responsibility to like try and only like art by good people.
     
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  18. SHUDEYE
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    SHUDEYE Kerser is the sickest.

    Nov 25, 2019
    And wow.
     
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  19. Michael Myers
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    Michael Myers Moderator

    Nov 26, 2019
    Yeah I mean we're talking about single artists now w their music.

    If one of the 20 actors in a movie u like turns out a bad person, ur gonna just say yeah movie sucks now?

    Not me at least.
     
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  20. ifkedup
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    Nov 26, 2019
    I feel it's a bit different depending on the art and the artist.
    Movies's usually don't represent the actor.
     
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