Over the years, I have been disappointed by the behavior of countless artists outside of the realm of their professional work. But despite this disappointment, I often find it difficult to stop consuming these people's works or to stop recognizing their talent. And it makes me feel like a horrible person sometimes.
I should first clarify what I mean. By artist, I mostly mean actors, directors, singers, and the like. (I just realized that I probably should have chosen an expression that includes athletes, but I haven't been disappointed by an athlete that I liked in a while and haven't really had an athlete-related dilemma.) The behavior I'm referring to can come in various forms, but they usually involve making bigoted or overly ignorant comments or engaging in some kind of violent or sexually inappropriate behavior. I honestly don't care much about DUIs and other plainly stupid behavior, though I do experience some degree of embarrassment for liking an artist with a sloppy mugshot.
But back to my main point. I understand why a boycott of certain artists would send a strong message against whatever horrible behavior in which they have engaged (or continue to engage). Obviously, famous, talented people should not get a pass for criminal or otherwise despicable behavior just because they are famous and talented. At the same time, I wonder whether there is an acceptable way to properly punish them for their non-occupational misbehavior while simultaneously recognizing the merits of their professional work. I am a big fan of movies and music, and I do think the world would be a better place with more cinematic and musical talent. But at what point does the trade-off between that talent and horrible behavior become unacceptable? (In related news, there's the issue of misogyny and problematic stereotypes in good movies and music, but that is ripe for a post of its own...stay tuned.)
I should first clarify what I mean. By artist, I mostly mean actors, directors, singers, and the like. (I just realized that I probably should have chosen an expression that includes athletes, but I haven't been disappointed by an athlete that I liked in a while and haven't really had an athlete-related dilemma.) The behavior I'm referring to can come in various forms, but they usually involve making bigoted or overly ignorant comments or engaging in some kind of violent or sexually inappropriate behavior. I honestly don't care much about DUIs and other plainly stupid behavior, though I do experience some degree of embarrassment for liking an artist with a sloppy mugshot.
But back to my main point. I understand why a boycott of certain artists would send a strong message against whatever horrible behavior in which they have engaged (or continue to engage). Obviously, famous, talented people should not get a pass for criminal or otherwise despicable behavior just because they are famous and talented. At the same time, I wonder whether there is an acceptable way to properly punish them for their non-occupational misbehavior while simultaneously recognizing the merits of their professional work. I am a big fan of movies and music, and I do think the world would be a better place with more cinematic and musical talent. But at what point does the trade-off between that talent and horrible behavior become unacceptable? (In related news, there's the issue of misogyny and problematic stereotypes in good movies and music, but that is ripe for a post of its own...stay tuned.)
