We’ve seen it time and time again. Celebrities are under fire for their actions. Their name starts trending on Twitter with #isoverparty behind it. Tweets upon tweets, posts upon posts, about how we need to “stop listening to their music right now!” or “stop watching their movies right now!” But why should we stop listening or watching the things we enjoy because of one person?
Separating the art from the artist does not mean denying the bad things they’ve done or said. It means that you can appreciate a good song or movie and not have to acknowledge the singer, director, or actor.
For example, director Woody Allen has made many successful movies in his life. He’s considered one of the best directors of his time. However, he’s been at the height of many scandals--he married one of his adoptive daughters in the late 2000s and has been accused of molesting his other one. There is no doubt these actions are gross and unnerving-but he’s paved the way for other filmmakers in the industry. We wouldn’t have a lot of great movies if he didn’t inspire them.
A good example for our generation would be Chris Brown. A rapper known throughout the early 2000s and is even still relevant today. But unfortunately, who could forget the notorious photo of Rihanna, beaten and bruised by Brown. Despite this, he’s still a popular figure in today’s pop culture- and a lot of people still listen to and enjoy his music.
Some would argue that it’s not possible to separate the art from the artist. For example, Maria Garcia wrote an article for “The ARTery” entitled “For Once and for All, Stop Asking Us to Separate the Art from the Artist.” She explains that by supporting these artists, you are putting money into their pocket. She wrote “Art does not exist in its own altruistic, alternate universe. It's part of the world — and the patriarchy. Sales of his music directly benefit R. Kelly. Watching his movies directly benefits Woody Allen.”
While yes, obviously listening and watching the art these artists produce is giving them more money, it is also giving other people who worked on the project money. It’s giving the hair and makeup crew money, the costume designer money, the producers money. It does not solely benefit one person. It supports all the people who worked on the project.
Separating the art from the artist is not as difficult as Twitter makes it out to be. Separating the art from the artist isn’t being oblivious to the artist’s faults. It's acknowledging their wrongdoings and supporting the other people who made the art possible. If you like a song, or movie, or TV show with a controversial person in it, you are allowed to continue to like it. You just have to clarify that you dislike the artist.
Photo courtesy of Atticus Benfield