JK Rowling isn’t unique, however. Many of my favourite artists have been letting me down as well. Be it John Lasseter’s sexual misconduct allegations, or William Shatner’s transphobia, I feel like I’m in a perpetual Hell on Earth. Life sucks as is, but this? Is no art sacred?
Until a few years ago, this wouldn’t have been an issue worth contemplating. I’d ignore the awfulness of the people themselves and focus on their creations. Like my childhood philosophy of “checking my brain at the door” during a movie, it was the easiest route to take. Unfortunately, age and maturity have made these philosophies moot. Because like how I can no longer not think critically, I also can’t enjoy a piece of art now without thinking about its author’s intent. They’re now forever intertwined.
However, for the sake of fairness, lets examine two approaches to someone’s favourite artist(s) being awful and why I can’t accept them. (And no, pretending they were never talented isn’t one of them, because that’s dishonest.)
The first approach is to detach what you love from its creator’s beliefs. This is called “separating the art from the artist”. To be fair, it’s pretty sympathetic: an artist’s public life being bad doesn’t mean their work is bad. John Lasseter might have accusations of misconduct, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t a pioneer in animation. Pretending the work itself is unique isn’t farfetched. And, on some level, it’s even true.
The big hole you can poke here is that it ignores how intertwined the art is with the artist’s views. Going back to Lasseter, even if you ignore his persona, his legacy, good and bad, is still all-over his work. His films cast their female characters as sex objects, damsels, or virtually non-existent (it took 4 films and a female writer to make Bo Peep interesting, for example). His tenure at Pixar saw a slew of sexist and uncomfortable “jokes” that read as creepy in 2020, including Mike being slapped by his girlfriend for kissing him without consent in Monsters, Inc. and that one scene in Ratatouille. Yes, I thank him for helping to bring Studio Ghibli into the Western consciousness, but is that enough?
Assuming it isn’t, there’s the second approach: so your favourite artist is scum? Well then, attribute the success to someone else! Forget JK Rowling, Hatsune Miku created Harry Potter! Isn’t she talented?
The big hole you can poke here is that it ignores how intertwined the art is with the artist’s views. Going back to Lasseter, even if you ignore his persona, his legacy, good and bad, is still all-over his work. His films cast their female characters as sex objects, damsels, or virtually non-existent (it took 4 films and a female writer to make Bo Peep interesting, for example). His tenure at Pixar saw a slew of sexist and uncomfortable “jokes” that read as creepy in 2020, including Mike being slapped by his girlfriend for kissing him without consent in Monsters, Inc. and that one scene in Ratatouille. Yes, I thank him for helping to bring Studio Ghibli into the Western consciousness, but is that enough?
Assuming it isn’t, there’s the second approach: so your favourite artist is scum? Well then, attribute the success to someone else! Forget JK Rowling, Hatsune Miku created Harry Potter! Isn’t she talented?
I can understand wanting to shift focus, but ignoring how Hatsune Miku isn’t real, two problems come up here. The most-obvious is that by attributing the genius to another individual, you play revisionist history and ignore dealing with the creator’s legacy. It’s a cop-out, essentially. It might be “cute” that a Vocaloid is “responsible” for so many works of art, but the creator still exists. Pretending otherwise is ignorance.
The other problem, and this is why I don’t “stan” people, is that the new target of adoration is flimsy. So you want to attribute the success to another, less-troubled artist? What if that artist turns out to be scum too? Are you going to shift it to someone else? How long are you willing to play this game?
The other problem, and this is why I don’t “stan” people, is that the new target of adoration is flimsy. So you want to attribute the success to another, less-troubled artist? What if that artist turns out to be scum too? Are you going to shift it to someone else? How long are you willing to play this game?
In pretending that someone else is responsible for the art’s success, you ignore how people are still people. We’re all flawed and prone to disappointment. It’s less a matter of “if” and more a matter of “when”. By constantly playing this game, you set yourself up for disappointment. It’s also silly, if we’re being honest.
I don’t appreciate when my heroes let me down. It bums me out. I’d like nothing more than JK Rowling to understand how hurtful her words are, or for William Shatner to, and I wish John Lasseter didn’t have allegations against him. I’d like nothing more than for Harry Potter, Star Trek and Pixar to forever be pure, like they were when I was a child. But that’s unrealistic, and adult me knows that.
So what to do? It’s tough. On one hand, art’s subjective and personal. I recognize that I’ll respond to it differently than someone else, even if we both like it. But on the other hand, supporting awful people can make me feel guilt-ridden, which I don’t like either. It’s a tough balance.
Honestly, I think it’s up to individuals on a personal level to figure this out. For some, the above two mentalities, flawed as they are, work wonders. For others, however, they don’t. And for the latter camp, it’s important to recognize that art doesn’t exist in a bubble, and to appreciate the impact it has in spite of its creators. That doesn’t mean you don’t hold them accountable, but you shouldn’t let their legacies control your life.
So what to do? It’s tough. On one hand, art’s subjective and personal. I recognize that I’ll respond to it differently than someone else, even if we both like it. But on the other hand, supporting awful people can make me feel guilt-ridden, which I don’t like either. It’s a tough balance.
Honestly, I think it’s up to individuals on a personal level to figure this out. For some, the above two mentalities, flawed as they are, work wonders. For others, however, they don’t. And for the latter camp, it’s important to recognize that art doesn’t exist in a bubble, and to appreciate the impact it has in spite of its creators. That doesn’t mean you don’t hold them accountable, but you shouldn’t let their legacies control your life.
Then again, I hid my Harry Potter books in a cupboard in protest, so what do I know?
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