Art vs. The Artist

There is an "art vs. the artist" argument happening every damn day, especially in the media, specifically in articles. There are a million examples of an amazing movie, show, song or business created by someone that has done terrible things. There are people believed all around the world that have committed crimes and either been ruined for it or it was forgotten. I'm sure you can think of many off the top of your head. And I have mixed feelings on all of the points that are made because I do believe that it's better to separate the art from the artist, but I do recognize that there are exceptions.

I can fully understand why the destroyed image of someone in a movie could ruin the quality of it. But I simply cannot see that with everything.

Bill Cosby is a great example. Bill Cosby did comedy throughout his whole career and portrayed himself as a kind and sweet father figure. So, I can totally get why seeing any of his work would be unsettling now that he has been convicted of rape. Another solid case would be Kevin Spacey. Although he has yet to be sentenced, he hasn't been found guilty, I understand why it can be disturbing to see his face all the time in the shows he is in.

There are examples where seeing the artist that has done terrible things is simply too unsettling to enjoy their work. But a lot of the time it doesn't make sense. Usually in music. My best example of an evil but brilliant artist is Michael Jackson. If you don't believe Michael Jackson is guilty, that's you but I think there is more than enough proof. And even if he wasn't sexual with any children, it is very much safe to say that they were abused due to Michael Jackson. So, I personally think that the "king of pop" is a disgusting human being. But that doesn't make him any less talented! Michael Jackson is one of the most talented people in history! So, although he wasn't a good person, I don't see anything wrong with enjoying his music. I'm not much of a fan of Michael Jackson, but I believe that you can enjoy a Michael Jackson song without being terrible yourself. Harvey Weinstein is also a great case because he was actually convicted! Weinstein is currently in prison for sexual assault charges and I wouldn't be surprised if he dies in jail. But Weinstein, this disgusting man accused of sexual misconduct, has worked on some of the most famous movies of the last few decades! Harvey Weinstein worked on Kill Bill, Scream, The Lord of The Rings and much more. And I just don't understand how Weinstein's conviction could diminish any of the quality of these films. His face literally isn't even in the movie. So, although a bad guy made the movie, you can still enjoy the movie.

John Lennon was a wife-beater but "Imagine" is still a brilliantly powerful song. Kodak Black literally can't stop going to prison but he has some dope songs. OJ Simpson killed people but he was still a great actor and athlete.

In my eyes, you can enjoy the contents of a piece of media without supporting the one bad person in it. So many people work on these projects, 9/10 the person isn't playing as themselves and someone can still be brilliant even when they are evil.