your question

12/03/2019 Phil

What do you do if you're a fan of a musician and then it turns out they're an asshole? Does it change your affinity for their music? I am sure Morrissey and Smashing Pumpkins fans ask themselves this question every day

my answer

I’ve had a couple poor experiences meeting people I revered as artists. In addition to that there are artists I like who have dubious reputations regarding their personal lives. That doesn’t change the music or art that I appreciate. Art has a complicated source, and humans are extremely complicated. If I’m not actively involved in their lives then I have to figure out my own boundaries as to how I continue to revere their art or banish it from my own personal world. R Kelly is an example of the extreme. I now believe in muting R Kelly.

On the other hand, I listen to both Christian and Satanic music. At times there is a point where the art overtakes the artist and once it is made public and in my possession, I put my own imprint on it as a listener. I can separate the art from the artist if the art is good enough. But like I said, I have my limits. Fortunately I’m not into either of those musicians you mentioned. However, you might be surprised if you dig deep into the personal lives of great artists. Even, say, T.S. Eliot or Salinger for example. What do we do with the films of Polanski, or the novels of Hemingway? It’s a big question you have provoked here, but if someone is “just” and asshole when I meet them, I try to forget that exchange and separate them from the art I love so much.