I can sometimes separate the art from the artist. Roald Dahl was a massive antisemite, but I still think he was a terrific writer. He also didn’t actually hurt anyone with his antisemitism, he was just a bigoted asshole.
In the case of Woody Allen, Roman Polanski and even Bill Maher now that I know he grooms kids, I can’t do that. And honestly, I can’t listen to Michael Jackson anymore either.
Maybe it’s because I’m a parent, but I cannot think about any of those people without thinking about children coming to harm. That makes life less enjoyable when I pay attention to them. Meanwhile, there are countless other artists to enjoy who are also terrific. Far more than I ever have time to give my attention to. So why give my attention to them?
I can sometimes separate the art from the artist. Roald Dahl was a massive antisemite, but I still think he was a terrific writer. He also didn’t actually hurt anyone with his antisemitism, he was just a bigoted asshole.
In the case of Woody Allen, Roman Polanski and even Bill Maher now that I know he grooms kids, I can’t do that. And honestly, I can’t listen to Michael Jackson anymore either.
Maybe it’s because I’m a parent, but I cannot think about any of those people without thinking about children coming to harm. That makes life less enjoyable when I pay attention to them. Meanwhile, there are countless other artists to enjoy who are also terrific. Far more than I ever have time to give my attention to. So why give my attention to them?