We live in a world where pop culture is a huge part of our daily lives, and it can sometimes feel like every week new scandals are revealed about our favorite artists. It’s easy to tell ourselves that the personal lives of creators have little relation to the things that they create, but is it really possible to separate the artist from the art?
My own media consumption is far from unproblematic, I have Bowie and Eminem on my iTunes, and I saw Woody Allen’s "Magic in the Moonlight" in theaters despite having read all about the sexual abuse allegations against him in the news. Does this mean that I am in favor of the horrific things these men are accused of doing? Of course not. But even if the message sent by owning "The Marshall Mathers LP" isn’t one that condones violence against women, it does make an interesting statement about how far we are or are not willing to go to stand against what we think is wrong.
When “Ignition (remix)” comes on at the party, I’m hesitant to be the girl who kills the mood by bringing up the many accusations of abuse against R Kelly. People don’t want to believe that their listening songs by a certain artist is the same as accepting that artist’s actions. But the fact is, no matter how much we wish we could, there is no way to truly separate the art from the artist. Even if we can agree that R Kelly is a bad person because of the multiple instances of abuse towards young girls, his music didn’t hurt anyone, did it? Is it really condoning his actions to dance when his music comes on at a party? And sure, if you saw Woody Allen on the street you wouldn’t be inclined to smile or make nice, but it’s not supporting child abuse to see the new film you’ve read so much about, is it?
I would argue that while consumption of art by problematic artists is not necessarily aligning oneself with the actions of the artists, it is a sort of under the table acceptance. Our actions speak at least as loud as our words, and continuing to support the artist by way of consumption even as we might speak out against them is still support. When we acknowledge that a creator has done something bad enough to lose our respect but continue to accept their creations, we send a culturally mixed message. We can condemn their actions all we want, but if we keep buying their albums and tickets to their newest movies, it sucks the sincerity right from our condemnation.
So do you have to stop listening to R Kelly and David Bowie? Should you turn down the invitation to watch "Irrational Man"? In today’s rich media culture it surely is not as if you don’t have any other options. If you do choose to continue, be mindful of the statement you are making, whether you mean to or not.
