should we separate the art from the artist?

Should we separate the art from the artist?

I recently had a conversation or debate I should say with a friend of mine, he had suggested that if we look at the artist and the art they produce as a duo, then we will never be able to enjoy anything. He argued that humans are expected to disappoint, so we have no right to judge another individual. We need to separate the art from the artist!!

Should we be draining talent?

Should we be boycotting the art because of the actions its creators?

Some argue that we need to separate the art from the artist, but is this merely a cop out to ignore the responsibility that we as individuals also have when we ignore the morality of rewarding people who do harm onto others. In the industry the public condemnation of individuals has spread far and wide with the help of social media, therefore accountability is fluid.

A powerful man in media is accused of being a sexual predator. Whether he is to admit it, or not. He comes under investigation, quits, or is fired. his work (no matter how much people liked it before) turns stale. Is this a positive turning point or merely an overreaction?

Accountability is key, historically we’ve lived in a world which has lacked a moral compass, money and power meant that those within these positions were not made accountable for their actions which provoke harmful behaviour to masses of individuals. Take Adolf Hitler for example, he was the cause of the loss of many lives. Removing the opportunities from individuals like Harvey Weinstein one of Hollywood’s most powerful attempts to push the rhetoric that we are all equal

Last year Nate Parkers movie “The Birth of a Nation” collapsed at the box office after revelations that its writer-director, Nate Parker, had been accused of raping a woman nearly 20 years earlier. (Mr. Parker was acquitted; the woman later killed herself).

In the lives of us mere mortals we must ensure we behave with integrity. We have to police ourselves on social media. We must avoid getting in trouble with the police. We must follow the simple rules of the land, because if not then we potentially and very likely end up losing job opportunities. So why when we’re considering those who create the art which we consume, do some of us believe these people shouldn’t have to do the same,... see its illogical. We kick up a fuss for something we also must go through which is accountability for our own behaviour.

Representation is extremely important in society especially for future generations, children aspire to be what they can see before them. Therefore, meaning to continue to evolve as a society its important that those who are placed on a pedestal are those who are worthy of being looked up to. It’s important to have a glass pedestal, if the position you hold is being taken advantage of, then it’s necessary that we can knock down the pedestal and break the glass. Yes, the art may suffer be we live in a world with billions of individuals who hold many talents, one door closes and another door opens.

However, certain controversial celebrities are immune to career-ending condemnation, while others are immediately “cancelled”? why is this? Those such as the late Xxxtentacian, still managed to uphold a large following who identified that he had done some unspeakable things however many excused it as youthful mistakes, however others such as bill Cosby can suddenly become completely cancelled. Can we pick and choose who we choose to condemn? Maybe this is suggestive, that we haven’t yet come as far as many would hope in being able to hold individuals accountable for their actions. Food for thought.