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The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Debate & Discussion > Separating art from artist
 
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Stinky_Pete
Aug 16, 2015

Stinkier than your average bear
Lipstick Apathy

Lordshmee posted:

Your Dunkle Sans made a drunk thread about The Beatles in GBS the other day that devolved into a shouting match over which artist from the 60s/70s was the biggest monster because they did nasty things like child rape and wife beating. I love The Beatles and David Bowie but I must admit they had some bad habits. Same with Cat Stevens - I *love* his stuff but the whole fatwa thing really puts me off.

Like Wagner? Nazi.
Like Washington and Jefferson? Slaveowners.

Seems to me like you can't escape the fact that a LOT of interesting, influential, or otherwise downright awesome people were also one shade or another of awful human. So - can you separate the art from the artist, or are they inseparable? I have come to the tentative conclusion that you have to in order to allow yourself to like basically anything. Look hard enough and there is something not to like about everyone. Can I morally ignore something reprehensible an artist did in their personal life so I can enjoy their art? I sure hope so.

Every time you refuse to enjoy Götterdämmerung, a Hasidic Jew gets his curls.

Oh right it's DnD and I should add to the discussion.

In principle I think it's very easy to separate the art from the artist, but obviously it's still useful to consider what the artist was up to in order to inform your interpretation of the work. John Lennon sang "Love is all you need," and became a wife beater, which certainly tells us a lot about where that sentiment gets you, but that doesn't mean the melody sucks.

* # ¿ Apr 2, 2016 00:01
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# ¿ May 17, 2024 07:46
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The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Debate & Discussion > Separating art from artist