Since, shockingly, many of the men in pop culture are problematic, an important question has arisen.
With many calling for the boycott of movies and music created by problematic artists, we are forced to ask ourselves whether we can we separate art from its artist. Can we still enjoy John Lennon’s musical masterpieces even though he was abusive to his wife and child? Can we still watch and enjoy classic movies like The Usual Suspects (or any movie made by Miramax or the Weinstein Company, while we’re at it) even though they feature Kevin Spacey or are produced by Harvey Weinstein?
There are no clear answers to these questions. On one hand, continuing to consume the content they create supports them and puts more money in their hands. On the other, many of the most influential and important artistic contributions of our time have come from people who would otherwise be considered monstrous—should we be forced to just throw their work away?
A pretty common argument when this question is asked is “if we stopped consuming content from problematic artists, then we’d have nothing left,” and while I see the point, I don’t exactly agree with it. It seems like a cop-out and like an excuse for their actions—like a play on the “well, everyone does it” excuse we all used as children.
It would seem that continuing to listen to Chris Brown’s music or continuing to watch Kevin Spacey’s movies is born from a selfish mentality as if to say that the personal enjoyment derived from consuming their content is more important than the societal consequence of spreading their fame.
This exact selfish mentality is actually evident throughout American society. The same argument is often made from those who choose to eat meat (like, unfortunately, myself), despite the environmental effects of the widespread consumption of meat and the inhumane treatment of animals—we know it’s wrong, but we derive too much enjoyment from eating steak to give it up. The same goes for many Trump voters—specifically those who recognized the despicable things he has said and done to be despicable, yet still voted for him for their own economic and political gain (*cough* Paul Ryan *cough* most wealthy white voters).
Many of the arguments for continuing to support this art and the artists who create it derive from the fact that art is important—and it definitely is. John Lennon is one of the most influential artists in history, and the world is a different place because of his contributions. Kanye West revolutionized hip-hop. Harvey Weinstein produced some of the greatest films of all time. This is why it’s such a difficult question—we can’t erase these men or their cultural contributions from history, but their actions are morally reprehensible and they deserve consequences.
I’m struggling to grapple with this question in my own life. Some of my favorite music is created by domestic abusers. Some of my favorite movies are created by sexual assaulters. I can’t tell you what to do. I can’t even tell myself what to do. What I can say, when it comes to consuming the work of problematic artists, is to be mindful of their past actions. And regardless of what you decide, always pursue justice for those who tragically must say “me too.”
And since I mentioned domestic abuse and sexual violence, you can check out http://www.bwjp.org for resources and ways to help.
