Can you separate the art from the artist? How do you feel about R Kelly now? Oj ? Michael Jackson? Marilyn Manson? Or st least their legacy.? We all have 2 sides. Noone is 100 pure. We are human. #conversationstarter #thoughts #art #artists #controversial
Discussion
MJ was a product of the system, especially once he left the family and their "protection" as much as that was. The industry used him, society used him, he was and still is an icon. MM has been much less of a pariah given the time he has been in and the type of music, I mean come on... their first two albums alone. I grew up with MJ and then in the Air Force I would put all 5 MM albums (1999) on my 5 disc changer and play it over night as I slept. I can't say much on RK as I never followed hip hop though I saw the scandal. I don't think anyone isn't negatively affected by being involved in the industry as an artist, it has seemed part and parcel.
It's easy to separate the art from the artist. All you have to do is make sure you're downloading it on Bittorrent so you're not funding their degeneracy ;-).
But seriously though, yea, I'll listen to Burzum even though Varg is a raging nativist. Because I'm not listening to his music for his ideas, but rather, the sounds.
I may have a harder time reading Neil Gaiman at this point though. Because I WAS reading him for his way of thinking, and his way of thinking, if followed into the dark alleys where it leads, apparently probably isn't the best thing to be following. At the very least it'll be with a more critical eye.
It's one thing to play with control and power. It's another to dehumanize people.